Part+7

Educational Reform

Summary: Aaron Believing: Kylie Doubting: Ashley Implications: Kelsie This article is an examination of the No Child Left Behind law that took effect in 2002. The authors, Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner, published the article in 2006 reflecting upon the research they had gathered since the Center on Education Policy first began gathering data with the law’s implementation. The two sought to describe the law’s overall influence on public schools, seeking to discuss the broader changes made by the law. They came up with 10 effects of the law which focused heavily on curriculum, test scores, federal involvement, and school funding. The authors take a rather neutral stance on NCLB, purely discussing data trends observed from their research. At the end of their article, they take a moment to discuss the future of NCLB. They ask the question “Can the strengths of (NCLB) be retained while its weaknesses are addressed?”
 * 42: "Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools" by Jennings and Rentner**
 * Summary:**

Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner wrote in a pretty even keel manner while they descried the positive and negative sides of this argument. Therefore, I will doubt their inability to choose and advocate for NCLB because I feel like this will be the most challenging choice.
 * Doubting Lens:**

Jack Jennings and Diane Stark Rentner are passive writers that cannot bring themselves to commit to one side or the other. Their positive points about the brave NCLB legislation ping delicately against the margins of their article which are cushioned with flimsy potential NCLB hindrances. Jennings and Rentner should have shed their fear of being NCLB advocates and proclaimed with defiant screams the benefits NCLB has already rendered. Further, I understand that financial strains are upon us all. As the authors begin to tentatively assert, local school districts must dig into their pockets. This should be a sacrifice that everyone is willing to make in order for no child to be left behind floundering without the life raft that NCLB standardized testing grants. Everyone should follow the example of Bill Gates who dug into his own pockets and donated a third of his money his charity which focuses on U.S. education. In regards to special education students and students who are slow to learn the superior English language, which presents itself in an easily approachable manner, these students pull down the scores of the schools who are not educating them fast enough or well enough. I blame the teachers. What do they go to school for if not to teach the incompetent to learn? Four years spiral down a sewer drain if teachers remain unable to educate ALL students. Thanksgiving thanks should be lifted to the implementation of NCLB and its goal to keep these teachers accountable. -ashley gwinn


 * Believing Lens**

Jennings and Rentner bring up ten big effects of the No Child Left Behind Act and, as the believing lens, I do believe these could be the effects of the act. However, I wonder if these effects are positive or negative. For example, the first effect is that student achievement on state test is rising. Does this mean students are learning more? Does this mean teachers are teaching more? Or, does this mean students are becoming better test takers? Although I think it is reasonable to believe that student test scores are rising, it is also important to consider what this effect means.

In addition, I believe schools are spending more time on reading and math, as well as, schools are paying attention to the alignment of curriculum and instruction. Teachers are or may feel pressured to improve test scores; and to do this they must cut out studying about other topics. They also have to be more informed about what standardized tests are teaching and conscious about their curriculum decisions. Even though I think the teachers motivate for paying attention to achievement gaps may be slightly corrupted, I do believe students are benefiting from teachers evaluation of curriculum. I realize there are teachers who have brilliant ideas and methods for teaching critical thinking and exploration of abstract concepts who may feel the tests are ruining their established learning environments. However, there are also teachers who never lesson plan, who have been doing the same thing for years and this effect of standardized testing is beneficial in that sense. Unaccountable or irresponsible teachers must now restructure their curriculum and teaching strategies.

--K.McCollum
 * Implications**

There is no doubt that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has had a huge impact on our public education system. While great in theory, No Child Left Behind has forced schools to limit what they teach. Many teachers feel they must cut curriculum in order to focus solely on the information the test covers as well as spend a considerable amount of time teaching students how to take tests. The high stakes testing established by NCLB has also forced some schools to feel such pressure to perform well that cheating was considered a better option.

If I was a principal and I had to lead a school in the aftermath of NCLB I would be encouraging to teachers instead of overbearing or threatening. I wouldn’t want teachers to feel that their jobs were on the line because of a high stakes test. On the other hand, I would encourage the teachers to implement a wide curriculum in their classrooms that focus on student questioning, reasoning, critical thinking, and more. I would not allow teachers to cut crucial subjects such as social studies just because it is on the test. It is my belief that teaching to the test is analogous with sacrificing student learning.

-Kelsey Curlett

In this article Linda Darling-Hammond first discusses the findings of the National Commission on Teaching which were the following: She continues on to discuss that these three problems arise out of a new way of thinking about education. Teachers are now expected to teach all students to master all of the content. She discusses the effects of poverty and a poorly run system. She discusses why so many teachers are under qualified and why the nation must set new goals if it is to succeed in putting good teachers into the classroom. She discusses the key recommendations of the commission: She recommends implementing all of these suggestions in one broad sweep of reform. She even offers the hopeful story of Elena, a 21st Century teacher who enters the ideal teacher prep program and becomes the ideal teacher. Linda Darling-Hammond presents the point that teachers need to continue their education once they have already started teaching. This assertion is preposterous. Teachers teach because they are able to impart their knowledge to competent students not to learn more. Is it required for hairdressers, to which Hammond compares teachers, to go back to school?, not at all. Professional development days are more than adequate to keep teachers updated if there are any new strategies that they might not already be aware of. This viewpoint is claimed and advocated by the Michigan Department of Education. It is no longer required to have teachers obtain Masters degrees because professional development sessions have proven to be educational enough. Hammond also states that colleges should all educate their education students according to the same standards. However, this is a silly thought because if each teacher taught in the same prescribed manner then the school would be a boring place filled with drones instead of teachers. She goes on to further hold that the way that the teacher certification tests are structured do not give an accurate representation of that teacher’s abilities. This could not be further from the truth. The multiple choice scantron tests that teachers are given mirror those which are administered to our students. Testing in this manner is more than adequate to assess the learning of our students so why not our teachers? Lastly, Hammond does scrounge up an important point when she says that years ago only some students were thought to be capable of reaching certain skill levels. This idea should have never been abandoned in the first place. There are students who take extra time and effort away from competent teachers and intelligent students. This stolen time makes teachers seem incompetent when really the incompetency lies within the students. Survival of the fittest, students who struggle should be left by the wayside because they are the problem. -ashley gwinn
 * 43: "What Matters Most: A Competent Teacher for Every Child" by L. Darling-Hammond**
 * Summary:**
 * 1) The U.S. lagged behind the rest of the world in teacher preparation training
 * 2) U.S. teachers were under-qualified and underpaid
 * 3) Incompetence in the classroom could no longer be tolerated
 * 1) Institute high standards for students and teachers
 * 2) Create a whole new system of teacher preparation
 * 3) Completely overhaul teacher recruitment
 * 4) Reward teachers for knowledge and skills
 * 5) Reorganize schools for teacher and student success
 * Doubting Lens:**

While reading Darling-Hammond’s article, I found that I was shaking my head in agreement with most of the points they are argue are essential in changing education. I especially think their focus on competent teachers speaks volumes about how America values education. They discuss other professions were certification and experience are necessary to obtain a job and compare the difficulty to a teaching jobs which some positions do not require. I feel it is extremely important to have teachers who are knowledgeable about their content area, empathetic and understanding with people and know about child development and learning. The article made me think of a news story I heard in which a school was defending their poor student performance and dropout rates on the district’s finances. The school complained that they had barely any funding for new books, computers and other technological devices which they claimed would instantly improve student achievement. Although those privileges are nice and helpful to have in a classroom, they should not be a focal point. A great teacher should not be able to be replaced by a book or computer, they should teach more to students than man-made devices. Therefore, I think Darling-Hammond had a valid argument that schools need to take hiring and maintaining teachers more importantly. Quality professional programs must be created or funded to ensure teachers are learning the necessary skills to teach students and be prepared for the experience of teaching. Additionally, incentives need to be created to keep quality teachers teaching. Otherwise, if America continues to view education as low priority, motivated and knowledgeable individuals will avoid or leave the teaching profession because they seek some another form of fulfillment in their lives (i.e., monetary, respect, etc.) --K.McCollum
 * Believing Lens**
 * Implications**

It seems as though great strides have been made in education since this article was published in 1996, although there is still a long way to go to reach our educational goals. The article complains that standards have not yet been set for student learning but in today’s classroom the curriculum is nearly one hundred percent standards based. Some districts or principals even require teachers to put the standard in a visible place each day. As a principal, I would want to feel assured that each of the teachers in my school knows the standards and try to work towards them. There is also no reason students can’t know what it is they should be learning, however, visible standards in the classroom should be written in student friendly language. Students are very unique individuals and while they should all be working toward a goal of some sort I don’t believe that the goal is the same for most students. But requiring teachers to know the standards and have a purpose for them in the classroom also requires them to plan ahead of time. Planning and being prepared is crucial for effective teaching.

In order to ensure there are competent teachers in my school I will set aside time each week for collaboration, not only between colleagues in the same grades and subject areas but also between differing grades and subjects. I would encourage teachers to create an inderdisciplinary unit plan that finds unity or a common theme among the subjects. Lastly, I would set up a mentoring program that pairs beginning teachers with veteran teachers that have been successful. I would not limit beginning teachers to first year teachers alone, I would extend beginning teachers to include teachers that have less then five years of experience. Teachers that have been teaching for over five years would not be off the hook just because of their years of experience. I would set up a peer review program that requires teachers to observe one another and provide constructive feedback. I would require teachers to be observed by other teachers in the same grade and subject as well as by other grades and subjects.

-Kelsey Curlett

Elliot Eisner offers a refreshing and uniquely different voice to the educational reform debate. His focus is on teacher education, curriculum, learning, and how schools should be reinvented to become the true centers of learning and education that they ought to be. He discusses schools as being a place for educators to learn, to collaborate, and to meet students’ needs. A very liberal interpretation of learning and progress are what the author is advocating for, with a focus on intrinsic motivation and creativity. He emphasizes the aesthetics of teaching and learning, and the importance of students’ interests. The author invites conversation about his suggestions, in fact he encourages it.
 * 44: "The Kind of Schools We Need" by E. Eisner**
 * Summary:**

Elliot W. Eisner, a professor, artist, and spokesperson, foolishly asserts that he knows best what kind of schools we need. Eisner states that each child is unique, but I rebuke this proclamation by example of worksheets given which work for a whole slew of students. He goes on to voice his doubts surrounding uniforms and their usefulness in school. Uniforms are a learning tool that more schools should utilize. Students who wear uniforms are gaining real world experience of wearing a required wardrobe. Work places have dress codes that are stipulated in concert with the profession, so should schools. Eisner assumes that teachers meeting and discussing work is a valuable use of precious school time. If Eisner actually knew what kind of schools we need he would know that we need schools that manage minimal time wisely. School hours should be spending on student learning and not teacher discussion. Teachers also do not need to be observing other teachers and critiquing their work. Each teacher knows how he or she teaches best and does not need the opinions of others clouding his or her teaching views. Further, this extra time spent observing other teachers would be better spent teaching students. -ashley gwinn
 * Doubting Lens**

Eisner argues that when discussing changes which should be applied to our educational system, too often people focus on the insignificant issues such as, uniforms or paying bonuses. Instead, he believes to reform schools we must have a vision of what education should be. He addresses these issues by detailing teacher, other staff and community roles. He asserts that in order for education to be successful, teachers must be given time to learn. I believe his theory; it makes sense that teachers need to discuss and bounce ideas off each other to gain feedback about their teaching. Also, Eisner believes teachers should be observed by other teachers. He states evaluations of educators eliminates secondary ignorance about individuals teaching style. I think this is a great opportunity for both parties to learn; the observer can learn effective strategies or practices from the observed, as well as the observed receiving feedback on their teaching of the material.
 * Believing Lens**

Additionally, Eisner elaborates on how teacher’s view of student learning needs to be refocused. He asserts teachers need to be more aware that students learn at different paces and in different ways. It is our jobs as teachers to except this fact and find ways to capture each students own unique process of learning and understanding the world. I like Eisner’s beliefs about student learning because I think it is important to remember that each student is different. I know I have been guilty of being caught up in the frame-of-mind that everyone know what an intransitive verb is by a certain date and everyone will be able to read a piece of literature in a certain time period, but that’s not true. As a future educator, I must find away to base the flow of class learning, but build in strategies that cater to individual learning paces and styles. --K.McCollum
 * Implications**

Many of the implications I mentioned for the article, “What Matters Most: A Competent Teacher for Every Child,” are also applicable to this article, “The Kind of Schools We Need.” Creating competent teachers by implementing the previously suggested changes will ultimately create the kind of schools we need and hope for. As a principal, in order to ensure that my school is functioning at the highest level of performance, I would spend as much time in classrooms as possible. A principal cannot be an effective leader if he or she is trying to implement change without actual first-hand knowledge about what is happening in the classroom. Also, if teachers know the principal will be coming and going from the classroom, they will be more likely to be prepared. If I were the principal I would schedule a one-on-one meeting with each teacher in the school to simply touch base. If teachers feel their principal is on their side, they are more likely to function as a team. Team building and collaboration can be key to a school’s success.

As a school leader, I would require each teacher at the beginning of the school year to have students write a success plan outlining his or her goals for that academic year. The teacher can hold onto those goals and find ways to help students achieve them throughout the year. The teacher should also be required to formulate a plan outlining his or her professional goals for the year.

-Kelsey Curlett

The author focuses on the various gaps that prevent certain segments of American society from raising themselves out of poverty through the public education system. The author suggests that there are four major gaps separating the marginalized from the socially mobile: The author offers various ways to narrow the gaps with heavy emphasis on investing in early childhood programs and after-school activities for at-risk youth.
 * 45: "Class and the Classroom" by R. Rothstein**
 * Summary:**
 * 1) The Conversation Gap – the difference in opportunities for students to engage in meaningful conversations with their parents and communities. Parents who struggle with conversational skills are often unable to provide their students with the educational and behavioral stimulation and growth they require.
 * 2) The Reading Gap – the huge difference in reading level and reading materials available to students from different backgrounds. Many parents in these marginalized groups struggle with inadequate literacy skills and unequal access to reading materials.
 * 3) The Health and Housing Gaps – health and housing standards are radically different based on economic status. The poor living conditions of lower class families result in less days in school and less nutrition.
 * 4) The Role Model Gap – communities with a higher rate of unemployment and lower expectations for student achievement tend to produce students with little self-confidence. This is a vicious cycle.

Richard Rothstein undercuts the ability of students who are below the middle class. Socioeconomic status does not decide who these students are and Rothstein seems to believe that students cannot pull themselves out of their economic situations and rise about their circumstances. Rothstein moves from devaluing the educational abilities of students but also places unfair blame on their parents. It is the teacher’s job to teach students how to read and it is up to the parent on how they want to raise their children. We should concentrate on putting more books in the classroom. Teachers should be less concerned with parents and more concerned with the effect they are having on their students. Rothstein goes on to proclaim that lower class students are unable to rise above their circumstances because they are more likely to follow orders verses the style of negotiation that middle class students adopt. This attitude should be viewed as an asset not a deficit. In school settings orders given by administration or the teacher should be followed not negotiated. Knowing this about schools should cause Rothstein to see the lower class students as the ones with the upper hand in classroom learning. When a group of lower and middle class students take the ACT test they are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the test that the proctor is enforcing. Following Rothstein’s asserting that lower class students are the ones who are most capable and practiced at this skill; one could assume that lower class students should score better on ACT tests then middle class students. If lower class students have lower scores then we should look to the teachers as the source of their academic failures. The idea that white automatically equates with middle class or above is an idiotic assumption. However, let us go along with Rothstein’s preposterous assumption. Assuming that white parents have more money saved up for the college education of their child does not mean that it is not as or more realistic for black children to go to college. There are many scholarships, grants, and other types of financial aid that are more available to black children then to white children. Rothstein is simply full of excuses that do not hold merit. -ashley gwinn
 * Doubting Lens**

**Believing Lens**

Rothstein argues that a child’s achievement level is greatly affected by their environmental surroundings and previous experiences. Although I feel that most teachers would not argue against this statement, they may not be aware of exactly how critical home life can be to a student’s academic development. Personally, I found the results of the study which monitored the different social classes conversations to be particularly interesting. They researchers found that professional parents spoke 2,000 words an hour to their child, whereas a welfare mother spoke 600 words. Rothstein asserts that it is impossible for teachers to ‘catch up’ the child who is only hearing 600 words an hour to the student with professional parents. I believe for teachers it is critical to think and analyze these factors. If you know that a majority of your students are receiving welfare, it may be beneficial to focus on verbal communication and introduce a myriad of vocabulary terms to help boost their grades. As an educator, it is important to not be overwhelmed by, or driven to meet state standards. By reading articles similar in nature to Rothstein, it might help teachers redirect their attention to the truly significant concepts. After all students need to know definitions of words and how to read to do well on tests.

--K.McCollum
 * Implications**

If I were the principal in a diverse school, I would hold a professional development meeting each year on the effects of class and poverty on education. I would encourage teachers to identify their own biases in relation to class and educational achievement and to work to rid their pedagogy of such biases. As a principal I would teach my teachers about the importance of high expectations and hold every teacher accountable to hold themselves to those expectations. I would also expect each teacher to make sure what they are teaching is as relevant to the students lives as possible. Children from lower classes may not have the same assumed background knowledge that other children may have. I would encourage teachers not to make any assumptions.

While I most likely would not have the means to create a head start program as a middle school principal, I could require each teacher to provide as many books to students as possible no matter what the subject is. It is crucial for all subjects to incorporate literacy strategies. I could also set up a volunteer program to get as much outside help from the community as possible.

-Kelsey Curlett

Karen Hawley Miles focuses on sharing what she has learned from a career focused on helping large urban districts restructure finances to institute district wide reforms. She focuses on the importance of setting goals and following through with financial support. She has concluded that there are five key ways for districts to realign spending and staffing to support reform and raise student performance: She ends the article by discussing ways to ensure adequate funding, adding that communities are more willing to increase spending if district leaders show clear priorities. Karen Hawley Miles suggests that non-“academic” teaching staff should be paired down to a minute number. These classes such as choir, theatre, band, physical education, journalism, newspaper, computer technology, etc. are extremely valuable and way too important to scale down or even eliminate. Miles asserts that these classes are expendable because they are not tested on the state exams. Is she really saying that if a skill or knowledge set is not on the state exam then it is therefore rendered unimportant? I am doubtful that all of the useful skills that have been learned by students were tested on the state and national tests. These “extras” teach students skills that they would not gain anywhere else and these skills learned help students become fuller people with better handles on their individual strengths and weaknesses. Further, for some students these “extras” are their reasons for staying in school or being diligent in their attendance to school. Miles is making a big mistake in asserting that these classes are expendable.
 * 46 "Putting Money Where it Matters" by K. H. Miles**
 * Summary:**
 * 1) Restructure salaries to reflect student achievement and teacher performance
 * 2) Focus district staff on integrated support and accountability by increasing focus on measuring student learning
 * 3) Make K-3 literacy a cornerstone of the district to see higher performance by students
 * 4) Invest heavily in Professional Development to ensure that all teachers are highly trained and prepared
 * 5) Focus secondary instructional spending on the core subjects to improve student performance on standardized tests
 * Doubting Lens**


 * Believing Lens**

Miles discusses the importance allocating funding to aspects which will dramatically improve the educational process. Ironically, Miles believes salaries should be increased to attract higher quality teachers. This idea relates back to my response about the Darling-Hammond article when I talked about schools investing in the people who will be teaching the students instead of the materials used during teaching. She asserts that salaries should be based on experience and accumulated credits. I agree with this philosophy; teachers who have had experience teaching students and who show an interested in learning their content should be paid higher wages. Those teachers who don’t continue their education may not be as invested in student learning as teachers who enjoy becoming more knowledge about what they teach.

Additionally, I agreed with her argument that more resources need to be allocated to teaching literacy in kindergarten through third grade. I thought her statement was valid because literacy is the foundation of learning; one must be able to read in order to understand any subject. Furthermore, Rothstein had discussed how students who read more performed significantly better in school. Studies such as these which demonstrate the critical role of literacy validate the argument that more class time and resources should be spent on teaching children how to read. She even suggested that classes could be balanced in such a way that allowed for smaller groups during reading time. I thought this was a great idea as well because it allows teachers to develop one-on-one relationships with their students to learn each child’s reading performance. Teachers would be able to tailor literacy instruction and be available more for questions or clarifications as students are attempting to read texts.

--K.McCollum
 * Implications**

In today’s economy, money is tight in almost every profession. I am not optimistic as a principal that I would be able to change much about how money is allocated for my school. The federal government has such a tight hold on educational dollars that monetary freedom is hard to come by. However, I do not condone cutting athletics or special subjects such as art or gym in order to reallocate funding. I do think core subjects are very important but not every student is a scientist or a mathematician. In order for students to feel comfortable and happy in their learning environments, I believe they need to have options. Some children would not be able to focus if they didn’t take a break for gym each day not to mention the child obesity epidemic. Likewise, other students may be able to focus their creativity in English composition if they also had an art class to inspire them through alternate outlets.

As a principal, I do not think I would ever pay my teachers based on their student’s performance. Student performance in today’s world is measure through standardized testing and increasing pay for teachers that teach to the test may also mean that pay has been increased for teachers that narrow the curriculum or solely teach testing strategies. If a better tool was used to assess student learning then I may consider increasing pay for increased student performance.

-Kelsey Curlett

Stories: Kristy

What happened:

At the professional development at my school on Friday, plans were announced to extend a bond that would give the Allegan school district an extra $15 million. Officials were excited to spend approximately half of this bond on technology for the classroom. They also announced that the money would not be going toward the hiring of any new teachers despite the fact that many teachers have stressed the idea that more teachers are needed to focus on the individual needs of the students.

Why it happened:

The Allegan school district, and in particular the middle school, is sorely in need of technology in the classroom. In my CT’s room, we have one computer for the teacher, an archaic overhead projector, and a television. If we want to use a projector, we have to sign it out from the media center, and my CT has been yearning for a document camera since I started there. The schools really need more technology to reach our students who have grown up surrounded by it.

What it means:

At this point in time, the Allegan school district is more concerned with having the latest technology in the classroom than they are with hiring teachers to cope with the increasing number of students. While the school board doesn’t necessarily believe that technology is more important that effective teachers, it seems to feel that having more technology will help to deal with the issue of students who need more individualized instruction. While my CT may be pleased by the notion of finally getting a document camera, she will continue to struggle with giving help to specific students who really need it.

Implications:

As a future teacher, I plan to use technology in my classroom, but not at the cost of my students’ needs. Were I a member of the Allegan school board, I probably would have done school evaluations to see the number of students who require individual attention and allocated a portion of the budget to at least getting tutors who can work with the students one on one, if not just hiring more part-time or full-time classroom teachers. Keeping up with the latest technology is important in terms of keeping up with students living in a digital age, but having enough staff members to actually use the technology and teach properly is just as, if not more, important.

- Kristy McPherson

Stories: Katie


 * What Happened:** Last week I was invited to join my CT in a professional development day where we attended a seminar on how to teach argumentative writing in the classroom. The seminar was filled with useful information for sixth, seventh and eighth grade English teachers. It provided different folders filled with information categorized by the grade the teacher was teaching that year. The speaker was filled with resources including three recommended books, sample unit plans and websites. The teachers from my school did not find the seminar beneficial and believed it to be a waste of time. The group refused to participate in the activities of the seminar and complained about how the seminar was not worth the points rewarded. They glanced at the provided materials and commented that they could not use the material because the students could not produce the work. Other district’s teachers were in the seminar and tried to engage the Orchard View teachers but they never took the exercises seriously. One teacher mentioned that she would be earning the rest of her points from online seminars where she did not have to participate in group activities. The next day my CT explained to me how the seminar had been a waste of time after I left. (I had to leave the seminar two hours early to make it to class)


 * Why did it Happen:** My CT had been talking about this “day off” since the third or fourth week into the semester. The attitude from the table of Orchard View teachers was the same attitude they complain about with their students. They, like their students, believed the speaker did not have the experience to hand out advice for their classroom. The teachers discredited the speaker not five minutes in the presentation. They attended the seminar with the idea that it was a mini vacation from the classroom instead of a learning opportunity.


 * What does it Mean:** Some teachers do not utilize professional development days. A negative consequence of requiring teachers to attend professional development days is that some of them believe it to be a chore. In relation to students being required to complete homework, some teachers believe professional development seminars to be boring, useless and just a hoop to jump through in order to keep their job. Teachers should recognize the similarities between what they are required to do and what they required their students to do for their class.

-Katie Reilly
 * Implications for Practice:** My CT chose this seminar as one of her professional development days. When I am looking for seminars and meetings to attend to further my education I plan on making sure it is relevant to my district. I plan on keeping an open mind through these seminars, even if I believe it to be irrelevant at first. Seeing how adults can discredit information presented they believed to be irrelevant, I will strive for my students to find everything I present to them knowledge or skill they can find a use for in their lives.

What Happened? Upon reading chapter 43 about the competent teacher, I knew exactly what I wanted/needed to share. More specifically, I wanted to focus on how teacher teach outside there major/minor. When I started at SWCC, I was designated for ELA and Social Studies. And although I have limited memory of SS, I figured how hard could it be? I could read the book beforehand, memorize the facts and help students on their group work. And that worked very well, only once or twice did I need additionally support from my CT. I could answer, explain, and guide students to answers and that made up for my lack of a wide knowledge base. However, as of recent I have taken up Math taught in Spanish. I am still responsible for walking around assisting students with questions and pulling students out in the hall and working with the students who are struggling and need additional support. The problem I am having is that I have a pretty good grasp on the Math they are doing. However, A) I have never been instructed on how to teach it and B) I do not have full command of Spanish let alone Spanish Math Vocab. I do not feel that I am the best person to work with the students who are struggling. I feel that I am failing them though I am trying my best.

Why It Happened? This happened because of the great 6th grade schism we just had 2 weeks ago. Since that time I have been working on my subject knowledge and vocab knowledge. This is also occurring because it is a bilingual school so I must instruct in Spanish, there is no room for English. However, whenever I really need to, I just say “Como se dice…” and then give the English version of what I want to say. Kind of my loophole so keep that our little secret.

What It Means? It means that I am an example of what the text is talking about. Despite my limited knowledge, I am being asked to instruct in something I know little about. The same is occurring all over the school. Given each 6th grade has one major, one minor, two have now taught 3 subjects and the third is covering a subject outside her norm (seeing’s she might have inherited one of several subjects from the beginning). Most schools, especially within Inner cities, are scrapping for teachers and making do with what they have. As for me, I need to talk to my CT to figure out a solution to my role in the class. I just don’t want to be a disappointment.

Implications For Practice. This means that schools need to go through and make sure that teachers are certified in what they teach. My only issue is what happens to the teachers who fit into the category of noncertified. Would the union prevent them from being removed? Would they have the opportunity to take a knowledge level test and upon passing call it good enough? There is no easy answer here though the obvious, most ideal solution would be to only have the teachers who are within their jurisdiction be teachers, but I don’t see that happening. But administrators can begin fighting the problem now by only hiring people to teach subjects that are allowed to.

-DEREK BOILLAT