Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
School Morale, Pride and Spirit: Make a difference
Gene Klann says that when morale, pride and spirit are present in a team, productivity is high, relationships are strong and it’s fun to go to work. Without these traits, the situation is very different. Teams are dissatisfied, lethargic, negative and don’t co-operate. He says that teams that possess a strong sense of morale, pride and spirit will be able to multiply their energy, achievement, efficiency and productivity.
Morale he says is a reflection of the attitude or mental condition of an individual or team. “People with high morale are generally positive, optimistic, cooperative and supportive of the team’s vision and mission. They have a can-do attitude, persistence and a willingness and determination to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission.”
People with Pride respect themselves and the other members of their team, they delight in the team’s achievements and believe that whatever they must face, they can collectively and successfully handle it. There is a justifiable belief by the team members in their personal work, as well as that of the team.
Spirit reveals itself in the vigor, energy, vivacity and courage of the team members. “Spirit is animating; it can be contagious, motivational and inspirational,” says Klann. It can be generated with encouraging words, hand clapping, backslapping etc.
Although a team with elevated morale, pride and spirit is likely to be more positive about their work and their co-workers more than other teams, happiness is not the end goal. The same sense of team morale, pride and spirit that makes work fun will create tangible benefits for the organization including satisfied customers, improved quality, increased productivity, improved safety, etc.
How does evidence of morale, pride and spirit manifest themselves in your school and school teams?
(Gene Klann authored Crisis Leadership in 2003.)
Morale he says is a reflection of the attitude or mental condition of an individual or team. “People with high morale are generally positive, optimistic, cooperative and supportive of the team’s vision and mission. They have a can-do attitude, persistence and a willingness and determination to do whatever it takes to accomplish the mission.”
People with Pride respect themselves and the other members of their team, they delight in the team’s achievements and believe that whatever they must face, they can collectively and successfully handle it. There is a justifiable belief by the team members in their personal work, as well as that of the team.
Spirit reveals itself in the vigor, energy, vivacity and courage of the team members. “Spirit is animating; it can be contagious, motivational and inspirational,” says Klann. It can be generated with encouraging words, hand clapping, backslapping etc.
Although a team with elevated morale, pride and spirit is likely to be more positive about their work and their co-workers more than other teams, happiness is not the end goal. The same sense of team morale, pride and spirit that makes work fun will create tangible benefits for the organization including satisfied customers, improved quality, increased productivity, improved safety, etc.
How does evidence of morale, pride and spirit manifest themselves in your school and school teams?
(Gene Klann authored Crisis Leadership in 2003.)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Break out
The prison officer tells the warden, “Sir, I have to report that ten prisoners have broken out.”
The alarmed warden says, “Blow the whistles, sound the alarms, alert the police.
With a surprised look the officer says, “Shouldn’t we call the doctor first – it looks as if it might be measles."
The alarmed warden says, “Blow the whistles, sound the alarms, alert the police.
With a surprised look the officer says, “Shouldn’t we call the doctor first – it looks as if it might be measles."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Living
"Just living is not enough. ... One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." - Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author and poet
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tracks
Two stupid people were walking in the woods when they came upon some tracks.
The first said, "You know, those look like deer tracks." The other said, "No, silly, those are moose tracks."
They were still arguing about it when a train hit them.
The first said, "You know, those look like deer tracks." The other said, "No, silly, those are moose tracks."
They were still arguing about it when a train hit them.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
When Principals Feel Helpless
by Paul Young
Deborah had noticed her husband's irritability. He was tense, quiet, and distant. Finally, he admitted growing frustration due to ineffective communication with his superintendent. Sensing he would never be able to fall asleep, she offered a suggestion -- and a valuable lesson for all principals.
It might surprise some people that stressed-out school principals often fail to respond to everyday learning experiences in effective ways. But it won't surprise a single principal, because we have all been there. In fact, the greater the stress we are under, the less likely we are to learn, reason, and accurately perceive what happens in the work environment.
But there can be good stress as much as there is bad stress. For example, the stress students feel before examinations can help them study better. Musicians and actors describe a feeling of butterflies in their stomach before performances and state that when those butterflies aren't there, they sometimes make more mistakes.
Positive stress can provide a feeling of excitement and opportunity. It often helps athletes perform better in competition than in practice. Other examples of positive stress include a new job or birth of a child.
As principals, we utilize the positive aspects of stress to help us work hard, persevere, and motivate others to work outside their comfort zones.
STRESS'S EFFECTS ARE REAL
Most of us have been taught to recognize stressors. We have heard that exercising, eating right, getting adequate amounts of sleep, and slowing down to deal with events can help reduce negative stress. Even the style and fit of our clothing can affect our stress.
In addition, numerous studies chronicle the causes, symptoms, and effects of negative stress. And a quick review of principals' state and national conference agendas indicates that we have ready access to workshops that promise to help us learn to manage school stress.
Our inability to deal with stress is not due to a lack awareness of cause or effect. It's one thing to be aware of stress in our daily lives, but it's another to know how to change it.
Added to the significant stressors that come from our jobs, many of us deal with pressures in our personal lives. Our response to what happens around us varies depending on the complexities of our interactions and our ability to react to stress.
Whether we are able to handle the stress or not, one thing is certain: stress affects everyone at one time or another. Its concrete effects are real.
Even those among us in the best of health will experience trying times when the walls seem to be closing in -- just as Larry did. The principalship is lonely, and that can be dangerous. The prolonged effects of mental stress can damage our brains. In that state, we can't learn as effectively, balance our responsibilities, or maintain an even keel on our emotions.
TAKING CONTROL OF THE STRESS
Why then are some principals able to maintain a sense of optimism and avoid succumbing to the pressures and stresses of the job? What causes others to lose their vital fight or flight responses? What can be done to help those most at risk avoid the depths of depression?
The answer: support from a mentor.
Deborah recognized the signs of her husband's stress. She wanted to help, but she knew that the best intervention would come from someone who had walked in Larry's shoes.
Mentors have experienced and dealt with the non-communicative and unpredictable superintendent. They have coped with building-level personnel issues magnified by difficult, ineffective teachers. Their experience with angry and irrational parents can shed light on the crazies with whom we all must deal. Most important, mentors can help guide our learning and professional growth. They can help us work through the tough conflicts and decisions we face between our professional lives and our families' needs.
We can't afford to miss out on attracting the best and brightest people to the principalship -- and retaining them -- because of the affects of stress. We know the most successful strategy for stress management is enabling individuals to get control of their lives. We know that mentoring partnerships enable mentees to learn, grow, and thrive. When we feel helpless -- and all of us do from time to time -- we must remember how to help ourselves. We must call our mentors.
Deborah had noticed her husband's irritability. He was tense, quiet, and distant. Finally, he admitted growing frustration due to ineffective communication with his superintendent. Sensing he would never be able to fall asleep, she offered a suggestion -- and a valuable lesson for all principals.
It might surprise some people that stressed-out school principals often fail to respond to everyday learning experiences in effective ways. But it won't surprise a single principal, because we have all been there. In fact, the greater the stress we are under, the less likely we are to learn, reason, and accurately perceive what happens in the work environment.
But there can be good stress as much as there is bad stress. For example, the stress students feel before examinations can help them study better. Musicians and actors describe a feeling of butterflies in their stomach before performances and state that when those butterflies aren't there, they sometimes make more mistakes.
Positive stress can provide a feeling of excitement and opportunity. It often helps athletes perform better in competition than in practice. Other examples of positive stress include a new job or birth of a child.
As principals, we utilize the positive aspects of stress to help us work hard, persevere, and motivate others to work outside their comfort zones.
STRESS'S EFFECTS ARE REAL
Most of us have been taught to recognize stressors. We have heard that exercising, eating right, getting adequate amounts of sleep, and slowing down to deal with events can help reduce negative stress. Even the style and fit of our clothing can affect our stress.
In addition, numerous studies chronicle the causes, symptoms, and effects of negative stress. And a quick review of principals' state and national conference agendas indicates that we have ready access to workshops that promise to help us learn to manage school stress.
Our inability to deal with stress is not due to a lack awareness of cause or effect. It's one thing to be aware of stress in our daily lives, but it's another to know how to change it.
Added to the significant stressors that come from our jobs, many of us deal with pressures in our personal lives. Our response to what happens around us varies depending on the complexities of our interactions and our ability to react to stress.
Whether we are able to handle the stress or not, one thing is certain: stress affects everyone at one time or another. Its concrete effects are real.
Even those among us in the best of health will experience trying times when the walls seem to be closing in -- just as Larry did. The principalship is lonely, and that can be dangerous. The prolonged effects of mental stress can damage our brains. In that state, we can't learn as effectively, balance our responsibilities, or maintain an even keel on our emotions.
TAKING CONTROL OF THE STRESS
Why then are some principals able to maintain a sense of optimism and avoid succumbing to the pressures and stresses of the job? What causes others to lose their vital fight or flight responses? What can be done to help those most at risk avoid the depths of depression?
The answer: support from a mentor.
Deborah recognized the signs of her husband's stress. She wanted to help, but she knew that the best intervention would come from someone who had walked in Larry's shoes.
Mentors have experienced and dealt with the non-communicative and unpredictable superintendent. They have coped with building-level personnel issues magnified by difficult, ineffective teachers. Their experience with angry and irrational parents can shed light on the crazies with whom we all must deal. Most important, mentors can help guide our learning and professional growth. They can help us work through the tough conflicts and decisions we face between our professional lives and our families' needs.
We can't afford to miss out on attracting the best and brightest people to the principalship -- and retaining them -- because of the affects of stress. We know the most successful strategy for stress management is enabling individuals to get control of their lives. We know that mentoring partnerships enable mentees to learn, grow, and thrive. When we feel helpless -- and all of us do from time to time -- we must remember how to help ourselves. We must call our mentors.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
New phone
Have you heard that a company has come out with a new cell phone made just for senior citizens?
It not only has bigger numbers, rotary dial and the best feature; it has less memory.
It not only has bigger numbers, rotary dial and the best feature; it has less memory.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Test paper answers
This is a list of comments from test papers, essays, etc., submitted to science and health teachers by elementary, junior high, high school, and college students: It is truly astonishing what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades. The spellings are the original ones.
1. H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
2. To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.
3. When you smell an odourless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide.
4. Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin.
Hydrogin is water and gin.
5. A super saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold.
6. Liter: A nest of young puppies.
7. Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat.
8. Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away.
9. Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives.
10. Artificial insemination is when the farmer does it to the cow instead of the bull.
11. The pistol of the flower is its only protection against insects.
12. A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.
13. To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.
14. For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower that the heart until the heart stops.
15. For head colds: use an agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat.
16. Germinate: To become a naturalized German.
17. The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
18. Blood flows down one leg and up the the other.
1. H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water.
2. To collect fumes of sulphur, hold a deacon over a flame in a test tube.
3. When you smell an odourless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide.
4. Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin.
Hydrogin is water and gin.
5. A super saturated solution is one that holds more than it can hold.
6. Liter: A nest of young puppies.
7. Magnet: Something you find crawling all over a dead cat.
8. Momentum: What you give a person when they are going away.
9. Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives.
10. Artificial insemination is when the farmer does it to the cow instead of the bull.
11. The pistol of the flower is its only protection against insects.
12. A fossil is an extinct animal. The older it is, the more extinct it is.
13. To remove dust from the eye, pull the eye down over the nose.
14. For a nosebleed: Put the nose much lower that the heart until the heart stops.
15. For head colds: use an agonizer to spray the nose until it drops in your throat.
16. Germinate: To become a naturalized German.
17. The tides are a fight between the Earth and moon. All water tends towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.
18. Blood flows down one leg and up the the other.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Speeding
A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street.
"But officer." the man began, "I can explain,".
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back..."
"But officer, I just wanted to say...."
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief is at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."
"But officer." the man began, "I can explain,".
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back..."
"But officer, I just wanted to say...."
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief is at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."
Friday, April 17, 2009
YOU BECOME WHAT YOU PRACTICE MOST
By Dr. Richard Carlson
Repeated practice is one of the most basic principles of all learning. In other words, whatever you practice most is what you will become. If you are in the habit of being uptight whenever life isn’t quite right, repeatedly reacting to criticism by defending yourself, insisting on being right, allowing your thinking to snowball in response to adversity or acting like life is an emergency, then, unfortunately, your life will be a reflection of this type of practice. You will be frustrated because, in a sense, you have practiced being frustrated.
Likewise, however, you can choose to bring forth into yourself qualities of compassion, patience, kindness, humility, and peace – again, through what you practice. I guess it’s safe to say that practice makes perfect. It makes sense, then, to be careful what you practice.
This isn’t to suggest that you make your entire life into a great big project where the goal is to be constantly improving yourself. Only that it’s immensely helpful to become conscious of your own habits, both internal and external.
Ask yourself these 4 important questions:
Where is your attention?
How do you spend your time?
Are you cultivating habits that are helpful to your stated goals?
Is what you say you want your life to stand for consistent with what your life really stands for?
Simply asking yourself these and other important questions, and answering them honestly, helps to determine which strategies will be most useful to you. Have you always said to yourself, “I’d like to spend more time by myself” or “I’ve always wanted to learn a new skill,” yet somehow you’ve never found the time? Sadly, many people spend far too much time washing their car, twittering, on facebook or watching reruns of television shows they don’t even enjoy than they do making time for aspects of their life that nurture their hearts. If you remember that what you practice you will become, you may begin choosing different types of practice.
Repeated practice is one of the most basic principles of all learning. In other words, whatever you practice most is what you will become. If you are in the habit of being uptight whenever life isn’t quite right, repeatedly reacting to criticism by defending yourself, insisting on being right, allowing your thinking to snowball in response to adversity or acting like life is an emergency, then, unfortunately, your life will be a reflection of this type of practice. You will be frustrated because, in a sense, you have practiced being frustrated.
Likewise, however, you can choose to bring forth into yourself qualities of compassion, patience, kindness, humility, and peace – again, through what you practice. I guess it’s safe to say that practice makes perfect. It makes sense, then, to be careful what you practice.
This isn’t to suggest that you make your entire life into a great big project where the goal is to be constantly improving yourself. Only that it’s immensely helpful to become conscious of your own habits, both internal and external.
Ask yourself these 4 important questions:
Where is your attention?
How do you spend your time?
Are you cultivating habits that are helpful to your stated goals?
Is what you say you want your life to stand for consistent with what your life really stands for?
Simply asking yourself these and other important questions, and answering them honestly, helps to determine which strategies will be most useful to you. Have you always said to yourself, “I’d like to spend more time by myself” or “I’ve always wanted to learn a new skill,” yet somehow you’ve never found the time? Sadly, many people spend far too much time washing their car, twittering, on facebook or watching reruns of television shows they don’t even enjoy than they do making time for aspects of their life that nurture their hearts. If you remember that what you practice you will become, you may begin choosing different types of practice.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
EB GT
265 EB GT Falcons were built.
250 were for the Australian market and 15 were for export.
109 were Black Pearl in colour, code J4. 4 of those were for export.
88 were Cardinal Red in colour, code G5. 6 of those were for export.
68 were Cobalt Blue in colour, code C9. 5 of those were for export.
Key Fob
EB GT’s came with serialised key fobs that tied in with the car’s number.
250 were for the Australian market and 15 were for export.
109 were Black Pearl in colour, code J4. 4 of those were for export.
88 were Cardinal Red in colour, code G5. 6 of those were for export.
68 were Cobalt Blue in colour, code C9. 5 of those were for export.
Key Fob
EB GT’s came with serialised key fobs that tied in with the car’s number.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Hit the ceiling
“Your wife will hit the ceiling when you get home tonight,” said the barfly to his drinking buddy.
“Yeah,” said his buddy. “She’s a lousy shot!”
“Yeah,” said his buddy. “She’s a lousy shot!”
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Create Dream-Team Relationships for Success
….. by Mark Victor Hansen
Success is not a solo project - it is something that needs to be shared. And success is not a competition. There's plenty of it to go around. We just have to work together - with the same goal in mind - to ensure success.
It's all about synergy - the concept of adding one plus one and getting eleven - not two. It's the idea that people working together can accomplish far more than they could working separately. Incredible power can be released when people work together. Associating with like-minded, success-oriented, joyful individuals - or Dream Teaming - is the most amazing success tool that exists.
Anyone who achieves great success - anyone - must have a Dream Team. Instant solutions exist in Dream Teaming. They help you to take your ideas and expand them into greatness. A Dream Team will help you focus on your goals - whatever
they may be. What characteristics should your Dream Team possess? In order to have a successful Dream Team, you'll need at least one more person with whom you have a common purpose. You have to have a partner to think through situations and circumstances.
These people should have limitless vision and work together for a single goal. Both your hearts and your heads have to be in harmony with one another. You may even have several Dream Teams for different goals - that's okay. Always be on
the lookout for the best people and then ask them.
Lastly, remember this: All of us have self-doubt, but remember that your Dream Team sees more in you than you see in yourself. You're there to cheer each other on, to encourage one another when you become weary, to identify bad habits and help change them. The members in your Dream Team tell you the truth so that you can be all that you can be. Together, you and your Dream Team can master and conquer anything.
Action Step: In closing I'd like to offer one simple exercise from "How
To Think Bigger Than You Ever Thought You Could Think" that I'd like you to complete in the week ahead: When you envision your dream life, with whom do you see yourself working and associating? Who are your friends? What characteristics do your Dream Team members possess? It is necessary for you to visualize the kind of people you plan to bring into your life, because these are the people you will attract to you.
This exercise is simple. Sit in your favourite chair, in a quiet room with your favourite inspirational music playing. Have a pen and notebook handy. Now sit back, close your eyes and see your life as you want it to be. Who's there with you at work and at play? Who are the people in education that you admire most? Who do you want to learn from? Who do you want to laugh with? Who do you want to call "friend?" What attributes would these people have? Would they be joyful, funny, talented, positive, unselfish, energetic?
Success is not a solo project - it is something that needs to be shared. And success is not a competition. There's plenty of it to go around. We just have to work together - with the same goal in mind - to ensure success.
It's all about synergy - the concept of adding one plus one and getting eleven - not two. It's the idea that people working together can accomplish far more than they could working separately. Incredible power can be released when people work together. Associating with like-minded, success-oriented, joyful individuals - or Dream Teaming - is the most amazing success tool that exists.
Anyone who achieves great success - anyone - must have a Dream Team. Instant solutions exist in Dream Teaming. They help you to take your ideas and expand them into greatness. A Dream Team will help you focus on your goals - whatever
they may be. What characteristics should your Dream Team possess? In order to have a successful Dream Team, you'll need at least one more person with whom you have a common purpose. You have to have a partner to think through situations and circumstances.
These people should have limitless vision and work together for a single goal. Both your hearts and your heads have to be in harmony with one another. You may even have several Dream Teams for different goals - that's okay. Always be on
the lookout for the best people and then ask them.
Lastly, remember this: All of us have self-doubt, but remember that your Dream Team sees more in you than you see in yourself. You're there to cheer each other on, to encourage one another when you become weary, to identify bad habits and help change them. The members in your Dream Team tell you the truth so that you can be all that you can be. Together, you and your Dream Team can master and conquer anything.
Action Step: In closing I'd like to offer one simple exercise from "How
To Think Bigger Than You Ever Thought You Could Think" that I'd like you to complete in the week ahead: When you envision your dream life, with whom do you see yourself working and associating? Who are your friends? What characteristics do your Dream Team members possess? It is necessary for you to visualize the kind of people you plan to bring into your life, because these are the people you will attract to you.
This exercise is simple. Sit in your favourite chair, in a quiet room with your favourite inspirational music playing. Have a pen and notebook handy. Now sit back, close your eyes and see your life as you want it to be. Who's there with you at work and at play? Who are the people in education that you admire most? Who do you want to learn from? Who do you want to laugh with? Who do you want to call "friend?" What attributes would these people have? Would they be joyful, funny, talented, positive, unselfish, energetic?
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
I want a cup of coffee
A Rabbit walks into the bar, goes up to the bartender and says, "I want a cup of coffee.” The bartender says, "We don’t serve coffee here"
So the Rabbit leaves, but when he leaves he sees two friends entering the bar so he joins them. His friends ask for a beer and sandwich but the rabbit says "I wanna cup of coffee"
The bartender says, "We don’t serve coffee here"
So the rabbit leaves again, but he sees two more friends so he joins them in the bar. His friends order a beer and a sandwich but the Rabbit still says, "I want a cup of coffee"
"Look,” says the bartender "we don’t serve coffee here. Now leave or I will nail your ears to the bar!"
So the rabbit leaves, but he yet again sees two more friends and enters the bar.
But this time the rabbit says, "Do you have a hammer?"
"No" replies the bartender
Do you have any nails?"
"No"
"Then I want a cup of coffee"
So the Rabbit leaves, but when he leaves he sees two friends entering the bar so he joins them. His friends ask for a beer and sandwich but the rabbit says "I wanna cup of coffee"
The bartender says, "We don’t serve coffee here"
So the rabbit leaves again, but he sees two more friends so he joins them in the bar. His friends order a beer and a sandwich but the Rabbit still says, "I want a cup of coffee"
"Look,” says the bartender "we don’t serve coffee here. Now leave or I will nail your ears to the bar!"
So the rabbit leaves, but he yet again sees two more friends and enters the bar.
But this time the rabbit says, "Do you have a hammer?"
"No" replies the bartender
Do you have any nails?"
"No"
"Then I want a cup of coffee"
Saturday, April 11, 2009
The Right Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom
Edutopia, 30 March 2009, By Ben Johnson
Have you ever thought about how silly we teachers can be? When we get in front of students, we present ourselves to be the ones with all the answers, and then after we talk to the students, we start asking questions as if we don't know anything we just talked about. No wonder students get confused!
The Goal of a Question
On a more serious note, as teachers, we need to come to grips with the fact that we really do not know everything, and there is no reason to assume that the students know nothing. But perhaps the most important question to ask is, "What does a teacher asking questions to a class expect the class to learn from the questioning process?"
There are a number of things to consider in this scenario. Some teachers might answer that the reason to ask questions is to check for understanding, which benefits the teacher more than the student. Ostensibly, after we have taught a principle or concept, we could ask, "Does everybody understand?" Even though we all realize that students not answering -- or even answering in the affirmative -- may not really understand, we still ask it. Are we aware of how many times we ask this useless question during a day of teaching?
What we really end up telling the students when we ask this sort of question is, "Ok, here is your last chance. If you don't ask any questions, then you understand completely, and I am free to go on to the next subject. Because I asked this fair question, and gave you a fair chance to answer, I am absolved from any lack of understanding on your part." The fallacy with this thinking is that sometimes the students do not understand that they do not understand, and if they do not know what they do not know, there is no way that they can ask a question about it.
The other element about this question is that it is a "yes" or "no" question, which we all know is too easy to guess what answer the teacher wants to hear, and does not push the students into the higher order thinking stratosphere. How do we then go about appropriately checking for understanding? We ask specific questions! Great, you may be saying, but how do we do that? Typically, these are the questions that are thrown out to the class as if they were tantalizing treats to be snatched up by all of the eager students. The reality is far different.
Classroom Observations
If we look at the dynamics of any classroom, it doesn't take more than a week for students to figure out who is smart, who is not, and who doesn't care. What is worse, studies show that after fourth grade, students know how they are perceived and play their roles accordingly. So, here comes one of those hook-laden questions bobbing about the classroom: "Class, if you could stretch string from here to the moon, how many balls of string would it take?" The students who know they are not smart are not going to take the bait, and neither will the students who do not care. This leaves the smart kids as the only ones interested in answering, and almost before the question is finished, they have their hands up with an answer, right or wrong. The other two groups of kids are perfectly fine with this routine. Most likely, they will complacently say to themselves, "Let them answer the questions so I don't have to."
A teacher may defend this practice because the motivated student who answers will help the whole class to learn the answer. That might be true if the whole class were listening, but, when the teacher starts pacing the room and stops to ask a question, if the students know that the question will be open to the entire class, then most likely two-thirds of the class will not even pay it any attention and continue doodling or daydreaming.
I spent the day as a first grader, a third grader, a fifth grader, a sixth grader, and a ninth grader. I followed these students to all their classes. One astounding thing that I discovered is that some students went through a whole day -- maybe even weeks and months -- and never answered a single verbal question! Once again I ask, do we realize how many general questions we throw to the air in the course of a class period? We would be astounded at the results if we simply assigned a student to tally how many of these questions we actually ask each class period. Old habits are hard to break, but the students would love to help you break this one.
Let's say we notice this problem and decide something has to change. "Jeffry, What do John the Baptist and Kermit the Frog have in common?" Several hands slowly recede and all eyes are on Jeffry. Well, some eyes are on Jeffry. The rest of the students just breathed sighs of relief that their names were not called. The question asked is not their problem, and neither is the answer. Some teachers may say that while Jeffry is thinking of the answer, the rest of the students are, too. Wouldn't that be nice? Once again, maybe one-third of the students are thinking about an answer, but the rest are just glad it wasn't them.
So, how do teachers ask a question the right way?
A Simple, Effective Approach
Mary Budd Rowe proposes that teachers simply ask a question, such as, "What do you call it when an insect kills itself?" pause for at least three seconds, and then say a student's name, "Sally." By doing this, all the students will automatically be thinking about an answer and only after another child's name is said will they sigh in relief because they were not chosen. Creative teachers accompany this technique with a system to make sure that every child gets to answer questions in a random fashion. If it is not random, then once they answer a question, they think they have answered their one question and are done for the day.
So, if we are not planning to use TPR to have all the students answer questions at the same time, then at least we should be asking a question, pausing for three seconds and then saying a student's name in order to get the most effect out of questions. However, if we are satisfied with only some students paying attention and learning in our classrooms, then we can continue as usual.
Any questions? What innovative strategies do you use to make sure every student gets a chance to ask and answer questions?
Questions
The best way to answer questions, especially difficult questions, is to get discussion groups to talk. The teacher can walk around the room and listen to discussions and talk to kids who aren't talking or seem to be struggling. This is a great time to engage in a better tailored set of questions for kids who struggle. Listening for answers as I walk around the room, helps me realize the ideas I want the class to hear. Then I can ask a student to repeat that idea in large group and also check the class randomly. Adding a timer is nice. Then think time is guaranteed.
Response boards are great. Ask a question, all write. Have the class stand up.
Select students randomly and have students read answers aloud. Students with similar ideas can sit down allowing the hearing of all ideas in the class. Technology is a great tool in the classroom. As teachers we should all dream of the day when we can have all students respond on their computers and we can read their responses giving kids feedback immediately. Eventually I envision a key pad with questions prebuilt for these kinds of learning discussions, so teachers can respond quickly and effectively to all of the ideas in a classroom. It would be like a live forum of discussion.
What it boils down to is that questioning provides a thoughtful education, where ideas are honored, not spoon fed down your throat so that test scores go up and teacher pay is increased. Let us all hope that education should be about the pursuit of the well being of mankind, so that in the end education helps to promote good for the good of all. Thinking would definitely be required, and I think Socrates would agree
Have you ever thought about how silly we teachers can be? When we get in front of students, we present ourselves to be the ones with all the answers, and then after we talk to the students, we start asking questions as if we don't know anything we just talked about. No wonder students get confused!
The Goal of a Question
On a more serious note, as teachers, we need to come to grips with the fact that we really do not know everything, and there is no reason to assume that the students know nothing. But perhaps the most important question to ask is, "What does a teacher asking questions to a class expect the class to learn from the questioning process?"
There are a number of things to consider in this scenario. Some teachers might answer that the reason to ask questions is to check for understanding, which benefits the teacher more than the student. Ostensibly, after we have taught a principle or concept, we could ask, "Does everybody understand?" Even though we all realize that students not answering -- or even answering in the affirmative -- may not really understand, we still ask it. Are we aware of how many times we ask this useless question during a day of teaching?
What we really end up telling the students when we ask this sort of question is, "Ok, here is your last chance. If you don't ask any questions, then you understand completely, and I am free to go on to the next subject. Because I asked this fair question, and gave you a fair chance to answer, I am absolved from any lack of understanding on your part." The fallacy with this thinking is that sometimes the students do not understand that they do not understand, and if they do not know what they do not know, there is no way that they can ask a question about it.
The other element about this question is that it is a "yes" or "no" question, which we all know is too easy to guess what answer the teacher wants to hear, and does not push the students into the higher order thinking stratosphere. How do we then go about appropriately checking for understanding? We ask specific questions! Great, you may be saying, but how do we do that? Typically, these are the questions that are thrown out to the class as if they were tantalizing treats to be snatched up by all of the eager students. The reality is far different.
Classroom Observations
If we look at the dynamics of any classroom, it doesn't take more than a week for students to figure out who is smart, who is not, and who doesn't care. What is worse, studies show that after fourth grade, students know how they are perceived and play their roles accordingly. So, here comes one of those hook-laden questions bobbing about the classroom: "Class, if you could stretch string from here to the moon, how many balls of string would it take?" The students who know they are not smart are not going to take the bait, and neither will the students who do not care. This leaves the smart kids as the only ones interested in answering, and almost before the question is finished, they have their hands up with an answer, right or wrong. The other two groups of kids are perfectly fine with this routine. Most likely, they will complacently say to themselves, "Let them answer the questions so I don't have to."
A teacher may defend this practice because the motivated student who answers will help the whole class to learn the answer. That might be true if the whole class were listening, but, when the teacher starts pacing the room and stops to ask a question, if the students know that the question will be open to the entire class, then most likely two-thirds of the class will not even pay it any attention and continue doodling or daydreaming.
I spent the day as a first grader, a third grader, a fifth grader, a sixth grader, and a ninth grader. I followed these students to all their classes. One astounding thing that I discovered is that some students went through a whole day -- maybe even weeks and months -- and never answered a single verbal question! Once again I ask, do we realize how many general questions we throw to the air in the course of a class period? We would be astounded at the results if we simply assigned a student to tally how many of these questions we actually ask each class period. Old habits are hard to break, but the students would love to help you break this one.
Let's say we notice this problem and decide something has to change. "Jeffry, What do John the Baptist and Kermit the Frog have in common?" Several hands slowly recede and all eyes are on Jeffry. Well, some eyes are on Jeffry. The rest of the students just breathed sighs of relief that their names were not called. The question asked is not their problem, and neither is the answer. Some teachers may say that while Jeffry is thinking of the answer, the rest of the students are, too. Wouldn't that be nice? Once again, maybe one-third of the students are thinking about an answer, but the rest are just glad it wasn't them.
So, how do teachers ask a question the right way?
A Simple, Effective Approach
Mary Budd Rowe proposes that teachers simply ask a question, such as, "What do you call it when an insect kills itself?" pause for at least three seconds, and then say a student's name, "Sally." By doing this, all the students will automatically be thinking about an answer and only after another child's name is said will they sigh in relief because they were not chosen. Creative teachers accompany this technique with a system to make sure that every child gets to answer questions in a random fashion. If it is not random, then once they answer a question, they think they have answered their one question and are done for the day.
So, if we are not planning to use TPR to have all the students answer questions at the same time, then at least we should be asking a question, pausing for three seconds and then saying a student's name in order to get the most effect out of questions. However, if we are satisfied with only some students paying attention and learning in our classrooms, then we can continue as usual.
Any questions? What innovative strategies do you use to make sure every student gets a chance to ask and answer questions?
Questions
The best way to answer questions, especially difficult questions, is to get discussion groups to talk. The teacher can walk around the room and listen to discussions and talk to kids who aren't talking or seem to be struggling. This is a great time to engage in a better tailored set of questions for kids who struggle. Listening for answers as I walk around the room, helps me realize the ideas I want the class to hear. Then I can ask a student to repeat that idea in large group and also check the class randomly. Adding a timer is nice. Then think time is guaranteed.
Response boards are great. Ask a question, all write. Have the class stand up.
Select students randomly and have students read answers aloud. Students with similar ideas can sit down allowing the hearing of all ideas in the class. Technology is a great tool in the classroom. As teachers we should all dream of the day when we can have all students respond on their computers and we can read their responses giving kids feedback immediately. Eventually I envision a key pad with questions prebuilt for these kinds of learning discussions, so teachers can respond quickly and effectively to all of the ideas in a classroom. It would be like a live forum of discussion.
What it boils down to is that questioning provides a thoughtful education, where ideas are honored, not spoon fed down your throat so that test scores go up and teacher pay is increased. Let us all hope that education should be about the pursuit of the well being of mankind, so that in the end education helps to promote good for the good of all. Thinking would definitely be required, and I think Socrates would agree
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Resume don'ts
TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT PUT ON YOUR JOB RESUME.
1. Your high school class voted you "Most Likely to be Found on a Tower with a Rifle."
2. You have a degree as a dietitian from the Hannible Lecter School of Medicine.
3. ANY details about your job experience in continuity assurance and quality control at a hog breeding facility.
4. Any student organizations you belonged to that have the words Satan, Armageddon, or beastiality in their titles.
5. You were fired from your last job for committing an unnatural act with the entire sales department.
6. You were fired from your last job for making obscene telephone calls to Barney from a company phone.
7. You were fired from your last job for attempting a hostile takeover involving the 81st. Airborne.
8. You filed a discrimination suit against your last employer because of their policy against employees wearing crotchless business suits, and won.
9. You quit your last job after your boss rejected your suggestion for staging public floggings of late employees.
10. Your hobbies include taking massive quantities of hallucinogens and then working on your chainsaw collection.
1. Your high school class voted you "Most Likely to be Found on a Tower with a Rifle."
2. You have a degree as a dietitian from the Hannible Lecter School of Medicine.
3. ANY details about your job experience in continuity assurance and quality control at a hog breeding facility.
4. Any student organizations you belonged to that have the words Satan, Armageddon, or beastiality in their titles.
5. You were fired from your last job for committing an unnatural act with the entire sales department.
6. You were fired from your last job for making obscene telephone calls to Barney from a company phone.
7. You were fired from your last job for attempting a hostile takeover involving the 81st. Airborne.
8. You filed a discrimination suit against your last employer because of their policy against employees wearing crotchless business suits, and won.
9. You quit your last job after your boss rejected your suggestion for staging public floggings of late employees.
10. Your hobbies include taking massive quantities of hallucinogens and then working on your chainsaw collection.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
Bar maths
An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first one orders a beer, the second orders half a beer the third asks for a quarter of a beer. Before the next one can speak, the bartender says "You're all idiots," and pours two beers.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Saturday, April 04, 2009
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Friday, April 03, 2009
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Sensitive
A woman meets a man in a bar. They talk. They connect. They end up leaving together. They get back to his place and as he shows her around his apartment she notices that one wall of his bedroom is completely filled with soft, sweet, cuddly teddy bears.
There are three shelves in the bedroom, filled with teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall. She is immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into organizing the display. There are small bears all along the bottom shelf, medium-sized bears covering the length of the middle shelf, and enormous bears running all the way along the top shelf.
She finds it strange for an obviously masculine guy to have such a large collection of Teddy Bears. Quite impressed by his sensitive side, she turns to him and kisses him lightly on the lips. He responds warmly. They continue to kiss, the passion builds, and he lifts her in his arms and carries her into his bedroom where they rip off each other's clothes and make hot, steamy love.
After an intense, explosive night of raw passion with this sensitive guy, they lie there together basking in the afterglow. She rolls over, gently strokes his chest and asks coyly, "Well, how was it?"
He gently smiles at her, looks deeply into her eyes and says, "Pretty good. Help yourself to any prize from the middle shelf."
There are three shelves in the bedroom, filled with teddy bears carefully placed in rows, covering the entire wall. She is immediately touched by the amount of thought he had put into organizing the display. There are small bears all along the bottom shelf, medium-sized bears covering the length of the middle shelf, and enormous bears running all the way along the top shelf.
She finds it strange for an obviously masculine guy to have such a large collection of Teddy Bears. Quite impressed by his sensitive side, she turns to him and kisses him lightly on the lips. He responds warmly. They continue to kiss, the passion builds, and he lifts her in his arms and carries her into his bedroom where they rip off each other's clothes and make hot, steamy love.
After an intense, explosive night of raw passion with this sensitive guy, they lie there together basking in the afterglow. She rolls over, gently strokes his chest and asks coyly, "Well, how was it?"
He gently smiles at her, looks deeply into her eyes and says, "Pretty good. Help yourself to any prize from the middle shelf."
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Middle age
"Middle age is when you've met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else." - Ogden Nash, American poet
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Wednesday, April 01, 2009
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