THE SUMMER CHALLENGE..........Engaging students as the summer approaches

Summer is fast approaching! Teaching at this time can be extremely challenging. The days are getting warmer and longer. Students are more interested in planning their summer escapades rather than being engaged in the classroom. While this is not true for all, there is a notable decline in students' motivation. This is even more evident at the high school level. 

Is it possible to increase students' motivation at this time of the year?

According to Allen Mendler, in engaging students we must examine our relationships with students, articulate the relevance of what is being taught, provide opportunities for students to demonstrate responsibility, plan for challenging activities that will allow students to experience success in a safe and fun atmosphere. The benefits of using these as guiding principles when you are planning for the next few weeks will yield positive results. You will be amazed at the level of your students' engagement and how much you have enjoyed the remainder of the year as well!

Engaging students  as the summer approaches can be a challenge but utilizing a few approaches such as Project Based Learning and Meaningful Engaged Learning may be a good start. 

How do you cope at this time of the year?

Have a Great Week!

Petreno 

Educating Students Who Live in Poverty

Last night I was privileged to be included among a group of educators recognized for the work that we have been doing with our diverse student population. Like all honorees, I was surprised and humbled as we sat and listened to how our work have impacted the community.

The event was organized by the District's Title 1 Executive Board Officers and General Parent Leaders' Council.Title 1 refers to the federal funding of schools in low income neighborhoods. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the purpose of Title 1 funding, “is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education and reach, at minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.”

As I spoke to the other teachers present, I immediately recognized the passion we all shared for learning and seeing our students succeed. Though our profession requires dedication and a lot of hard work, we can all agree that we will continue to do what's best for our students. 

I would like to thank and encourage all teachers to continue to challenge, nurture, and prepare our children for the future. Educating students who live in poverty should be everyone's top priority. Let us continue to do what we can today for tomorrow. 

                                              

Happy Teacher's Appreciation Week!

Petreno

How Can We Create Safe Havens for Our Children?

A few days ago I witnessed a brawl among several students. I was impressed with the manner in which it was addressed by other peers who got involved in separating the parties. This was true citizenship! How can we create safe havens for our children?

One would have thought that schools would be immune from violence. However, this is not the case! Over the years we have heard of school shootings, mass massacre, and kidnappings. Why is the school no longer safe? How does this impact teaching and learning? Can learning take place in environments that are unsafe?

According to Maslow, the need for safety is imperative before self actualization can be achieved. This then require schools to pay close attention in creating an environment that is conducive to learning. The school has become a microcosm of society. As a result the schools will have to come up with novel ways to ensure that students feel safe. In some schools this is elusive. Is it then dependent on the adults in the schools to ensure that a safe haven is created?

The task becomes even more overwhelming in our inner city schools. Some schools have shown that the establishment of strong relationships with the community, parents, and students will impact safety. While in others safety is an issue and can be strongly correlated to the climate and adults' expectations of students in the building. Can this be the answer? If expectations are changed......can a safe haven be created?

What are your thoughts?

Petreno

Learners for Life

A few weeks ago I was privy to a conversation among a group of students discussing the value of their current educational experience. The essence of their discussion was that they are essentially doing whatever it takes to pass their classes so that they can graduate. I could not help but to think that these students were in "survival mode". They further admitted that they do not remember what they have done in most classes.

Though I can identify with these students I can vividly remember some of the fun times I had in some of my classes and the indelible learning experiences that I shared with my peers. Looking back, I now realize that these lessons were ones in which I could relate to my everyday reality involving various "hands-on" as well as "minds-on" activities. These lessons were taught with a passion by creative teachers who never failed to piqued your imagination or stretched you to your mental limits. They were always "setting us up for success". As a result there was a thirst for more knowledge. On the other hand, there were those classes that you dreaded and time just seemed to drag. These were of course the least intellectually stimulating!

I know it is a struggle in today's classroom to accommodate all the given dictates that at times squeezes the joy out of learning but how can we bring the "wow" factor back.... not only for the students but ourselves? What can we do to show students that learning is fun? Most importantly, will we be able to develop and sustain independent, critical thinking lifelong learners? 

Or will we be constantly plagued with questions similar to this parent as a result of student apathy?

The task is not an easy one but I believe one in which we can begin to change one student at a time by getting to know them individually, not superficially through data but in simple ingenuous ways similar to #IWishMyTeacherKnew. The challenge will ultimately be in addressing students' needs.

As you prepare for the coming week let's think about how we can truly nurture learners for life.

Please Save Our Students from the Grading Conundrum!!!

Have you ever been accused of "the grade you gave me?" I was confronted with this issue when I first started teaching in an urban high school. I was appalled! Simply because I have always based students' grades on the quality of work submitted by the criteria given in the associated rubric. Their final grade was then calculated using the weightings given in the grading policy. I learnt early that I had to be transparent with respect to students' grades. Thus, I have been able to escape the scathing remarks similar to the one above.

Last Thursday and Friday were our Parent Teachers' conference. On Friday morning I was approached by several students regarding the grades they received on their report cards. They were angry! I remained silent as they expressed their frustrations. On the inside I was getting extremely aggravated. I struggled to stay both positive and neutral because they were talking about my colleagues.

I was deeply disturbed because these students were mostly top performers who took pride in their academic accomplishments. One student had a program change at the beginning of the semester because of failing one class. Though this solved one problem it created a situation where two classes were failed this marking period. When probed, the student disclosed inability to focus in one class due to distractions and the other because of a failure to turn in ONE assignment! Other issues included grades that do not reflect work being done, students' led to believe that they were passing, and alleged unequal treatment.

I encouraged the students to respectfully approach their teachers to have a discussion about how they can improve their performance in the future. I suggested they ask for as well as take tangible evidences such as work being done to focus the discussion. Hopefully, this will help to alleviate the grading conundrum. 

Additionally, though there is a grading policy and the existence of an online website that both students and parents can access grades and other information, these are grossly underutilized. How can we save our students from the grading conundrum? Will grade conferencing help? Having systems in place is simply not enough! These systems need to be monitored and evaluated periodically for effectiveness. 

It is imperative that this be addressed. I was scared for a moment on Friday when some students dejectedly revealed that they did not have reasons to continue their studies, they will just drop out. It seemed as if they had lost hope and given up. Is this what we want?

Have a Fabulous Week!

Petreno

A Teacher's Worth......Priceless!!!

On Friday, we gathered in the conference room to congratulate and say farewell to a fellow member of staff. As I sat there I reminisced on the times that we had together. It was a humbling experience as well as a remarkable learning moment.

The Principal began by sharing his first encounter with the staff member which was followed by multiple recounts by others. It was interesting  to note how many lives this individual had touched including students. One may have thought that the actions recanted were those that would have been publicly recognized but the recollections depicted that small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness are what really matters.  

This was truly powerful! Despite the haste to meet last minute deadlines, mark papers, submit grades, complete reports, write lessons plans, or planning for other activities, let us take time out to appreciate and spend time with others. We may never know how much it may mean to them. Imagine if we all engage in small acts of kindness? Wouldn't our work environment be more pleasant? There would be a feeling of togetherness and harmony despite differences. When this becomes  the norm it will further be transmitted to the students and eventually become entrenched in the culture of the school.

The memories were continued being shared as the room emptied leaving a few adults and students. I was impressed when I heard past students recalling some of the lessons that they have learned while under tutelage as they made real world connections......Priceless! I must confess that I got a few lesson ideas too. If I had to express my experience it would be the following:-

Don't underestimate the effect you have on others. It may make or break them. Be good to everyone including yourself but most of all be genuine!

What will be your acts of kindness?

Enjoy Your Week!

Petreno

Gone too Soon!

Last week our school community was rocked with the loss of a student to violence. Students both past and present as well as faculty members were shaken to the core. The interesting fact was that this student was not considered popular but was admired for the qualities that he embodied.

What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now forever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.

William Wordsworth

Everyone spoke about the zest  with which he pursued his passion and admitted that he was a positive role model for them. As we grappled with the thought of not seeing his smile and quiet demeanor we celebrated his life and what he meant to those lives that he had touched.

And so as we move forward the hope is that his positive influence will not diminish but further fuel and ignite the passion of all including faculty to strive for excellence in all endeavors. He left his mark, though so young. Gone too soon!

What will be yours?

Life is short. Let us live each day as if it will be our last.

Have a Great Week!

Petreno