The 2016 Oklahoma Legislative Session starts Monday!
Much like the Kardashians or any student group presentation, we can expect flaming dysfunction and awkwardly creative destruction – the sort from which you can’t quite look away, no matter how horrifying. Oh, good times.
I’ve done my best to lay some groundwork for the casual #oklaed viewer here – but there’s so much more to teaching than being hated and abused by elected authority. There are good parts, too.
Like THESE bits you simply SHOULD NOT MISS from the past week. My god, they make me love my job…
Why It’s Important To Play The Recorder Badly – Ashley Shaw on Life in Converse, prodded by Bon Stewart (thank you Bon!), talks about that moment every parent fears – your child comes home from school with… a recorder. But then Shaw starts slinging truth and beauty everywhere, without warning. I’ve read this eleventeen times and had all the feelz, including several which don’t even exist. Follow Shaw on the Twittering at @ashleygshaw and see what else she does to us without warning.
What Do You Mean, Excessive Paperwork? / These Feet Will Drag (A Poem) – A double-shot of Jose Vilson – The JLV. The first is about the nonsense, the latter… about why we put up with the nonsense. And it’s a poem, no less. Follow @TheJLV on the Twittering. Be warned, though – he’ll rattle your comfort zone. Come on – it will be good for you.
Taking Back Your Name – The Pros and Cons of Political Correctness – Steven Singer, GadflyOnTheWallBlog, has some thoughts on the negative connotation we’ve given “political correctness.” He’s opinionated, but thoughtful – and might bruise your preconceptions while stretching your thinking. I don’t always agree with Singer, but that doesn’t make him wrong. Follow @StevenSinger3 on the Twittering – but don’t call him Stevey Weevey.
The Challenger and The Dream – Scott Haselwood, Teaching From Here – Dreams can be exciting, or scary, or both at the same time. Haselwood is probably not the first person to challenge you to confess your dream, but he’s one of the few willing to go first. Scott is all about the risk and getting real – I kinda envy that. Get naked (metaphorically) with @TeachFromHere on the Twittering, and take a few reality risks. #oklaed
Are We Teaching Students How To Swim, Or Handing Them Rocks As They Sink? – Mrs. Waters (who I assume HAS a first name?) on Mrs. Waters’ English, explains why she’s backed off of firm due dates and harsh classroom penalties. As someone who goes back and forth on this sort of thing and doesn’t like any of my own answers, I’m thankful when someone legit wrestles with similar concerns, then shares her thinking so effectively. Share with and be persuaded by @watersenglish on the Twittering. #oklaed
I leave you with this, from Button Poetry.
I simply love a good provocation – stirring up emotions and reactions, saying as much about us as they do anything about the piece doing the stirring…
Most of #oklaed are currently focused on budget cuts, rhetorical shenanigans from our elected leaders, and the upcoming legislative session. Any recent contributions to such discussions are compiled on #OKElections16, along with pithy commentary and analysis from yours truly.
Somehow the rest of the interwebs carries on, however – including…
Stuff you simply SHOULD NOT MISS from this past week in edu-bloggery:
Making Room For Uncertainty In The Required Curriculum – Bill Ferriter of The Tempered Radical writes this brief-but-essential piece in reponse to an Mindshift post you should also consider perusing. “There’s a constant tension between what we SAY we want our students to know and be able to do and what we LIST as priorities in our mandated pacing guides…” Isn’t THAT the truth? Make following @plugusin on the Twitters a stated priority – then follow through.
Addressing Teacher Quality Post-NCLB– P.L. Thomas of The Becoming Radical tackles the myth of ‘teacher effectiveness trumps all’. Teacher quality absolutely matters, he argues, but he can in the same class period be a great teacher for lil’ Bobo and a completely inadequate teacher for Mary Lou Kaputney. And while “we must address teacher experience and qualifications/expertise at high-poverty, majority-minority schools,” Thomas reminds us, “without social reform that alleviates the burdens of poverty on the lives of students and their families, we are unlikely to see the sorts of changes in data that would justify any in-school only reforms.”
Follow @plthomasEdD on the Twitters for more face-slapping reality and the occasional comic book character analysis.
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Removing Grades – Peter Anderson on Mr. Anderson Reads & Writes shares some of his experiences as he moves away from using grades as fish to be dangled in front of dolphin-children so they’ll perform our litle hoop-jumping tricks, and towards… what, exactly?
“And this is when the real work comes in. And the fear. How will I get children to work? How will I manage a classroom? How will I communicate with parents in an age of grade-surveillance and instant communication? Will I give homework? What skills will I focus on? How can I convince children to embark with me on an unknown path bereft of signposts and cardinal directions? Will they trust me? Will I trust myself? What starts out as a quiet act of revolution quickly metastasizes into real existential-occupational dilemmas. These dilemmas force you to make choices with actual consequences. You will find yourself, perhaps for the first time in your professional career, fully in charge of your classroom…”
Follow @MrAndersonELA on the Twitters and let him not give you a letter grade.
Drowning Bunnies to Raise Graduation Rates– Peter Greene of Curmudgucation highlights a modest university in Maryland trying to reduce its ‘dropout’ rates in a somewhat horrifying way. The situation is specific, but the lessons are many – When you put non-educators in charge, you get non-education results. When you judge an institution by magic numbers, its purpose tends to mutate in order to serve those numbers. On the other hand, when you give a few students freedom and a pen, they sometimes write truth to power and change the course of bigger things than themselves. Boo-yah. Follow @palan57 on the Twitters and ensure no animals are harmed in the writing of his posts.
Finally, this piece in the Tulsa World from Blue Cereal favorite Nour Habib…
Area high schoolers among protestors booted from Trump rally – While I certainly try to maintain the same sort of neutrality towards Trump that I do towards, say, genocide, lynching, rape, or the Kardashians, this tale warms my cynical, bitter little heart. We talk a good game about young people getting involved and following their convictions – who knew they’d sometimes take us seriously and do it?
“King-Sellars said he thinks the protest went well and that the group accomplished its goal — having its message seen by both Trump and the cameras before being kicked out. ‘We didn’t get beat up, so that was great,’ he said…”
Indeed.
Follow @nourhb on the Twitters and subscribe to the Tulsa World whether you live in this half of the state or not. Come on – I’ve seen what you’ve got to work with in that other paper. Yech.
OK, Listen To Me –
Don’t let facts get in the way of truth this week. Teach as if there’s hope, push as if there’s strength, and love as if that were enough. Reality is way, way overrated.
In a state where it’s always a tough time to be a public school teacher, we’re seeing new lows in state revenue, intellectual honesty, and warm fuzzies towards public ed. It matters, and many of the strongest edu-bloggers and reporters in the state are writing and analyzing and challenging and inspiring all over this mess. You should totally go read them (start here or here if you’re not sure where to begin).
But this weekend, in this weekly wrap-up, we’re not worrying about all that – not right this moment. We’re thinking ’bout something else for a bit – something other than news.
This is easily my favorite Blues Brothers tribute video filmed on Greenwood that also features Weird Al alongside Tulsa’s own Hanson shut-up-I-like-them.
Stuff You Shouldn’t Miss From This Past Week…
Learning to Listen – Jennifer Williams, aka JennWillTeach, shares a week-long series of strategies for helping kids worry less about grades and more about – get this – learning and appreciating literature and music and stuff – and they didn’t even have to use their ESA Vouchers to go to a ‘good school’! I love everything about this approach, and I don’t even teach English. You will, too. Love Jenn’s approach on the Twitters at @jennwillteach. #oklaed
Keeping People At The Center – Kris Giere of Involuntary Verbosity puts I Corinthians 13 back on his stairs (metaphorically enough). “What if the point of love is not the emotion itself but the people… the missing connection between us and the best versions of ourselves?” If you don’t love your kids, folks – you’re doing it wrong. Love Kris on the Twitters at @KrisGiere.
Complicated: What Westerns Mean to Me #Western106 – Maha Bali, on Reflecting Allowed, responds to a… it appears there was a… You know what? Never mind why she wrote this. I was entranced. On Western movies and Country music, colonialism and being ‘the other’. And Country music. I wonder if she’ll be my friend? Be entranced by Bali on the Twitters at @Bali_Maha, and wear your boots.
The Art of War, The Art of Judgment – Dan Tricarico, aka The Zen Teacher, shares an experience of which he’s not particularly proud. I don’t know about you, but I often find those much more encouraging than the ones where everything goes the way you’d hoped. He also underestimates how well he handles a situation in which I’d be… less Zen than he. Perhaps I should change my blog title to ‘The Perpetually Spittling Rage Teacher’ – but would that even sell? Follow Dan on the Twitters at @TheZenTeacher.
Excuses, Excuses – L.Z. Marie onLZMarieAuthor.com takes on writers’ excuses for not, well… writing. Thing is, they sound uncomfortably like the excuses my students use, and you use, and, um… I use… to avoid just about anything I know I’ll feel better if I do, but don’t. Plus, she’s just snarky enough to make you like being abused by her. More, L.Z. – scold me harder. Benefit from L.Z.’s abuse on the Twitters at @LZMarieAuthor.
Questions for Educator Consideration – John Bennett, on Considerations (no relation to Rep. John Bennett of the Oklahoma legislature) responds to Seth Godin’s “Ten Questions For Work That Matters.” I love how comfortably Bennett prompts us to think through the important things again – defenses down, minds clear, no need for pithy wordplay or clever snark. I suspect my blood pressure would go down if I worked across the hall from him. Follow Bennett on the Twitters at @jcbjr. (Honorary #oklaed)
Finally, From Just Outside the Edu-Blogs…
A Woman Called Bitter – Maralee Bradley, Her View From Home. “A couple weeks ago I listened to a sermon about Ruth. As part of the backstory the pastor talked about Naomi’s transition to the name Mara and what a miserable name that would be to have. That part of the sermon felt a little personal to me… If you look for the meaning of my name, it is the same – bitter.” This one’s not about the classroom or edu-policy or child development. But read it – I’m positive there’s a reason I couldn’t let it go until I included it here. Follow Bradely on Twitter at @amusingmaralee or on her own blog, A Musing Maralee: Welcome To My Circus.
Go be amazing this week. No weariness, no hesitation, no rational thoughts of giving up and moving on. We are fools whether or not we dance – so we might as well dance.
Yeah, I’m sick of hearing it, too. Let’s just move on.
My time and energy outside of my darlings in my actual classroom have been largely devoted to #OKElections16, and trying to create a resource for those ready to get serious about changing a few things in this state. I’ll spare you my whining, but I confess it’s not nearly as much fun as my typical carrying on. I am, however, committed to do this until November 2016 – not for me, of course… but for THE CHILDREN!
Fortunately for all of us, there’s SO MUCH GREAT EDU-BLOGGING HAPPENING RIGHT NOW! Probably more than you can keep up with on your own, and many by folks MUCH cooler than me.
Here are a few you absolutely shouldn’t miss from the past week or so…
My Daughter Is Not A Widget – Steven Singer on gadflyonthewallblog was not impressed by a recent scolding of public schools by the CEO of ExxonMobil. Singer rejects the suggestion that our children are goods produced only for consumption by a competitive marketplace and the convenience of the powers-that-be. In fact, he takes it rather personally, in one of the best bursts of poignant edu-outrage I’ve ever read. Be poignant and/or outraged with @stevensinger3 on the Twittering.
My Word for 2016 – Rob Miller on A View From the Edge just had to respond to a challenge about ‘one word’ for the coming year. The result contains great perspective, intentional hope, and a mindset many of us could stand to emulate a bit, but don’t tell him I said so – we don’t want to encourage any more positivity than absolutely necessary. Follow @edgeblogger on the Twitters, or you suck. #oklaed
#OneWord: Purpose – Rick Cobb on OKEducationTruths responds to the same challenge with a slightly different approach. I’ll warn you in advance, though, that it’s also pretty positive and inspiring and determined and such, so… be prepared. Follow @OkEducation on the Twitterings, or you double dog suck. #oklaed
Students, Not Standards: Calling for Solidarity in 2016 – P.L. Thomas on The Becoming Radical calls us to help students learn themselves, to find ways to help them fall in love with reading even if it’s different than our reading, and to recommit ourselves to teaching students, not standards. Which, come to think of it, is the title of the piece – so that worked out. Follow @plthomasEdD on the Twitters and stretch your paradigms a bit.
Simple Sabotage (h/t CIA) – Peter Greene at Curmudgucation looks at the recently declassified CIA handbook on sabotage and discovers a guidebook to most #edreform and #eduslation. Who knew? Oh, that’s right – all of US did, but no one wants to believe us that THEY’RE DOING IT ON PURPOSE! Of course you already follow @palan57 on the Twitters, yes?
I haven’t responded myself as of yet, but holy hotkeys – those who have! There’s simply TOO much talent in this state – I feel like a match in the sun warehouse. If I missed anyone’s response to the challenge, let me know – it’s not intentional.
Hope/Despair Challenge – Jennifer Williams, aka @JennWillTeach, on JennWillTeach. Willliams is a kindred spirit, Charter #11FF, and kinda hot when she’s in a snit. I was curious what she’d choose for ‘Hope’. #oklaed
2016: A Real Opportunity – Rick Cobb, aka @OKEducation, on OKEducationTruths. Cobb doesn’t always share my turbid angst, but he’s not far off here – until the ‘Hope’ part, I mean. I’m glad there’s a ‘Hope’ part. #oklaed
#OklaEd Teachers: Reasons for Hope, Reasons for Despair in 2016– Mrs. Waters, aka @watersenglish, on MrsWatersEnglish. “{O}ur leaders… enact legislation and policies that end up damaging the most vulnerable students. On top of that, these leaders project their own flaws onto teachers by accusing them of not caring when we ask for more money or better working conditions.” When you get Mrs. Waters in that kind of lather, you’ve really gone and done the doin’ – she’s normally unflappable! #oklaed
Hope and Despair – John Thompson, aka @DrJohnThompson, guest-blogs on A View From The Edge. Thompson is a veteran educator and writer and sometimes intimidates me a bit, although I’m pretty sure that’s not what he’s going for. He’s just so… legit. #oklaed
Burritos, Boxes, and Buckets – A Discussion of Hope and Despair – You didn’t think we’d let Miller issue the challenge without addressing it himself, did you? OK, he did it without prompting, but I like to pretend I somehow forced the issue. Makes me feel influential and a bit tough-love-ish. #oklaed
I don’t hide my annoyances or despair. If you’ve been reading this blog at all in the past year, you don’t have to guess what puts me over the edge. But I like this challenge because it requires hope as well – intentional, chosen, pursued hope.
Pursue hope this week. As you do, keep in mind – AND I MEAN THIS WITH MANY MEANING MEANS – you’re the hope for many of them. Some know it, most don’t, and it means many different things for many different kids.
But you’re hope for them. Sometimes the only hope. Don’t $#%& it up.
That means different things to different people, but I’m personally quite the fan of New Years – not so much for the ‘Eve’ part, with the late night desperation to stay awake despite those horrible people on TV and awful fake-live bands – but for the ‘New’ part, with the hope and change and trying not to suck quite so much.
Well, that and the sense you’ve survived yet another year of this weird life.
But whatever else 2016 will bring, it means yet another tough year for public education in Oklahoma. Many of our elected leaders openly despise us. A number openly revile book learnin’ in general, while others cater to an ignorant, fearful constituency. Some may be well-intentioned, but lack understanding or political power. I don’t know their hearts (I mean, not ALL of them), but I know the results.
The results suck for #oklaed.
And yet, other than a vigorous sign-carrying from time to time, far too many of us don’t get politically involved. We don’t pay attention to the details of the legislation that affects us or the representatives who – supposedly – represent us in OKC. I get it – it’s time-consuming, confusing, and depressing. We’re busy with our own kids, our own classrooms, our own problems, and that stuff seems so far away. It’s not like we can DO anything about it, right?
But there are something like 45,000 teachers in Oklahoma. Assuming many of us are married, or have adult children, maybe adult siblings in other professions in the state, or even, like, friends – that should mean an easy 100,000+ voters anytime something important is up for consideration. Know how many people voted in the last statewide election? Just a tad over 800,000.
With a little agitating, we can have actual impact on this puppy. You know, for the children. (And for your personal stress levels as well, of course. But mostly for the children.)
With that in mind, I’m compiling this Blue Cereal Guide to Major #OklaEd Issues (seriously, I tried to come up with a catchier title), starting with this post. It will eventually have it’s own page on this site, and will be updated right up until November 8, 2016 with news and commentary related to #OklaEd. I’ll also begin posting Legislator Profiles beginning in January – focusing, of course, on their record in regards to public education.
Should be good times.
Feel free to contribute. If it looks important, and I don’t include it, maybe I just missed it.
#OKElections16 Essentials – If You Haven’t Been Paying Close Attention So Far, That’s OK. You Can Start Here.
You Should Read ALL Of Them, But Posts Marked By *** Are THE Most Essential IMHO.
