Golden Rules of Test Taking

Few more days before the state assessments, it's crunchtime! Reposting some test taking tips from my former students:
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Following the advice of a colleague here , I asked my students what testing tips would they give other students who want to do better this coming spring testing.

Here's some of their exceptional testing tips:

Before:

• -Put pencils in your backpack.
• -Eat a good breakfast.
• - Don't stay up late.

During:

• -Answer each question.
• -Ask for help.
• -Do your best.

After:

• -Share your worries with your teachers and parents.
• -Relax. It's over.

Filipino teachers in the Metro DC Area, this one's for you!

The Pinoy Teachers Network is conducting a survey for Filipino teachers in the Metro DC Area. Thanks much for helping us in our data gathering!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Questions? Please email pinoyteachers_net@yahoo.com

Why Teachers Like Me Support Teachers Unions

Today is EduSolidarity Day, and I stand united with my colleagues in this profession who are speaking up for our unions. I would like to share how my involvement with my teachers union has made a better teacher leader by reposting this entry:

Almost a year ago during the times when I was very restless, I wrote a reflective entry On Becoming a Teacher Leader. I shared that I spent my college years at the University of the Philippines, the premiere state university in my country, where freedom of thought and expression was exercised which provided me with a complete armory for activism. But then I heeded the advice of my mom to focus on my academic responsibilities and never to get involved in any form of political action. My professors gave me the wisdom and the skills to learn the Socratic way, and the passion to stand up for what is right became an integral part of my words, thoughts and actions.

The prospects are both exciting and frightening where I am now. Keeping body and soul together can be as formidable as any journey especially when the train where we are all in seems to be moving towards the wrong direction...are we still going to the final destination? Thanks to the guidance and encouragement of some significant leaders of our teachers union, I am not giving up hope.

There are so much things happening right now on the local and national level which lead to frustration, anger, and all that is harmful not only to the teachers but also to the children whose lives we continue to influence daily. It is always a challenge to not fall prey to victimization and to steer clear of the blame game. After going through a long and meaningful introspection, I realized that working with the people who have the same mission has taught me to fully understand my role as a teacher leader. As I said earlier, "I realized that when I empower, support, encourage and inspire the teachers to do their best for the kids, I am impacting the lives of more than just the students in my classroom."

While we do our best in the Washington Teachers Union (WTU, Local 6 of the AFT) to make decisions that are best for the kids and fair to teachers, debates and heated arguments happen on the table just like in any active policymaking body. When this happens, I remind myself to choose my reactions. As it is a fact that circumstances don't "make" the teacher; circumstances "reveal" the teacher.

I have learned so much as a member of the WTU executive board (2007-2010), from policymaking, keeping relationships with the staff and partners, to establishing rapport with my colleagues. I have also learned and internalized some core values in life, that it is important for us executive board members to be team players, to respect each other's views, and to collectively adopt a "can-do" attitude and to be willing to pitch in to get the union's work done. It is also required for us to look for ways to build consensus, and respect and support the majority decisions of the board. It is also imperative that we refrain from criticizing fellow board members, discussing confidential proceedings outside of board meetings or interfering in the duties of the officers. There are still many of us who have made a firm decision to keep our integrity and professionalism.

I believe that it is unfair to lay all the blame of the current state of education at the feet of the teachers unions. Our union representatives exist to uphold the due process rights of full dues paying members like me, just as a defense attorney would protect the accused. While many people (mostly are not educators) attack the teachers unions, I strongly profess that I have become a better teacher and a stronger leader because of my teachers union.
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Let's keep the fire burning!

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Sincerely,

Maria Angala, NBCT (Exceptional Needs Specialist)

WTU Vice President of Special Education 2007-2010

The Teachers of 2030

Thanks to the Teacher Leaders Network for sharing this:
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In The Teachers of 2030: Creating a Student-Centered Profession for the 21st Century (online magazine or PDF format), Barnett Berry invites policymakers and teacher leaders to rethink today's teaching policies by imagining the knowledge, skills and qualities teachers must have in the year 2030 -- just two decades from now. To support this discussion, Berry introduces the voices of 12 accomplished American teachers who are currently writing a book on the future of teaching. This TeacherSolutions 2030 team, supported by Metlife Foundation, has identified four emergent realities that they believe will shape education over the next 20 years:

-A transformed learning ecology for students and teachers

-Differentiated professional pathways

-Seamless connections in and out of cyberspace

-Teacherpreneurism and the global educational marketplace

This monograph discusses these realities and also focuses on levers of change to address them, by building a robust and adaptable teaching profession. With study after study pointing to the powerful effects of qualified teachers and quality teaching on student achievement, it is clear that any effective vision for education’s future must focus on access for all students to excellent teaching.

Here's a video summary:


 

Are you ready to join the teacher leaders of this nation? I just did.

WashPost Awards Outstanding Metro-Area Teachers, School Principals

I received an email yesterday which made me smile and recall a Christmas surprise in 2006 when I was one of the recipients of The Washington Post Grants in Education. It's time to give a shout out to our 2011 recipients, here's the email:

Hi, Maria-

The winners of the annual Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards and The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards have been announced. The names of the teachers and principals and the school districts they represent are available in the press release below.

I thought you might be interested in sharing the good news with your readers. Thanks!

Shani

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The Washington Post Announces Recipients of 2011 Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards, The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards

WASHINGTON--March 18, 2011--Today The Washington Post recognizes 21 teachers and 19 school principals for their creative and quality instruction and contribution to the improvement of education in the Washington metropolitan area. The Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards were established to spotlight principals who create exceptional educational environments for their students. The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards acknowledge teachers who work hard to ensure children receive a high-quality education.

The winners of The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards are:

Sandra Slaven, Jefferson-Houston Elementary School (Alexandria City)

Danny Imwold, Northeast High School (Anne Arundel County)

Matthew Tosiello, Randolph Elementary School (Arlington)

Marcelle Gruver, Sunderland Elementary School (Calvert County)

Christine Dutrow, North Point High School (Charles County)

Christina Williams, The SEED Public Charter School (District of Columbia Public Charter)

Giovanni Peña, Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (District of Columbia)

Jamie Sawatzky, Rocky Run Middle School (Fairfax County)

Suzanne Planas, George Mason High School (Falls Church City)

Susan Robertson, Greenville Elementary School (Fauquier County)

Brenda Tarquinio, Orchard Grove Elementary School (Frederick County)

Lori Speelman, Hollifield Station Elementary School (Howard County)

K. David Keller, Stone Bridge High School (Loudoun County)

Sandra Reynolds, Mayfield Elementary School (Manassas City)

Kellie Jones, Cougar Elementary School (Manassas Park City )

Chuch Orifici, Clarksburg High School (Montgomery County)

Brian Weeks, Greenbelt Elementary School (Prince George's County)

Maryann O'Brien, Forest Park High School (Prince William County)

Thomas Krawczewicz, DeMatha Catholic High School (Private School)

Michelle Hirtz, Lexington Park Elementary Schools (St. Mary's County)

David Vita, Anne E. Moncure Elementary School (Stafford County)

The winners of the Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards are:

Keisha Boggan, Francis C. Hammond Middle School (Alexandria City)

Sharon Stratton, Arundel High School (Anne Arundel County)

Mary Begley, Arlington Science Focus School (Arlington)

Karen Vogel, Sunderland Elementary School (Calvert County)

Amy DiSabatino, William B. Wade Elementary School (Charles County)

Chloe Marshall, Hope Community Public Charter School-Tolson Campus (District of Columbia Public Charter)

Cheryl Warley, J.O. Wilson Elementary School (District of Columbia)

Maureen Marshall, Garfield Elementary School (Fairfax County)

Roger Lee, Liberty High School (Fauquier County)

Kathleen Schlappal, Tuscarora High School (Frederick County)

Michael Goins, Ellicott Mills Middle School (Howard County)

Timothy Flynn, Belmont Ridge Middle School (Loudoun County)

Rebecca Stone, R.C. Haydon Elementary (Manassas City)

Judy Brubaker, Spark M. Matsunaga Elementary School (Montgomery County)

Judith White, Dodge Park Elementary School (Prince George's County)

Andrew Buchheit, Bristow Run Elementary School (Prince William County)

Sheila Martinez, Our Lady of Victory School (Private School)

Susie Fowler, Lexington Park Elementary School (St. Mary's County)

Thomas Nichols, North Stafford High School (Stafford County)

Teachers, students, former students, parents, administrators or the general public submitted nominations and each participating public school system made the final selection.

The Distinguished Educational Leadership Awards winners will be honored at a Post reception on April 28 and will be given the opportunity to participate in an off-site seminar focusing on media and crisis communication. The Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Awards winners will be recognized at a Post ceremony on May 10 and will each receive $3,000. Attendance to both events are by invitation only. An ad will also run in The Washington Post with all the awardees' photos.

For more information about the 2011 recipients, please visit www.washingtonpost.com/community .

To our working class heroes...

I remember the teacher who inspired me...and I want to thank that teacher for her selfless service. From one of my favorite rock bands (Green Day) to our working class heroes, here's to you...YOU ROCK!!

Award-winning teacher reflects on layoff notice

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens. -- Kahlil Gibran

Award-winning teacher, author and blogger Heather Wolpert-Gawron says she recently received a layoff notice in the mail despite having worked in the district for a decade and being a top teacher. In this blog, she shares a list of 10 commandments for herself and other teachers to follow after receiving pink slips. Wolpert-Gawron recommends not dwelling on the problem or placing blame, but rather getting energized to find another job where you are appreciated and never forgetting "those whose lives you've changed." TweenTeacher.com

Planning lessons about the natural disasters in Japan

A New York Times blogger offers resources and lesson plans for teaching students about Friday's 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The author has compiled past New York Times resources on tsunamis and earthquakes, along with links to Internet resources on the topics and information about Japanese history and culture. A separate post has a list of questions that can be used in discussions about the tragedy. NYTimes.com/The Learning Network blog

How do you help your students process the events in Japan?: Following major crises, such as last week's earthquake and tsunami in Japan, students will inevitably have questions or need help processing the events, says educator Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben. In this blog, she offers several free Internet resources to help guide lesson planning and answer students' questions. Yahoo!

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Duncan: NCLB could soon label 82% of schools as failing

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that 82% of the country's schools could be called "failing" if the No Child Left Behind law is not changed. The administration is seeking to relax some accountability measures in the law. "The law has created dozens of ways for schools to fail and very few ways to help them succeed," Duncan said. "We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible and focused on the schools and students most at risk." The Washington Post

NBPTS is awarded grant based on record of success

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards received a $1.5 million grant to improve science teaching and science education nationwide over the next three years. Beginning March 15, the money will be available to teachers in parts of California, Colorado, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington and Puerto Rico to help them pay fees to apply for National Board Certification. The Amgen Foundation, a biotechnology company's charity foundation, said it believes in the National Board process and research showing it improves teachers' effectiveness. Ventura County Star (Calif.)

I will see it through...

Our profession is in a dire situation. There are so many questions in my mind but the answers are so few and so vague, perhaps you can help me? 

At this moment, I feel the need to stand up for the professional organizations that made me the teacher leader that I am today. I wrote this reflection in 2009 (before I became a National Board Certified Teacher), a few trusted people read it, but I never got a chance share this with my readers. Now, I feel the urge to post this as my entry. I do believe that many teachers across the nation who went through the same meaningful journey share my sentiments...

When I came to DCPS six years ago, I was a struggling teacher coming from a different cultural background, new to the country, but armed with passion and determination to make a difference with my students. I found a public school system that was so dysfunctional that it was almost impossible for the teachers to teach and for the students to learn. It was a long, painful journey just trying to survive each day with the absence of support from the administrators in my school, with no resources and supplies in the classroom, and without the rigorous training that was needed to become an effective special education teacher.
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Who helped me get through all these challenges and shaped me to become the teacher that I am today? The DCPS veteran teachers of the DC Area Writing Project (DCAWP is one of the 228 local sites of the National Writing Project). They saved me from darkness and gave me the wings to fly; they believed in me and sent me to national conferences and conventions to professionally collaborate with teacher leaders across the country in integrating writing and technology in the classroom. It was life-changing for me and for my students. I was becoming a successful teacher while my special needs students were reaching their maximum potential. The DCAWP Teacher Consultants have trained hundreds of DCPS teachers on integrating writing across the curriculum which is essential for writing meaningful brief constructed responses (BCRs) in state assessments. Did the current administration recognize its positive impact on teacher effectiveness and student achievement? Sadly, the funding and support was terminated, and some of the DCAWP Teacher Consultants were among those who were RIF’d.

I was so inspired and motivated by the teacher consultants to be the best teacher that I can be, that I went on another journey to become an accomplished teacher. Immediately after my third year of teaching I went through the National Board Certification process. The National Board is part of a growing education-reform movement; it has produced many of the most outstanding and the most effective educators across the country and I dreamed of joining this cadre of accomplished educators in the nation. The National Research Council has confirmed that National Board Certification has a positive effect on student achievement, teacher retention, and professional development. I am an effective educator now, a lot better than I was three years ago before I started this process because of the rigorous research and reflection focused on my instructional strategies and student achievement that was required of me by the National Board. Did the administration recognize the National Board’s impact on teacher effectiveness and student achievement? Sadly, the funding and support was terminated once again. There was no regard for teacher effectiveness and skills. One of the few National Board Certified Teachers in the district was among those who were RIF’d.

I worry about what I am experiencing and witnessing now because I could be the next in line. The chaos, as a result of education reform, is negatively impacting the schools and is making it impossible for the teachers to teach and the students to learn. I see the majority of the new teachers struggling that it is a long journey for them trying to survive each day with the lack of respect and supports, absence of innovative technology tools and classroom resources, and the rigorous training needed for us to become competitive 21st century educators. Is there a difference from the public school system that I found six years ago when I first came here?

I believe that we can make things better for the sake of the students that we all serve. Why can’t we all work together?

Despite all this, I still hold on to the principles that made me the teacher leader that I am today. If the worst is bound to happen despite of all that I do, with the help of my union the (Local 6 of the AFT) WTU, I will see it through.

NBPTS president: National Board Certification can serve as a model

Joseph A. Aguerrebere, Jr., president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, says in this discussion on teacher effectiveness that the standards established by the National Board should serve as a guide. The standards have been shown to improve student learning and are "comparable across schools and classrooms," he writes. He also previews a report NBPTS will release Thursday on teacher effectiveness. National Journal/Expert Blogs: Education

Obama speaks out against GOP plans to cut federal education spending

During a school visit in Boston Tuesday, President Barack Obama said he opposes Republican plans to cut federal spending on education programs and warned that such a reduction would be irresponsible and harmful to the country's economy. "There's nothing responsible about cutting back on our investment in these young people," he said. The Senate delayed votes Tuesday on competing federal fiscal year 2011 budget proposals, and officials say the vote could take place today. Yahoo!/The Associated Press

TLN Forum's First Class of 2011

"Never become so much of an expert that you stop gaining expertise. View life as a continuous learning experience" - Denis Waitley -

I view education as something like the field of medicine. We are constantly learning new and better way of doing things. When I was a new teacher, we were required every year to write a Professional Target Plan as part of our teacher evaluations. These plans include our yearly goals for improvement and are monitored on an ongoing basis and then evaluated at the end of the year. I was never perfect but I consistently insisted on improving myself as a professional educator.  It gave me a definite direction of where to go and how to move my students forward to meet the goals. I always arrive at my destination a much more effective teacher. Things are a little bit different now with our new teacher evaluation process, but what has never changed is my constant quest for professional development so I can better help my colleagues help our students maximize their potential.

I am so honored to belong to the Teacher Leaders Network, this is the group of professional teachers and NBCT's that I have been long searching for. It is wonderful to be with the company of likeminded educators across the nation who care about practice, policy and people. As one of my colleagues, Heather, said in her welcome message to us new members: "relax, pull up a chair and a laptop, and ease into the ultimate in educational spa living.  There's nothing like the forum for some great discussion and debate from other dedicated teachers."

Here are the newest members, the TLN Forum's First Class of 2011. Please take time to read their biography, you will be amazed by the high caliber of teacher leaders we have in this group (click image to enlarge):

This is what democracy looks like...

Via the American Federation of Teachers (AFT Facebook)

WISCONSIN from @pawlmadethis on Vimeo.

50 Photos from the 50-State Rallies to Save the American Dream

On Saturday, February 26th, Americans in all 50 states rallied to show solidarity with the people of Wisconsin, and to save the American Dream. It was a beautiful, powerful sight.

50 photos from the 50-State rallies sat 2.26.2011

Showdown over union rights continues in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Sunday he will not back down from union members and their supporters who continue to protest his proposal to curb collective-bargaining rights for public employees, including teachers. Walker said that if his proposals are not adopted, layoffs will be necessary. Some observers say that even if Walker is unsuccessful, the debate likely is to alter the way public-employee unions negotiate contracts for their members. The New York Times (free registration)

Ideas for using the Wis. protests in lessons: Teachers can put the ongoing protests in Wisconsin in perspective for students by helping them understand both sides of the fight over benefits and collective-bargaining rights for public employees. The writers of this New York Times blog post recommend questions to spark student discussions about the history of labor unions. They also offer several suggested activities, such as asking students to investigate the validity of claims being made by both sides and dividing students into groups to discuss the economic and political climate in several states. NYTimes.com/The Learning Network blog