tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post4263278568702007514..comments2023-05-05T06:17:46.166-07:00Comments on Teaching a Dog to Talk.: Please Don't Try and Make Me Into a Better Teacher. Quilbilly-Todd Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-87961619029240186772014-11-17T19:49:16.053-08:002014-11-17T19:49:16.053-08:00We have a new evaluation system in place in Washin...We have a new evaluation system in place in Washington state and you make a good point that time spent showing that I am an acceptable teacher is time not spent on something more useful. Quilbilly-Todd Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-2981629962838529782014-11-17T19:47:54.190-08:002014-11-17T19:47:54.190-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Michael Soskilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789664899983322261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-75586411620584025752014-11-17T19:24:37.036-08:002014-11-17T19:24:37.036-08:00Reform in education cannot occur until reform occu...Reform in education cannot occur until reform occurs in families and communities. This is a great article. Please read my book "Flawed System, Flawed Product . . . The TRUTH about the educational system from a teacher's perspective".<br />http://www.blurb.com/b/2566002-flawed-system-flawed-productAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-25107478717331148542014-11-17T19:21:01.704-08:002014-11-17T19:21:01.704-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-81681034530475290332014-11-17T19:18:22.647-08:002014-11-17T19:18:22.647-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-9545183823785247772014-11-17T18:40:50.512-08:002014-11-17T18:40:50.512-08:00Thank you for this post. So much of a teachers...Thank you for this post. So much of a teachers' time these days is spent on non-teaching expectations to prove you are at least an OK teacher. What administration fails to realize, and they need to, is that every hour you spend late at night filling out inane paperwork for this stuff, will likely mean less really top-notch teaching the next day! Exhausted teachers are not at their best. Administrators need to decide what they really want their teachers spending their limited time on----more data entry/paperwork/committee work/reports/evaluation paperwork/proof of this or that OR planning and delivering their best lessons every single day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-28280515068438828592012-12-03T20:47:32.016-08:002012-12-03T20:47:32.016-08:00Here are some thoughts that might help:
http://www...Here are some thoughts that might help:<br />http://www.educationrethink.com/2012/12/pros-and-cons-of-common-core-reading.html@educatoralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03208424095983730170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-52053071749773069772012-12-03T18:40:13.385-08:002012-12-03T18:40:13.385-08:00The Escalante commenter got to me. Escalante wid...The Escalante commenter got to me. Escalante widdled his class size down over the years. Kids who couldn't cut muster, or didn't want to were cut from program. Kids were paid to be in the program and people who know will tell you cheating did go on. And, it was 18 kids not 88.Pissedoffteacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07924089808582137198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-17743336335203315642012-12-03T17:58:06.127-08:002012-12-03T17:58:06.127-08:00I wouldn't mind being Bob Dylan the songwriter...I wouldn't mind being Bob Dylan the songwriter but I have no talent. Why don't I want to be the Bob Dylan of the teaching world? Because I value my family, I value my life outside of teaching, I think showing my students that I have interests outside of them ( OMG what child should ever hear that?) is healthy for them and improves the time I do spend with them. I could go on but fundamentally the point of my post is that, good enough is good enough. <br /><br />In all sincerity if you want to be emulate Jaime Escalante bless you. Hang in there.<br />ToddQuilbilly-Todd Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-50916289731227638672012-12-03T13:55:11.569-08:002012-12-03T13:55:11.569-08:00"Routinely reform their profession..."
..."Routinely reform their profession..."<br /><br />I looked up "Good To Great" on Amazon. There were 271,000 related hits. I think all sorts of people are routinely asked to reform their practices. <br /><br />What I don't understand, is since your not Bob Dillon, why wouldn't you want to keep trying until you are? If Jaime Escalante can get 88 kids to pass AP Calc in downtown LA, then I know I need to keep reforming my own practices.MrMathManhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04686320130689727587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-2366690215078253952012-12-02T17:48:50.305-08:002012-12-02T17:48:50.305-08:00I'm just a fellow who works in a small rural d...I'm just a fellow who works in a small rural district and to be perfectly honest I think my students are doing pretty well, all things considered. By what measure, you might reasonably ask? Well when they leave my science classes they are more excited about science than when they came in. Their parents tell me they argue about science at home. They are more likely to take more advanced science classes than in the past. Does that make us a top performing school? <br /><br />We don't make Newsweek's list or anybody else's for that matter but I don't feel like I have beaten the creativity and curiosity out of them either. So are they "learning as much/well as they should and need to?" I would ask who gets to decide that?<br /><br />For a number of years I taught AP Biology, a course that is ubiquitous in "top performing schools" and it was the most disheartening experience of my teaching career. Absolutely no time to smell the roses both literally and figuratively. We burned though material like there was no tomorrow. <br /><br />As far as which of the 8 Practices do I not think are important? Can't answer that, I haven't read them, though I am sure I will. Quilbilly-Todd Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-62686255415298777082012-12-02T17:20:13.863-08:002012-12-02T17:20:13.863-08:00All top performing schools changed the teaching, n...All top performing schools changed the teaching, not the societies they teach in. While I sympathize with your frustration, the evidence shows that most of our students are not learning as much/well as they should and need to.<br /><br />As for the Practices: The Common Core are far more about the Practices than the Content. What is it about those 8 Practices that you would NOT want your own children to be able to do?Chris Shorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17649692400490053545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-18946057618457112792012-12-02T17:16:56.597-08:002012-12-02T17:16:56.597-08:00Feel free to quote me, but I have to admit our sci...Feel free to quote me, but I have to admit our science/math meetings are a pretty safe place to say what you think. Quilbilly-Todd Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-67426670357302738562012-12-02T16:34:57.517-08:002012-12-02T16:34:57.517-08:00We're having a faculty meeting tomorrow after ...We're having a faculty meeting tomorrow after school. One of the points will be on the Common Core - we've been asked to read an article titled "Nine Ways the Common Core Will Change Classroom Practice." I hope I have the courage to say something like - "I don't need to change my practice, thanks." Like you did.<br /><br />Well done!Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222812519913852182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-58961018909449770362012-12-02T15:25:54.006-08:002012-12-02T15:25:54.006-08:00Bing-fucking-o!Bing-fucking-o!doylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12901661320505882735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-55590511954503846642012-12-02T11:53:37.629-08:002012-12-02T11:53:37.629-08:00Well said, Todd. I've been teaching for over ...Well said, Todd. I've been teaching for over 20 years and my eyes have rolled right out of my head! We're asked to do the impossible and it's frankly amazing what we accomplish in the face of all the ridiculous expectations that are thrown our way.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06537140054190774295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-84692597655965924342012-12-01T13:05:45.033-08:002012-12-01T13:05:45.033-08:00Well you were both there when I spoke those unfort...Well you were both there when I spoke those unfortunate words. I just get so tired of the old saw that we all have to be "Great" teachers. Whoever believes that either spent little time in the classroom, or when they did they had a lousy statistics teacher or they listen to the stories of Lake Wobegone too much. Sorry to say it but everybody can't be above average. Is there something wrong with being competent? Quilbilly-Todd Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07173576510643984635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-57362199940043547562012-12-01T09:38:21.303-08:002012-12-01T09:38:21.303-08:00Very original post, and a provocative way to start...Very original post, and a provocative way to start out: “I have no interest in improving my teaching.” You make some good points, way to go. <br />MarenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-364796018697787735.post-54038852228075710332012-11-30T18:37:56.083-08:002012-11-30T18:37:56.083-08:00I agree, too much is placed on our shoulders. Poli...I agree, too much is placed on our shoulders. Politicians and those far removed from the classroom make all the decisions and teachers get the blame. What a ridiculous profession we find ourselves in!@educatoralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03208424095983730170noreply@blogger.com