I hope I get a paper like this in one of my classes. Just once, so I can say I saw something of this kind of ludicrous magnitude.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=171105179569626&set=a.171104872902990.46573.171051712908306
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Montreal, round two
I got into the school much easier this time, understanding that I had to bend my ear down to hear the "click" when the door unlocked. The children were much quieter today. There were no incidents amongst the class. It appears that their behavior last week was an aberration.
Mr. Ed put me into a room with Spock and Martin, a sixth grade saxophonist who recently came from New York. The door closed behind me, and I'm thinking to myself, "Dammit, Mr. Ed, I'm a trombonist, not a saxophonist!" Spock plays the trumpet, and neither one of us knew much about saxophone technique. I have a woodwinds class slated for next semester; a fat lot of good that was doing me right now. Spock and I worked with Martin on fundamental skills, like maintaining a steady air stream, and rhythm. We took turns creating exercises for Martin, and working through his beginner's method book for saxophone. He was a little shy, but he responded fairly well to our instructions. He did not retain everything we taught to him; I told Martin to be patient with himself. I told Martin that twenty years later, I am still working on perfecting the skills we were teaching him today. I told him that if he does the work, his skills will develop.
The period ended, Martin left for his next class, and the eighth graders began to file in. Again, the children were much quieter today, with one exception; a boy, who was not in Mr. Ed's class, quickly popped into the room, slapped another boy in the head, and left. The latter stopped for a moment, processed what had happened to him, and followed the other boy out into the hall. Mr. Ed was in his office, and did not see this happen. Greta came in late, and spoke to no one. I did not see if she did or did not participate in class. As class began, a staff member (it was unclear what position he held at Montreal) came into the room looking for a particular boy. I don't know if the two incidents were related. Mr. Ed told the staff member he would keep an eye out for the boy.
Mr. Ed put Spock and I into a practice room with Nancy. Her project for today was interviewing Spock and I. She asked us standard questions, like our names, were we from, how old we were, etc. She was a precocious little sprite, and she took pleasure in bossing us around, especially Spock. She was a little smart aleck too; she was so proud of showing us her results from her interview. I apparently talk a lot, and am bad at telling jokes. Spock, sadly, has a bad haircut. After the period was over, Mr. Ed told us more about Nancy. Nancy is one of his strongest performers. She is also 15, and still in eighth grade. She was held back one year when she was younger. Mr. Ed told me that Nancy is very bright, and it is hard to keep her engaged. She gets bored easily. After spending a period with her, I could see how that could play out.
Later that evening, I got a chance to speak with my private teacher (I'm taking piano lessons with his wife in preparation for the upcoming proficiency tests). He worked in public schools as a music teacher for years, so I knew he could be a resource. I talked with him for about 20 minutes about Martin, and got some valuable insight for him as to how to instruct him. I also got an idea about some basic saxophone technique that I can help him with next week.
Mr. Ed put me into a room with Spock and Martin, a sixth grade saxophonist who recently came from New York. The door closed behind me, and I'm thinking to myself, "Dammit, Mr. Ed, I'm a trombonist, not a saxophonist!" Spock plays the trumpet, and neither one of us knew much about saxophone technique. I have a woodwinds class slated for next semester; a fat lot of good that was doing me right now. Spock and I worked with Martin on fundamental skills, like maintaining a steady air stream, and rhythm. We took turns creating exercises for Martin, and working through his beginner's method book for saxophone. He was a little shy, but he responded fairly well to our instructions. He did not retain everything we taught to him; I told Martin to be patient with himself. I told Martin that twenty years later, I am still working on perfecting the skills we were teaching him today. I told him that if he does the work, his skills will develop.
The period ended, Martin left for his next class, and the eighth graders began to file in. Again, the children were much quieter today, with one exception; a boy, who was not in Mr. Ed's class, quickly popped into the room, slapped another boy in the head, and left. The latter stopped for a moment, processed what had happened to him, and followed the other boy out into the hall. Mr. Ed was in his office, and did not see this happen. Greta came in late, and spoke to no one. I did not see if she did or did not participate in class. As class began, a staff member (it was unclear what position he held at Montreal) came into the room looking for a particular boy. I don't know if the two incidents were related. Mr. Ed told the staff member he would keep an eye out for the boy.
Mr. Ed put Spock and I into a practice room with Nancy. Her project for today was interviewing Spock and I. She asked us standard questions, like our names, were we from, how old we were, etc. She was a precocious little sprite, and she took pleasure in bossing us around, especially Spock. She was a little smart aleck too; she was so proud of showing us her results from her interview. I apparently talk a lot, and am bad at telling jokes. Spock, sadly, has a bad haircut. After the period was over, Mr. Ed told us more about Nancy. Nancy is one of his strongest performers. She is also 15, and still in eighth grade. She was held back one year when she was younger. Mr. Ed told me that Nancy is very bright, and it is hard to keep her engaged. She gets bored easily. After spending a period with her, I could see how that could play out.
Later that evening, I got a chance to speak with my private teacher (I'm taking piano lessons with his wife in preparation for the upcoming proficiency tests). He worked in public schools as a music teacher for years, so I knew he could be a resource. I talked with him for about 20 minutes about Martin, and got some valuable insight for him as to how to instruct him. I also got an idea about some basic saxophone technique that I can help him with next week.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
First visit to montreal: part two
Between classes, Mr. Ed explained that the students had been writing for two hours straight that morning for the NECAPS. Between being cooped up for the past few days because of rain, and the testing, the children were a bundle of nervous energy. He urged me to include this in my blog. We talked about some instrumental students that would be coming in around 2:00. I would working with them, especially the trombonist. He also mentioned that these students really aren't children; they're like small adults.
I said, "Grown up before their time?"
He said, "That's about right."
The 8th grade students began to enter the classroom. They were much less rambunctious than the 6th graders. They were also much larger, and more or less the same size, with one exception; Frank looked like a high school senior. I was surprised to see so many different sizes and shapes amongst the 6th graders.
There were fewer outbursts amongst the 8th grade students. However, their outbursts were generally more intense, with a fighting edge, and sometimes included foul language. Mr. Ed took them straight to the risers to rehearse. They were better behaved than the 6th graders, and more music was rehearsed with them. Curiously, about fifteen minutes into the class, Greta wandered in and sat at one of the tables. Mr. Ed asked her to come up on the risers. She did not answer him, and did not move. Mr. Ed mentioned that Greta had complained about her art teacher, and had been transferred to his music class as a result. He told her that if she did not participate, he would have her transferred to another class. She did not move or respond to him.
Unfortunately, the instrumental students did not arrive until 2:20, and none of them brought their instruments. I got all of their names, and the instruments they played. Harry plays saxophone and 30 other instruments. Iggy plays the clarinet, and Jack plays trombone and Guitar Hero. Larry plays guitar and clarinet. I'll be spending my weekend thinking of some kind of activity that Spock and I can do with them. I told them they had to bring their instruments next Wednesday. I also friended Spock on Facebook, so maybe I'll get in touch with him over the weekend so we can plan something for next Wednesday.
I said, "Grown up before their time?"
He said, "That's about right."
The 8th grade students began to enter the classroom. They were much less rambunctious than the 6th graders. They were also much larger, and more or less the same size, with one exception; Frank looked like a high school senior. I was surprised to see so many different sizes and shapes amongst the 6th graders.
There were fewer outbursts amongst the 8th grade students. However, their outbursts were generally more intense, with a fighting edge, and sometimes included foul language. Mr. Ed took them straight to the risers to rehearse. They were better behaved than the 6th graders, and more music was rehearsed with them. Curiously, about fifteen minutes into the class, Greta wandered in and sat at one of the tables. Mr. Ed asked her to come up on the risers. She did not answer him, and did not move. Mr. Ed mentioned that Greta had complained about her art teacher, and had been transferred to his music class as a result. He told her that if she did not participate, he would have her transferred to another class. She did not move or respond to him.
Unfortunately, the instrumental students did not arrive until 2:20, and none of them brought their instruments. I got all of their names, and the instruments they played. Harry plays saxophone and 30 other instruments. Iggy plays the clarinet, and Jack plays trombone and Guitar Hero. Larry plays guitar and clarinet. I'll be spending my weekend thinking of some kind of activity that Spock and I can do with them. I told them they had to bring their instruments next Wednesday. I also friended Spock on Facebook, so maybe I'll get in touch with him over the weekend so we can plan something for next Wednesday.
First visit to Montreal: part one
Mr. Ed told me the children had been in "kneecaps" all day. Putting two and two together, I figured out this was the standardized testing required by the No Child Left Behind Act. Mr. Ed looked like he was bracing himself. Spock told me to wait and see what happens.
The 6th grade students began to enter the classroom at 1:00. They were rambunctious, and there was a brief confrontation between Mr. Ed and Alan, who nearly pushed Bob over a chair. Mr. Ed took attendance, and there was a brief discussion about bathroom usage. The children eat their lunch and drink their juice around 12:00, and are ready to use the bathroom around a half hour to an hour later. Mrs. Poppins, the teacher from the period before, does not allow the children to use the bathroom. Mr. Ed only allows them out one or two at a time, and it disrupts the activities he is trying to start the class with. He said he would have a conversation with Mrs. Poppins about the issue.
Mr. Ed tried to start his activities, but the children kept shouting out at him and asking to go to the bathroom. Cathy was standing at the edge of one of the tables, drawing. It took a while, but eventually the students were paying attention and focused on the activities. When Mr. Ed asked them to stand on the risers so they could practice music for an upcoming concert, all hell broke loose. The students were in constant motion, up and down on the risers, talking, pushing, and hitting each other. Some of the students would not sing. Cathy wandered off the riser and started drawing again. In the center of the group, Alan, Bob, Doug and Eddie were particularly badly behaved, creating an almost constant disturbance. Towards the end of the class, Spock went up onto the risers and stood in the middle of the boys while they were singing the National Anthem. The effect was remarkable. The boys started paying attention and behaving themselves.
Note to self.
The 6th grade students began to enter the classroom at 1:00. They were rambunctious, and there was a brief confrontation between Mr. Ed and Alan, who nearly pushed Bob over a chair. Mr. Ed took attendance, and there was a brief discussion about bathroom usage. The children eat their lunch and drink their juice around 12:00, and are ready to use the bathroom around a half hour to an hour later. Mrs. Poppins, the teacher from the period before, does not allow the children to use the bathroom. Mr. Ed only allows them out one or two at a time, and it disrupts the activities he is trying to start the class with. He said he would have a conversation with Mrs. Poppins about the issue.
Mr. Ed tried to start his activities, but the children kept shouting out at him and asking to go to the bathroom. Cathy was standing at the edge of one of the tables, drawing. It took a while, but eventually the students were paying attention and focused on the activities. When Mr. Ed asked them to stand on the risers so they could practice music for an upcoming concert, all hell broke loose. The students were in constant motion, up and down on the risers, talking, pushing, and hitting each other. Some of the students would not sing. Cathy wandered off the riser and started drawing again. In the center of the group, Alan, Bob, Doug and Eddie were particularly badly behaved, creating an almost constant disturbance. Towards the end of the class, Spock went up onto the risers and stood in the middle of the boys while they were singing the National Anthem. The effect was remarkable. The boys started paying attention and behaving themselves.
Note to self.
A look at Montreal
For starters, I want to clue all my readers into the code names I will be using in this blog. As stated earlier, Montreal is the code name for the school. To make it easier to separate teachers and students, I will be using movie characters to identify teachers, administrators and VIPS volunteers. Students will be named alphabetically, with appropriate gender, in the order they are introduced. This is as much for me as it is for anyone else; I can use student A, student B, etc. as a shorthand while I am taking notes in class.
Montreal is not much to look at from the outside. Brick, square, utilitarian. The foyer was nicely decorated, with posters, murals and awards. The office reminded me of a small police station. A long wooden bar separated visitors from the secretaries behind the desk. There were three chairs for the waiting, and exposed plumbing on the ceiling. The police officer who entered later only added to the image. The principal's office had a sign on the door that said "If you wish to speak with the principal, talk to the secretary. Do not knock on this door."
No open door policy in Montreal.
It was intimidating, overall. Not a feeling I'm used to. One of my classmates, Spock, from the music department, walked in while the secretary was getting a badge for me. I got the last one; they have run out of badges because the VIPS volunteers keep taking them home. It was a relief to see him, and he was clearly relieved to see me. It was my first visit, and his second, so we were both nervous. I followed him down the halls to the music room. After the foyer, the school resembled a subway station. All cement, all white, with a stripe running down the middle of the hall. No decorations, no signs, and other than directly outside the foyer, no lockers.
The music room was small. It held five long tables, about 25 chairs, a set of risers and a piano. Mr. Ed, the supervising teacher, had a small office where I hung my coat. Also, there were four small practice rooms in the short hallway before entering the music room.
Montreal is not much to look at from the outside. Brick, square, utilitarian. The foyer was nicely decorated, with posters, murals and awards. The office reminded me of a small police station. A long wooden bar separated visitors from the secretaries behind the desk. There were three chairs for the waiting, and exposed plumbing on the ceiling. The police officer who entered later only added to the image. The principal's office had a sign on the door that said "If you wish to speak with the principal, talk to the secretary. Do not knock on this door."
No open door policy in Montreal.
It was intimidating, overall. Not a feeling I'm used to. One of my classmates, Spock, from the music department, walked in while the secretary was getting a badge for me. I got the last one; they have run out of badges because the VIPS volunteers keep taking them home. It was a relief to see him, and he was clearly relieved to see me. It was my first visit, and his second, so we were both nervous. I followed him down the halls to the music room. After the foyer, the school resembled a subway station. All cement, all white, with a stripe running down the middle of the hall. No decorations, no signs, and other than directly outside the foyer, no lockers.
The music room was small. It held five long tables, about 25 chairs, a set of risers and a piano. Mr. Ed, the supervising teacher, had a small office where I hung my coat. Also, there were four small practice rooms in the short hallway before entering the music room.
Demographic information for Montreal (Prompt #1)
I looked at the RIDE reports for Montreal (the code name I will use for my school in this blog), and came away with some facts and conclusions.
Montreal serves 601 students in grades 6 through 8. They are staffed with 49 teachers, creating a 12.4 to 1 student/teacher ratio. The school is 65% Hispanic, 6% white, 21% black, and 9 % Asian. About 9 out of 10 students qualify for free or reduced lunches. 2% of students are enrolled in ESL programs. Only 1 out of 6 children are "latchkey kids" (spending more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week unsupervised).
Montreal is struggling in terms of performance. Even though they hit their participation, attendance, and ELA targets in 2008, 3 out of 4 students are non-proficient in math and 2 out of 3 students are non-proficient in reading. There is little difference in performance between poverty and non-poverty students. Montreal is currently classified as making insufficient progress.
Discipline is an issue at Montreal. 80% of the teachers surveyed from Montreal reported that students in their class were disrupting the work of other students. During the 2007-2008 school year, Montreal logged 160 in-school and out-of-school suspension hours per 100 students. There were nearly three times as many out-of-school suspensions, as compared to in-school suspensions. Students were suspended mostly for cutting class, disorderly conduct, and insubordination.
While there are some positive points, there appears to be an overall disconnect in the community surrounding Montreal. The parent-teacher relationship appears to be strong, with over 40% of parents reporting that a teacher had contacted them to let them know their children had done well or improved in their studies (above the state average). 80% of parents surveyed believed that the school valued them as important partners in the educational process. The students, however, do not share the same view. Only 1 in 4 students felt they could talk to their teachers about academic issues, and only 1 in 6 felt that they could talk to their teacher about personal or family problems.
The staff may also have issues. The teachers appear to have banded together, with over 80% of the teachers feeling that they work well as a team, and 100% reporting that they have respect for the ideas and opinions of other members of the teaching staff. However, only 25% of teachers felt that they had a voice in determining school policy, and only 10% reported that curricula were integrated across subject areas. There may be a growing divide between staff and administration at Montreal.
I must go now. After all of this statistical analysis, my ear has begun oozing out of my brain. I must run and catch it.
Montreal serves 601 students in grades 6 through 8. They are staffed with 49 teachers, creating a 12.4 to 1 student/teacher ratio. The school is 65% Hispanic, 6% white, 21% black, and 9 % Asian. About 9 out of 10 students qualify for free or reduced lunches. 2% of students are enrolled in ESL programs. Only 1 out of 6 children are "latchkey kids" (spending more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week unsupervised).
Montreal is struggling in terms of performance. Even though they hit their participation, attendance, and ELA targets in 2008, 3 out of 4 students are non-proficient in math and 2 out of 3 students are non-proficient in reading. There is little difference in performance between poverty and non-poverty students. Montreal is currently classified as making insufficient progress.
Discipline is an issue at Montreal. 80% of the teachers surveyed from Montreal reported that students in their class were disrupting the work of other students. During the 2007-2008 school year, Montreal logged 160 in-school and out-of-school suspension hours per 100 students. There were nearly three times as many out-of-school suspensions, as compared to in-school suspensions. Students were suspended mostly for cutting class, disorderly conduct, and insubordination.
While there are some positive points, there appears to be an overall disconnect in the community surrounding Montreal. The parent-teacher relationship appears to be strong, with over 40% of parents reporting that a teacher had contacted them to let them know their children had done well or improved in their studies (above the state average). 80% of parents surveyed believed that the school valued them as important partners in the educational process. The students, however, do not share the same view. Only 1 in 4 students felt they could talk to their teachers about academic issues, and only 1 in 6 felt that they could talk to their teacher about personal or family problems.
The staff may also have issues. The teachers appear to have banded together, with over 80% of the teachers feeling that they work well as a team, and 100% reporting that they have respect for the ideas and opinions of other members of the teaching staff. However, only 25% of teachers felt that they had a voice in determining school policy, and only 10% reported that curricula were integrated across subject areas. There may be a growing divide between staff and administration at Montreal.
I must go now. After all of this statistical analysis, my ear has begun oozing out of my brain. I must run and catch it.
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