Student Growth

Although they will grow 4+ inches in a year, I don't notice that too much.
What I noticed today was intellectual growth.
Student "X" usually gives a cursory reading of a literature story just to get the slight idea of what the story means. The presentation "X" usually gives is dull, shallow and shows no higher order thinking.
Today we had growth. Perhaps it was the plot, tone, or setting, but the student gave a wonderful presentation. The student was excited to share with us what happened in the story and why the author wrote it.
I get surprised often with my students- I did not expect this from this student for a while...
I'm pleased!

School Vouchers

The United States has more consumer choice than any other country. We can choose our foods, clothes, cars, homes, communities.
However, school choice is still not available for K-12 children.
A voucher system would allow parents to patronize the school of their choice. In our free market economy parents and students could select the school that best fits their needs. Idaho allows for school choice within districts, but there is no recognition of private school choice.
Currently Idaho spends approimately $6,500 per pupil per year (lowest: Utah, $5,100, highest: Distric of Columbia, $13,200). Parents should be allowed to use that tax money for the school of their choice- public or private. Private schools should be accredited to receive a voucher. Religious schools will qualify as the Supreme Court ruled in 2002 that government aid (voucher) goes to the parent who use it at their discretion.
Magnet and charter schools serve a certain type of student and it is ridiculous to think that one school district can serve the needs of all the students residing in that district.

Thank God for peers...

Last night I had the opportunity to discuss teaching with another educator whom I know only casually. It felt good to hear ideas and concerns similar and new to mine.

For eight years I have been lucky to have Mrs. Sirani at Sheridan to hear (privately, of course) my frustrations and concerns about the students.
Praise and rejoicing I do publicly- but I need to vent sometimes and she listens and understands, and often offers ideas/suggestions that I have not considered.

I heard that the best counselors go to counselors. To be the best teacher, we need to discuss with other teachers regularly (although a counseling session would be great too!).
It is comforting to know that even at the college level, the concerns for the success of the students is a major factor of teaching.
I can put on the "drill sergeant" persona and behave accordingly, but inside when a students does not do his best, my heart is heavy...

The wind...

Having worked with teenagers for 20 years, I have concluded that on windy days the students are more excitable/anxious.
Perhaps there are more electricity in the air? More pollen? Dust?
Nonetheless, windy days are days for solid lesson plans, alternatives, and maybe some group projects...

I wonder if any one has studied this idea.
Maybe I just need a vacation?
Maybe it is ME that is more susceptible and I pass on MY energy to the students!

Rake Up Boise/Community Service

This last Saturday we participated in Rake Up Boise. This has been a tradition for Sheridan students for 14 years.
We filled 40 bags from one yard!
The students did a great job and I appreciate the adults who helped also.

We will do another community service project in the spring.

Who are your kids?

I am often asked, "What type of students are at Sheridan?" While I would like to say that they are sons/daughters of millionaire bankers, I refrain and describe them as follows:
Students at Sheridan Academy attend because they feel that our mission/purpose/environment are most effective for them. I describe our students as "not getting a meaningful education in a traditional school setting."
Often our students are the ones in the last row of a class of 36 students and they are drawing and not writing the history notes on the whiteboard. For some reason, they are not focused and learning. Maybe there is a mild learning disability present, maybe there are problems at home, maybe the work is not challenging. For whatever reason, they are not receiving a meaningful education. Many of our students come to us with "holes" in their learning. For example, they are in Algebra, but cannot perform simple operations with fractions. We fill these "holes" so that they can continue their knowledge building (scaffolding).
We work on a positive reinforcement system and the schools runs much like a job- if you perform, you get stuff- if you don't you don't...
Students tell me that we are strict. Yet they want to enroll again. Students want boundaries, they want parameters. We set the bar high and they perform- this allows them success at a university and in the workforce.
Who are my kids? They're our pride and joy.

Not a bad day...

Today, after a focused morning of current events, math, and history, we took a brisk walk, wolfed down lunch then went to BSU to see a student display of the Berlin Wall in the quad. We discussed the significance and Alexander (from Germany) translated the graffiti written on the Wall. The students got "some" sense of the impact that the Wall had on Germany, the people of Berlin, communism, and the world.

Then we parked near the capitol and read the names of the fallen soldiers on the flags.

We then went to the second floor courtroom of the Borah Building and sat with representatives from other nonprofits in the Treasure Valley.
The governor entered and read a proclamation recognizing the week of November 8-12 as "Non-Profit Awareness Week for the State of Idaho."
After the formalities, I lined up our students and the Governor posed for a photo with them. He shook each students' hand and encouraged them to continue their education.

THEN! We went to Fancy Freeze for ice cream and sat in the sun enjoying a beautiful Fall day.

Returning to the school, the students cleaned and then played basketball.

It was another awesome day at Sheridan.

"New Math"

As a child of the '70's I was taught the metric system and "new math." As a teacher, I was schooled to teach reading using "sight word" vocabulary (not phonics).
Yuri Gregarin (sp) orbited the earth in 1959. America needed more scientists- by 1969 school children were learning more about science to compete with the Soviets. America also toyed with going metric.
The "feel good" era of the '70's brought "new math" into our schools. Much of this consisted of estimation and proximity- exactness was not emphasized. Not good when balancing your checkbook!
At "teacher school" we were taught sight-word vocabulary. This method instructed the student to recognize a word based on the letter order- not the phonetical qualities.
All three of the above have shaped my knowledge and the skills/knowledge that I teach my students. I shy from fads, focus on the basics and knowns, and seek a common core of knowledge that should be universal.

Berlin Wall

Twenty years ago? Wow- I can remember when the Wall came down. You could buy a peice of the concrete wall (complete with spay paint graffiti) as a souvenir. I thought of purchasing a piece for my dad as it represents much for which he served- a fighter pilot in the Navy trained to deliver ordiance behind the Iron Curtain.

The German Club at Boise State is re-creating a portion of the Wall. Sheridan Academy's German international student participates in the univeristy's German club and he shared with me that the Berlin Wall may not be the best way to remember or recognize Germany...

Tomorrow we go to the State House to witness the Governor of Idaho sign a proclamation designating this week as "Nonprofit Awareness Week." As we are a nonprofit school, we will particpate in this ceremony...

there are no problems, just opportunities

OK........blog I will.
Our internatonal students (Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Germany, Mexico) are doing well with our domestics. They all went to the corn maze/haunted world and had a great time!

Seventy wolves have been killed in Idaho- 130 more to go- our int'l students are amazed that you can buy handguns and rifles so easily (I sold my hunting rifles after I gutted my first deer- YUCK! I'm not THAT hungry...).