A Thankful, Experienced Teacher

I was hired two days before the beginning of the school year. The office manager handed me a set of keys and directed me to a portable. “Do you know what I will be teaching?” I asked because I had been given no more information than that I had a job.  The call came at 7:00 am and I had been told to arrive before the staff training at 10:00.  I woke my 11-year-old daughter and told her she needed to get her little brother up and dressed. As I showered and dressed my mind was reeling. Who would watch my kids today? When would I take them back-to-school shopping? What was I teaching? Was I ready for this? I texted the teenager down the street who agreed to watch the kids, raced to my new job and presented myself in the office at 9:45 to get my keys.

The office manager shrugged her shoulders, then offered, “Most of the people in the portables teach 7th grade.” I only had time to glance in my new home-away-from-home portable before heading to the training. The carpet was orange and threadbare. Each wall was a different color in a spectrum from beige to an orangy brown. The student desks were mismatched. The teacher desk was tilted (I later discovered that it was missing a leg) and made from some kind of greenish metal. There was a file cabinet and  I soon learned that the top drawer was permanently locked and the bottom drawer contained a large, rather heavy, chain. (At some point I naively tried to remove the chain only to discover that it was necessary to prevent the cabinet from tipping over.) 

Day 2 - I brought my daughter with me. We covered the holes in the walls with denim and made them look like bulletin boards, propped the teacher desk up on some old books, hung posters over the most offensive stains, and arranged the school supplies that I had bought with the grocery money the night before. At some point a cart of textbooks arrived. Apparently I would be teaching 7th grade Math and Science . . . in 19 hours!

A teacher named Brent stopped by my room. He helped me figure out how to find, set up, and use a document camera and projector.  Those first few months I called on him frequently, and he was always willing to help with technology, content resources, or anything else a struggling new teacher could need.

My first weeks were exhausting as I balanced my teaching responsibilities with parenting and the part-time job that had not yet found my replacement. I worked hard to engage my students, but knew that I needed to build my skills in creating a dynamic classroom that still incorporated structures and routines. I went and observed a teacher named Michelle who made it seem easy. Things started to get better.

Over my first two years I had the opportunity to continue observing the more experienced teachers around me. A teacher named Krissy showed me how to juggle multiple activities and control the classroom with calm and humor. A teacher named Desiree helped me learn how to approach the disparate needs of my students in special education programs. I learned to speak with my students and not at them by watching a teacher named Dana. Understanding that I needed to consider the physical and emotional needs of my students as well as their academic needs came from a teacher named Lori.

Eventually, with the support and modeling from these more experienced teachers, I grew into a more effective educator myself. Even so, I continue to learn from those around me.  I am continually thankful for the energy, ideas, and support from my fellow teachers, most of whom are now younger and less “experienced“ than I. So if I haven’t said it before, thank you to Brent, Michelle, Krissy, Desiree, Dana, and Lori, as well as the multitude of teachers who have come after them. 

Food and Climate Change Design Challenge

Along with math and design, I also teach 7^th grade science at Vista Innovation and Design Academy (VIDA) which has a learning engine of design thinking.  In this design challenge, students will be looking at the connections between nutrition, food production, and global climate change. I will be meshing components of nutrition action plans, NGSS and the VIDA Design Cycle. Through the process, students will be able to tackle either personal, community, or global issues.

Early in the year we begin the study of climate change by investigating the Arctic ecosystem and the changes in glaciers and sea ice. We then look at causality and learn about the chemistry of fossil fuels and how the build-up of carbon dioxide leads to the greenhouse gas effect. At this point I would introduce the Understanding Food and Climate Change interactive guide, and go over the ideas presented in “What is a Food System?” As a class, we could share about favorite foods and possibly have a debate about what true California cuisine should look like. This would involve research into indigenous plants as well as imports that thrive in our climate.  Because droughts are an ongoing problem in California, we could also look at issues related to irrigation and water usage.  

To build background knowledge, I will have student work with a partner to go through the “How Climate Change Affects Our Food System” portion of the interactive guide. They will draw a model demonstrating their understanding of the impact in their science journal, and will have the opportunity to share with the class and refine their ideas. Then, for inspiration, we will review “How Our Food System Affects Climate Change” and dive into empathy with other species and future human populations.

In our Design Cycle, the next phase is to define our focus. Here I will support students to direct their own path and develop a goal. Having students determine the direction of a design challenge is an important component of our school culture. These goals could be individual, small group, community, or global goals. We can chart the importance and difficulty of each goal to help ensure that each goal is feasible and worthwhile for students. I will review goals with each student and help them to refine them into  clear statements that students can record in their journals and track.

The next part of our school process involves ideation and prototyping the student change ideas. For this portion of the design challenge, our school has a variety of procedures to help facilitate student projects. First, students will be encouraged to team with other students sharing similar goals, unless working individually really seems to be a better fit. Then, there are several scaffolded protocols that students can opt to use to guide them towards their next steps, and staff members who will take time to help students find and use the right protocol. Students will have time in class to work on their goals, and will be encouraged to communicate with their families to enlist help and support at home.  I will also have students explore the “Promising Strategies for Addressing Climate Change” in the interactive guide to help them formulate and refine their plans. For further information I am curating an annotated list of resources, primarily from the Food and Nutrition Education Resources Database, so that students can dive deeper into the process. They will also be encouraged to add any additional resources to the class database.

Our school culture should make creating a supportive environment for student change relatively easy. We have experts in a variety of areas in and around our campus that students could look to for advice and support. One teacher has developed a hydroponics lab, while another houses aquaponic tanks in her room. One of our wellness (our version of P.E.) teachers is turning an unused baseball diamond into a student garden. Our school also houses both a health aid and one of the district RNs, and both are always willing to support students in any aspect of their health. Our site and district Nutrition Services staff are willing to speak with students and listen to their concerns and ideas. While they can’t always implement the ideas, they will take the time to explain to reasoning behind any of their practices.

The final step in our process is to reflect and refine. Students will have several opportunities to present their ideas and progress towards their goals. They will be encouraged to continually seek feedback and support along the way. In the Spring, they will have the opportunity to share their ideas with a public audience at our school’s annual Design Expo.

Falling for a Class???

Have you ever read (or seen) one of those dippy romance stories where the heroine meets a completely despicable character who makes her life impossible? There is always a nice, responsible man who offers a stark contrast to the loathsome creature. We all know how the story ends . . .

So, let me tell you about my 8^th period class. Middle schoolers are always pleasant at the end of the day and, thanks to our block schedule, more than 40% of their time with me takes place on Friday afternoon! How can I describe them? They:

·       Talk during “quiet warm-up.”

·       Eat Cheetos when they think I am not looking.

·       Wander around the room and gather by the water-fountain.

·       Roll their eyes at me when I suggest pretty much anything.

·       Make this annoying popping noise.

·       Constantly ask to go to the bathroom.

·       Seemingly hear mostly “Wah wah wah, wah wah” when I give instructions.

·       Make a hideous mess!

My other classes seem so nice and orderly in comparison. When 8^th period rolls into my classroom loudly like a pack of wild puppies, I brace myself and gather my strength to make it through the next 95 minutes.

Today, they were working in teams to clarify their understanding and communication around the idea of linear growth. The project involved cutting things out and gluing or taping them together in a way that makes sense. One boy taped his nose up to make a pig snout. Another pretended to be Edward Scissorhands with all the metal safety scissors. There were shards of paper everywhere, and I can’t even begin to describe the noise level. Some students were sitting on the floor, others were standing around tables or sitting on desks. As I walked around I noticed that their work was at least as good as my well-behaved classes, and showed their understanding in some rather creative ways. My struggling students were actively participating as their teams scaffolded tasks without my intervention. They were smiling, laughing and talking ABOUT MATH! They were actually excited to show people their work and explain their thinking!

At the end of the day they cleaned up their enormous mess (sort of) before I asked. At the sound of the bell they pushed out into the hall and ran, yelling and making that noise, away for the day. As I became immersed in the quiet that surrounded me after their departure, I noticed that someone had forgotten a shoe and that one team had turned their poster in by placing it the box that is clearly marked "Recycling."  I think they are beginning to grow on me . . .

How a Hammer Can Build a Relationship

As I bustled around preparing my classroom for a new year, I kept finding nails, EVERYWHERE! Each time I came across one, I had to smile because they remind me of two students who put me through the wringer last year. 

David and Juan (not their real names). These two boys sat in the back of my Green Architecture classroom every day. They did not seem to care much about the curriculum. They goofed around, ripped up papers, tried to look tough, and tried their best to make sure the entire class knew that they were not going to engage in any way. To make matters worse, David was also in my math class, so I got to experience the joy of having him as a student twice each day. Then we started the construction project in Green Architecture.

We started by building a scale model of a framed wall. As we were going over the placement of wall studs David raised his and explained the importance of accurate spacing, and related it to knocking through a wall at his grandmother’s house to install a new cabinet. Suddenly he was the expert, a position he had never held in a classroom, and his fellow students payed attention. The next day, he actually tried to solve a complex problem in math. Wow!

In our next phase of construction, my Green Architecture students needed to frame and build a scale model of shed. David and Juan got right to work, amazed that I would hand them a hammer. They were generally ahead of the rest of the class, and produced some amazing work. Another group was struggling, and could not figure out what they were doing wrong. Juan walked over, took one look at the project, and told them they were using the wrong type of nail. When they questioned how Juan knew this, he rolled his eyes saying, “I read the directions.” This stood out to me because Juan’s reading level was about four years behind his grade level, and he normally did whatever he could to avoid reading. The boys finished their project early and then circulated around the room helping other students. The next day, David raised his hand in math class.

When the Winter Design Expo rolled around, the class decided that they wanted to have a shed under construction at the so that parents and community members could see the process. I needed volunteers to take shifts throughout the evening, and David and Juan were the first to raise their hands. They showed up early, worked diligently, and fielded questions from a variety of interested attendees. They stood tall and rose to the occasion, and I could see the pride in their eyes. That quarter, David received a passing grade in math because he was willing to try and trusted me and his peers to celebrate his successes and embrace his failures as part of the learning process.

A few days later, Juan was waiting for me in the parking lot when I got to school in the morning. He asked if he could switch to my math class because he was not passing his current class. We made the change and on the first day he paid attention and did his best to contribute to his team. The next day he solved a relatively complex problem. By the end of the quarter, he had a solid B and was beginning to think he could pass all of his classes.

So, what happened? The Green Architecture class allowed me to connect with students. I handed them a hammer to build a wall, and in the process we built a relationship with a foundation of mutual trust. This relationship bled over into my math class, and made both boys more willing to try. More importantly, with those hammers they became class experts and built their confidence. They started to see themselves as capable and trustworthy. They started to care about their education and plan for their futures. 

The Glorious Aftermath of a Design Project (3/3/15)

posted Mar 3, 2015, 10:17 AM by Ellen Crews   [ updated Mar 3, 2015, 3:10 PM ]

I have nothing to do. I am sitting in my morning math class doing nothing. My students are selecting a gym for me in a problem that requires them to solve a system of equations. Aside from occasional humorous remarks about the likelihood of me ever going to a gym, they are not interacting with me at all. They are discussing the problem and figuring it out for themselves. Cool! To be fair, I need to admit that last week was a struggle. We completed a design challenge on buying a car which ended up being much more complicated than I had ever imagined. I spent so much time filling in gaps in their background knowledge, I began to seriously doubt whether the intended content was coming through. The whole experience proved very frustrating. Did they actually learn what I had hoped they would learn? The problem I handed out today is one that I created three years ago. In the past, students have struggled and needed me to push them in the right direction to get started. Today was different. Without prompting, at each table the students started discussing the problem and determining the appropriate steps to reach a solution. The only questions for me so far have been asking about the location of the stapler (I found it in the back of the room) and whether they could move on to the second problem when their group is done. I have heard some amazing questions including: “Which of these numbers represents the growth?” “How should we space the numbers on the y axis?” “Which variable should we graph on the x axis?” “Does this answer make any sense?” Great questions, however none of them have been directed at me. They are actually discussing math and trying to figure things out for themselves. Wow!             I spent the last two weeks tearing my hair out over a seemingly endless design project, wondering if I was wasting my time. This week, my students are barreling through complex systems without any help from me. They are explaining, arguing, erasing, demonstrating, and celebrating when they figure out the answers, all without me. I can sit back and watch them learn without intervening.             Next week we move on to geometric transformations, another design project, and probably a little hair tearing. My scalp and I are enjoying this week.

What A Design Thinking Project Reveals About Equity (2/20/15)

posted Feb 20, 2015, 8:21 AM by Ellen Crews   [ updated Feb 20, 2015, 8:25 AM ]

It seemed simple enough.  A design challenge in 8th grade math about buying a car. The idea is that students choose form a list of fictional buyers, empathize with the buyer, and select a car based on the buyer’s needs. To help with empathy, each buyer has a financial statement along with some other background information. For the math content, students had to calculate the amount of flexible spending money each month for their buyer, look at different payment plans, graph and compare the plans, and generate a linear equation to describe each payment option. I obsessed on creating a website with all of the necessary steps and information. I spent way too much time on the details, telling myself that it was worth it because it would help build both my technical skills and my standing curriculum. I looked forward to seeing the engaged look on my students’ faces as they tackled the real-world problem.  I didn’t see that look; I saw confusion. Students didn't ask questions. They sat and stared at the problem, not writing, not reaching for a calculator, just staring. I started a conversation with one group, asking them what they thought they should do with the information. “What is a ‘savings account’?” one student asked. I asked the entire class if they understood what a savings account is. Three students nodded, the rest shook their heads. So I spent the next several minutes explaining how and why people save money.  Further questions revealed that many students did not understand the concept of monthly income or bills. They also did not understand what a mortgage is, or that you can buy a car by making monthly payments. I had to explain taxes, interest, down payments, and why you might not want to spend every available dollar on a car. The situation caused me to reflect on some of the practice performance tasks that I have seen in advance of the new testing regime. Much like my design project, they make some large assumptions about students’ background knowledge. Unlike my project, however, standardized tests do not allow for assistance to fill in those gaps in background knowledge. So, is it equitable? In almost every aspect of adult life it is acceptable to reach out for more information when we don’t understand something, yet we require children to perform complex tasks without support. If we are really trying to predict future success, shouldn’t the ability to seek out appropriate support be a factor? It may be impossible to achieve equity on any test, because the playing field in the classroom, as in life, is never truly level. Now I have to go explain income tax to a group of teenagers.

Design Thinking in Math (1/18/15)

Jan 18, 2015, 6:26 PM by Ellen Crews   [ updated Jan 23, 2015, 9:56 AM ]

Almost every tine that I have gotten into a discussion about design thinking in the content areas, the excitement in the room is almost palpable. Teachers share their project ideas and stories of engaged students developing creative solutions to a variety of complex problems.  One content area, however, seems frequently to be excluded form this celebration of innovative teaching and learning. Math. How does design thinking work in Math? When this question comes up, the simple answer often is, “It doesn't.” How sad. As a member of the team designated to lead my school into the world of design thinking, it seemed almost unbearable to think that, because of my content area, I would not be a full member of the club. Shuttled to the outskirts where I could watch others bask in the glow of this enlightened approach while I continued to stress the importance of solving for x. Math teachers know that they have a long list of very specific skills that they need to teach, and often worry that former students will be the only ones in the room who cannot use the area model to multiply polynomials. The mere idea of deviating from our slog through the mathematical standards to engage in design projects is daunting, to say the least. Many of us agreed that it simply cannot be done. The solace offered by those more experienced than I was to pull in small components of the design cycle wherever I could.   I was preparing to teach a lesson that had proven to be engaging and meaningful for students in the past.  The idea was, if you are given the cost of a single, double, and triple cheeseburger, can you develop a linear equation that will allow you to find the cost of any burger? The final step was to calculate the cost of a burger with 100 patties.  As I was preparing the lesson, it struck me that the goal, teaching linear progression, could be met with less structure.  I showed students pictures of burgers of increasing sizes and asked them to find the problem. I was hoping that someone in the class would come up with finding the cost as a problem so that my students could reach my intended goal. The students worked in their team to develop problems and share them with the class.  The complexity, creativity, and relevance of the went beyond anything I had imagined. How many calories are there in large burgers? How does the sodium content compare to health recommendations? What percentage of the fat comes from the cheese? And yes, some wanted to look at the cost. Wow! Each group developed a “needs statement” defining who needed what information and why it was important. Students brainstormed about how they could solve their problem, and determined what data they would require. Without any direction to do so, students did online research and began solving their problem. Did all of them include a linear equation in their plan? Of course not! I had to walk from group to group and push their thinking until they realized that graphs and equations would be an excellent way of describing their work. It was a little contrived, but in the end students met my learning goal and engaged in a little design thinking.