Luck and Ruby Payne

I am constantly amazed by my students-- but, sometimes not in a good way. Today I was walking through the hallway with Juan Pablo and we were talking. In my head, I was conducting a language development lesson with him because Juan Pablo needs all the good English modeling he can hear and these walks through the hallway after bus duty allow me a brief 4 minute window of concentrated modeling . And while I very often speak in colloquial English, during these sessions with Juan Pablo I keep my language filter high so I only model the best English that I can offer. We were talking about the writing assignment from yesterday in which students were supposed to write about computers. ie. How they use them, why they like them, what frustrates them etc. Juan Pablo was saying that he was so lucky that he's got a really high score in Symphony Math (a computer-based math tutorial program we have for our students). I looked at Juan Pablo and said, "No, it's not luck that has caused you to have such a high score, Juan Pablo, it's your hard work that has earned those points." "Yeah, I know," he replies, "I'm lucky like that." And he flashes me his cutest grin. "No," I say shaking my head and speaking a little louder and enunciating carefully. "Your high score is because you work hard and and you're good at math, Juan Pablo. It's not luck, it's your actions." "Yeah, I know. I'm so lucky." he says grinning and looking pleased with himself.

My steps falter for a moment and I swear that Ruby Payne flashes into view in front of me in her svelte red power suit lecturing me, "The biggest difference between children raised in poverty and those raised in our middle class is that children raised in a middle-class home understand a causal relationship between hard work and grades while those raised in poverty attribute their success to luck and therefore are never responsible for what happens to them. This, more than anything else, will hold them back and keep them in poverty."

Words enough to send chills down any teacher's back but this is my student and I am unwilling to accept that. I say, rather sharply, "You are not listening to my words, Juan Pablo. You EARNED those points through your hard work. Luck has nothing to do with it." "Okay, Ms. Klein..." he says, trying to pacify me.

Little does he know that he has just waved a red cape in front of me and we are by our locked classroom door. He stops and waits for me to unlock the door but I turn to face him and bend down to meet him eye to eye. I gently cup his round cheeks in my hands and look into his eyes. His eyes widen a bit as this isn't something I do very often, but this important to me. "Juan Pablo," I say softly, "I need you to listen carefully to me." He nods slowly looking at me in wonder. "Juan Pablo, you are not lucky. You are smart and you are a hard worker. That's why you have so many points in Symphony Math. YOU earned those points. Now look at me and tell me you are a hard worker." "I'm a hard worker." "Yes, Juan Pablo, you are a hard worker and now, tell me you are smart." His face lights up in my hands and his smile splits his face in two, "I AM smart!" "Yes, you are smart. You are smart and a hard worker and that's why you will get lots of points in many things, not just Symphony Math." I pause because my heart is screaming so loud I can't move. "I will not allow anyone, ANYONE-- not even you, to be less than your totality, Juan Pablo," I shout silently. I catch my breath finally and smile into his eyes and say, "Now, let's go read." "Okay Ms. Klein!"

This isn't over, by any stretch of the imagination. I will be all over this now that it has come to the forefront of my thoughts. I'll be on the lookout to reinforce this with all of my students because they are all so very important.

I have no idea of what they will do or be... but I do know that they are the most precious of gifts to humanity.

They are our children.

New Math Adoption

Today I went to the new math textbook introduction. Every 7-10 years, states around the country choose new textbooks for a particular subject. The purchasing is staggered out so school districts don't go broke buying all new textbooks in one year for all subjects. This year it was the math textbook's turn to be reviewed. We've been using Math Investigations at Windermere Primary School for a few years now, so it was no surprise when we choose a new math text that correlates with Investigations. Our new textbook is called enVision Math. This week representatives from Pearson are on hand to train all grade levels in how to use the new textbook. Today was 2nd and 3rd grades' opportunity to be trained. So, of course, I went. I'm glad I did. This might be a math textbook that I actually use. There are certainly quite a few resources that I know will be invaluable for the classroom, but I am an "Investigations" teacher. I actually had the good fortune to try out Investigations when it was in it's first printing and loved how it is based on research with children in actual math classes. Yes, sometimes it's difficult to find things to grade since most of the activities are hands-on explorations that kids do in small groups or pairs, but I think the company is getting better at that. They are developing more tasks that can be graded so it's not so hard when it's time to tell parents about their child's progress in math. What I like best about Investigations is that kids really end up understanding math concepts instead of just memorizing formulas or facts. That's really important when you come to a problem that you've never solved before. You have to be able to think about what you know, then use what's appropriate to help solve the problem. We do it everyday as adults and don't think anything of it but kids haven't had the life experience we've had, yet.

What really got me about this new textbook is the technology and online components available to us -- yes, even to parents. Families with computers will be able to access math games and the textbook online or by CD to assist their kids at home. I'm thinking again about Dr. Daggett's lecture back in June and think that this math book with its components will fit in nicely with our technologically savvy students. I saw a bank's advertisement on a billboard in Minnesota that bragged that their bank was "as connected as your teenager". It seems that our children outpace us in integrating technology into their lives. They don't have the reluctance that adults seem to harbor about technology. Not that all adults are technology-phobes, that's not what I mean at all. I am just amazed at how kids so easily incorporate new learning into their lives while it takes more effort for adults to do so. My principal has a vision that technology will be seamlessly integrated into each school day. She sends us lesson ideas and provides us with the equipment that we need as she is able, within her budget. I love her vision and I am striving to make it happen. It's hard though because I really have to think about where to integrate technology. Soon I'll be getting a Promethean board (no, I haven't been told I'll get one of those that will be installed in October, I'm just using the power of positive affirmations) and I'll raise my technology usage to a new level and then I'll learn some more and raise it even higher. Maybe this new math curriculum has ideas that I can already embed into my lessons without having to think up the ideas myself! Wouldn't that be nice? I'm one of those people who just need a spark and I can catch on fire with ideas...

End of Summer School

It's been a great day. I was even happier yesterday when I graded my students' End of Summer School Math Test. WOW!! Those kids worked HARD! I was really frustrated as I walked around the classroom supervising the test and saw answers that I thought-- "how could they think that?"-- but of course, it was a test and there's nothing to say during a test except perhaps, "You'll just have to do your best!" and smile encouragingly. But, after I graded the tests, I compared the End of regular school Math test to the End of Summer School test and was floored! One child went from a 20% to a 76%. Great, huh? But she wasn't the only one, just perhaps the most dramatic. Kids who had a 25% at the end of the regular school year went up to a 64%. ALL students made an improvement in their scores and most more than doubled their grade. Now, I don't say this to brag. Truly, I'm not the only one doing all the work in that classroom. I do invest a lot into my students-- even during a short amount of time like summer school. I work hard to make the classroom a learning environment that's safe and comfortable. I try to build in routines that make kids' lives easier. It's always easier for children when their day consists of a routine. Then they know what to expect and can concentrate on the concepts they are supposed to be learning. It's rewarding when you work so hard and agonize over your students and then watch them grow and bloom! THAT'S the best feeling ever. So summer school is over now. I sent them off with books to read and math packets to complete for the remaining time of summer. Do you know what I thought the moment I realized they were all safely on their way home? Can you even imagine?

I thought the same thing I do at the end of each school year....

"Oh, no! Everything they learned will fall out of their heads tonight when they fall asleep! Everything we've worked so hard to learn will melt away under the heat of the summer sun! I hope they read every day!!! Please, please, please let them read everyday!"

Please help them read!