Parents

Happy Father's Day, everyone.  I had a great encounter yesterday that I thought I'd share.  I was in a Rite-Aid drug store and a couple stopped me and said that they recognized me.  I thought "okay" and was wondering from where.  It turns out their daughter is in my "anchor class" as well as one of my sophomore English classes.  Now, I'll admit that I have my share of students who aren't connected as much as I'd like them to be with my classes, we all do.  But these parents thanked me profusely for the effect that I have had on her, and said that I was her favorite teacher.  They were literally beaming with smiles as they told me this and then apologized for taking my time and went on their way.  What a wonderful encounter.  It made me think of how parents really do appreciate anyone who can make school or an activity interesting and exciting for their child, anyone who can have a positive effect.  I have recently become a father of sorts to three wonderful children (our plan is to marry next summer) and after many years as an outsider to this parent/child dynamic I am beginning to see things as a little bit more of an insider.  I will always try to remember to not take teachers for granted that have a positive effect on my children, and remember to say something to them.  Teachers tend to work in isolation, and getting feedback from a student can be rare. Positive feedback from a parent can also be rare, but it is appreciated and serves not only as validation, but fuel for the energy needed to teach (especially in these tough last few weeks of school). 

I'm going to be starting slow, simply pointing to some great stuff I'm running across that is out there on the web for teachers to access as well as some things in print.

1. Edutopia  is a vast resource of articles and individual blog posts on every facet of education.  It is organized loosely by topic, but I find that it is easy to simply browse and let one article link me to another.  A recent one that I enjoyed was "8 Myths That Undermine Educational Effectiveness" by Mark Phillips.  His brief list is spot on and the discussion is somewhat lively.

2. Diane Ravitch's Blog  at explores issues in the current various reform movements in the US, including assessment and many of the destructive political trends currently gaining traction.  She was a senior member of Bush's Dept. of Education who took a long look at practices she had once supported and now looks at with a more critical eye.

3. William Ayres To Teach the Journey of a Teacher is good in the text version, but the comic version is wonderful.  A great read that shows what teaching can be, a journey of the imagination and spirit, connecting teaching and learning with insight and a sense of humor.

First post of a new blog that I intend to add to as I go about getting my masters in teaching.  I am currently taking a course in teacher as professional and we are exploring the vast educational research materials that are out there.  I will be commenting on many things educational, including what I happen to be reading or studying at any one time, news concerning education, and possibly on local issues and professional group discussions we are having.  I will not be discussing school based classroom or administrative issues.  Well, here goes...