Comments on: Take a Bow

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:05:22 +0000

Jose,

Just started reading your blog (found it via Dan Meyer’s blog) and I’m hooked. I’m always on the lookout for writers who can say what I’m feeling without sounding as dorky as I do when I try to articulate it.

I teach in a really affluent district in the suburbs, but we’re in the same fundamental master-servant relationship as city folk are. I’m in a fight with the district censorship people about using internet resources, and our district suddenly decided to go all Differentiated Instruction on us, beginning with an all-day Staff Development lecturefest last week. DI is a great idea; modeling it by having 280 faculty sitting in a dark auditorium listening to a presentation and watching a PowerPoint for five hours is not. Especially when, after we took our learning styles inventory, so many of us came back as tactile/experiential learners that they couldn’t “properly differentiate” us (read: get us into manageable groups). It kind of boggles the mind.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:57:01 +0000

Another waste of money is being evaluated by people who haven’t been in the classroom for so long, they have no idea of the “real world”. Some of these evaluators who did teach, aren’t evaluating people in their field which is truly a skewed evaluation. Then according to our state and NCLB, even though I have been teaching 20+ years, NCLB, Masters + 30, I was not highly qualified until I passed a test. I pass the test without any studying or preparation and poof, I’m highly qualified! Another teacher who is clearly incompetent is considered highly qualified, and is finally fired for her incompetence. I’m with you on letting people know how we feel!

By: Jose

Jose — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:13:17 +0000

@ Alisha: if you’re going to vent like that, then keep on keeping on

@ Hugh: I’m going to e-mail you about it in a few seconds. I’m glad I remembered to check back on this.

@ Jonathan: the sampler’s completely and utterly bullshit. we’re teaching decent math and if we continue the fight, we’ll be in very good shape to make our idealistic positions stronger.

@ POT: I noticed that, too. I don’t know how an administrator who’s never been in a classroom can tell me anything about teaching. The best coaches played their sport thoroughly, even if it’s on a college level. Some of these cats have never ever touched a b-ball. Ugh. More on that later.

By: The Carnival of Education

The Carnival of Education — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 21:48:25 +0000

[...] – 7:30 Concurrent Session I: The Ongoing Conflict Roundtable The Jose Vilson opines on the conflict, and the frustration it [...]

By: pissedoffteacher

pissedoffteacher — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:30:51 +0000

You are not bitter, just realistic. I am so tired of being told to change the way I teach. I’ve gotten great results for over 30 years. The kids like me and like my class. The parents like me. I refuse to use a horse shoe or individual work stations. My kids need me to direct their activities. I am not going to change for anyone.

Years ago, administrators were bright people. I might not have liked them, but I respected their teaching ability and their subject matter knowledge. Sadly, that is no longer true. My AP is not a good teacher and I think his knowledge of math is limited. I’m a rebel, like you. I’ll do what I think is best until the end.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:43:46 +0000

I don’t like these interim assessments at all. I mean, we agree that my class tests must stink if they are bringing in replacements, right? But I hate what New York State just did. The “sampler” (stupid name) they issued for algebra is horrible.

My fault, right, for wanting to teach decent math…

By: Hugh O'Donnell aka Repairman

Hugh O'Donnell aka Repairman — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:19:27 +0000

Jose, I’m with you. The hard part is getting the job done AND maintaining your revolutionary stance. If you don’t speak your mind, who will speak for rationality?

Alisha is with the program. What do you think about forming a virtual (and actual) alliance, in the edusphere and all over the nation, between teachers and administrators who share the same POV with regard for student achievement, and a disregard for PC and political horse pucky?

Anyway, we hafta keep putting the good stuff out there. :)

By: Alisha

Alisha — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:07:45 +0000

Jose,
You don’t sound bitter at all to me. That might be because you sound like how I feel having to go to meetings ALL THE TIME. These meetings are RIDICULOUS – long, drawn out, boring, and a $%#&*! waste of time (that’s cartoon language for bleeep)! Anyway, you are absolutely correct. I try real hard to elicit comments/opinions from the faculty. I would like to think that they are honest with me, but I am not always sure. I treat them the way I wish the “higher ups” would treat me – trusting me to make the right decisions for the students I serve – after all, they did hire me to do that. I feel like a puppet most times, though. There are those times when I am rebellious – if it doesn’t make sense for my school (and the teachers agree) I just don’t do it – whether I conveniently forget – or just omit it altogether. I just tell the teachers if we are not going to do it, what we choose to do had better work!!! WHEN it works (because we really do know what’s best) what they WANTED to happen doesn’t really matter anymore – not even to them.

Dang, that was long! Whew, I feel better . . . thanks for letting me vent :)