Archive for the ‘Leadership Books’ Category

Dear Math: Why Kids Hate Math and What Teachers Can Do About It by Sarah Strong & Gigi Butterfield shows how teachers can use students’ “Dear Math” letters to get to know their students better and draw them into learning. There is an emphasis on creating a community of mathematicians in a project-based environment. Be sure to get a copy for any math teacher you know. Thanks, Sarah and Gigi.

1. Dear Math, You Are Dreadful

• Start by telling students that you need to get to know them as mathematicians so you can design and facilitate their math lessons. They will all write “Dear Math Letters” for you to read. To help them get started, give them one of the ten prompts listed on pages 25 and 26. For example, what is one way that math has helped you grow? As you read the letters, be prepared for a large dose of negativity, as math is not the favorite subject of most students.
• As you read the letters, give feedback and look for connections and commonalities. As you teach, mention things from letters anonymously. Consider having students read each other’s letters. This will help develop empathy between students. Weekly letters should help you determine what was valuable and what wasn’t.

2. Dear Math, You Are Hierarchical

• The hierarchy here comes from the natural sorting of ability from high to low that happens in classes generally and perhaps more often in math classes. The goal, then, is to disrupt any existing hierarchy or prevent it from happening. Disruption of this metaphor begins with forming close relationships with others. People with close relationships are not likely to compare themselves to each other. Being better connected also improves the quality of group work.
• Sara’s main tool is what she calls “Belongigness Buddies,” although you can call it something else. Buddies check in on each other daily in person and using social media tools. While the check-ins largely involve content, students are encouraged to include feelings. The teacher also buddies with students who have attendance issues. Absent students can use FaceTime or Zoom to attend class virtually.

3. Dear Math, You Are Unnecessary

• Teachers, in general, need to be prepared for the “why do we have to know this?” question. Use Internet search if you need to, and it’s ok to say, “I don’t know, but think of this concept as a puzzle that will be good for your ability to solve real problems.” Knowing why they need to learn something adds to a greater sense of agency, the ability to construct new knowledge, and the ability to look critically at new information.
• Math isn’t pointless and shouldn’t feel that way. Sarah likes to start classes with an image of some sort. She also makes use of story problems, also known as word problems but with more captivating stories. After they read the story, she asks, what is this story about? What are we trying to solve for? What might a potential answer look like? (estimation)

4. Dear Math, You Are Intimidating

• The three sources of intimidation or anxiety are home, society, and classrooms. Often times a parent’s doubt about their own math skills can contribute to a student’s feelings. Similar messages are also found in our media. Teachers and faster learners are also a source and these are feelings that lead to lower performance.
• The goal is to design class activities to disrupt intimidation. Sarah describes a “Daily Discourse” activity designed to do this. It’s a ten to fifteen-minute activity led by students, with all students taking turns leading the discourse and taking notes. Gigi reminds us that the opposite of intimidation is encouragement.

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Critical Issues in Democratic Schooling: Curriculum, Teaching, and Socio-Political Realities by Kenneth Teitelbaum is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. Each chapter can easily form the basis for whole class and small group engaging conversations on topics that prospective teachers need to confront. It’s also a great book that will allow practicing teachers and administrators to question their practices. If you are looking for a book to give all of the teachers in your building for professional development, look no farther.

Part I: Teaching and Teacher Education
1. Teaching Has Its Own Rewards

• Teaching is a profession for those who want to create and inspire, for those who love learning, for those who care about our future, and for those who like to watch young people develop. Students don’t reveal what they are thinking or learning. The most important learning is difficult to capture and may not be known until much later. Likewise, the rewards of teaching are also difficult to measure. (Doug: Like Ken, positive feedback from former students and parents always makes my day.)

2. Despite What Some Think, Teaching Isn’t Easy

• This thinking emanates from the fact that mostly women taught in the last 150 years. A child’s education begins at home so all parents are essentially teachers. Stresses faced in the home and elsewhere outside of school impact behavior in school add difficulties when it comes to dealing with emotional issues and evolving subject matter. The questions of who selects the content and what content to select are also central. Decisions regarding how to deliver content seem endless as are the roles that teachers are expected to play. Time may be the biggest constraint. Teachers, therefore, need proper support and compensation.

3. Reasons to be a Teacher

• It certainly is not the money. Ken’s research and my own show that teacher salaries have not kept up with inflation since I started in 1970. There has also been some erosion in benefits and loss of autonomy due to test-driven expectations and their repercussions. Many teachers work well beyond the 40-hour work week and most will tell you that students have become more unruly over the years. This may have caused fewer people to prepare for a career in teaching, but the current shortage should make jobs easier to find.
• Ken finds seven reasons that still draw people to the profession. 1) Independence and Collaboration: To some extent, teachers are free to decide how they will present the desired content. They should also be able to work with other teachers, although the time available to do so depends on leadership. 2) Lifelong Learning: If teachers seek excellence, they are always thinking about how to improve. As lifelong learners, they will enjoy learning and improving daily. 3) Creative Imagination: Taking reasonable creative risks will make teaching more fun for all. This will help you avoid getting stuck in a rut but consider discussing such risks with your supervisor. 4) Forever Young: Lighting fires in young people is exhilarating and revitalizing. It keeps you stay hip and young at heart. 5) A Noble Profession: In spite of the fact that the media often bashes schools, teaching is widely considered a noble profession by the public. 6) Helping to Create a Better World: Teaching is a profession of hope, and even though you won’t know exactly how you made the world better, you will believe that you did. 7) Student Growth: We all have stories about teachers who made a difference in our lives. You may not see incremental growth daily, but it’s there.

4. “Work With What You’ve Got”

• If you see oppression or injustice in any form be sure to speak up. If you see that school practices or policies at any level are ineffective say so. You may not have all the autonomy you want, but work with what you have. You have to believe that schools can change over time for the better. You may have to make some small compromises, but they are probably worth it.

5. Lessons from Alternative (Progressive) Schooling

• These schools are mostly private so the students are more likely to have more means and skills than typical public school students. Ken has worked in, visited, and read about such schools. In essence, the students are much more in control of what they study, the teacher talks less, and usually intervenes when students need help with skills necessary to pursue their chosen learning. Students are essentially self-directed learners, which requires skills that poor students may not have.
• While such schools are not noted for the longitudinal follow-up that can determine how their students did, the data available suggests that the students do fine and tend to be happier and more self-confident. The atmosphere of trust found at these schools could account for that. Creativity, problem-solving, and project-based learning are seen throughout the day. Ken hopes to see more of this in public schools in spite of the roadblocks created by standardized curriculum and testing.

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