International Thank A Teacher Month (#Apr13)

Image via WikipediaI have just declared that today is International Thank A Teacher Month (or is it this month is Thank a Teacher Day. Or...)

Anyway, I was reading Mindset, by Carol Dweck earlier (more on this book coming soon) and it got me thinking about my own mindset about math classes when I was in school. Also, in the many interviews that I have done while job searching, a common question is to tell about a favorite teacher.

So, I got thinking about Mr. Gordon, my senior year math teacher. Then I thought wouldn't he love to get a letter from a former student thanking him for being such a good teacher. Fortunately, 23 years later, Mr. Gordon is still teaching at the same school. Here is the email that I sent him just before publishing this blog post.

Dear Mr. Gordon,

I am writing to thank you 23 years after graduating from Penn Charter. You were my math teacher in 12th grade and were involved in the drama program with me.

Throughout the last 15 years as an educator myself, I have often been asked to tell about favorite teachers I had. After I speak about Mrs. Wiener, my fifth grade teacher and a family friend, I talk about you and my experiences in your class.

You see, ever since third grade, I believed that I was bad at math. At PC, I struggled in math classes with Mr. Goulding, Mr. Hitschler, and others. Then, I got to 12th grade. I had not done well enough to take calculus, so I was in your senior, pre-calc class. I think it was your first year at Penn Charter.

I admit that I don't recall much of the math that you taught. What I do remember is your attitude. You were fun. You were goofy. You acted like you really enjoyed being in that senior, pre-calc class with us. You chose to have a fantastic attitude.

I remember one day when some of us came to class and had bibles on our desks (I don't recall what class the bibles were for). Well, you took one of the bibles, stood up on your desk and started reading aloud to the class. It was a riot. I think that you even tried to connect that back to math at the end. 

Your attitude must have been infectious because my grades in math were never better.

Well, I still don't think of myself as a math person, but I am willing to consider the possibility. It may have taken 23 years, but I will take another math class again soon. Only this time, I expect no bibles or teachers standing on desks.

Once again, Thank you Mr. Gordon.

Sincerely,

Larry Fliegelman, OPC '88

Elementary Principal

Former 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher

P.S. I am going to post this letter to my blog http://principalspov.blogspot.com Check it out if you want.

If you have a teacher in your past that made a difference (and you better), then please say thank you. That teacher deserves it.

April 13 Really is a Big Day! (#apr13)

When I launched the April 13 Blogging Challenge a couple of weeks ago, I never imagined how big a day this would prove to be.

Let me explain. When I started this challenge, I created the hashtag #Apr13. I searched for it on twitter and found nothing so I thought it was safe. Shortly after the challenge began, I started noticing references to a rally by students in the California State University system. It turns out that they are protesting large fee hikes.

SFSU_SQE (@SFSU_SQE) 4/13/11 12:27 AM
#Apr13 is tomorrow! Get ready to hold your pickets up high and chant your lungs off!!!

But that is not all. Today, when I searched the hashtag to find more blogs in the challenge, I noticed dozens of tweets in Arabic and English all from Egypt. Well, today, Hosni Mubarak and his sons were formally detained by the Egyptian government. They have been charged with crimes against the people of Egypt.

wfiitalia (@wfiitalia) 4/13/11 2:34 AM
A baby called #Egyptian Revolution: born #Jan25, 1st laugh on #Feb11 & today #Apr13 it started walking by itself

Still, with this news, I think the most influential events of April 13 are my son's birthday (he turns two today) and my wedding anniversary.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JENNIFER!


Related articles

• April 13: Day of Action for Students!!! (bayareabetty.wordpress.com)
• #Apr13 Blogging Challenge (principalspov.blogspot.com)
• Egypt Detains Mubarak, Sons over Embezzling Scheme and Abuse of Power (waronterrornews.typepad.com)

Location, location, location (#apr13)

In the second of this ongoing series of blog posts with topics chosen by my wife and son, I will share some ideas about facilities.

When I started teaching in Medford, I worked in the old Roberts Middle School. The building was built in the 1920s and had very little maintenance over the years. It was so bad that there were cracks in the walls large enough for me to see clearly through to the exterior brick. Within a few minutes of sweeping, there would be a new layer of plaster dust on the floor. We tried not to think about what we might have been breathing. Worst of all, I learned the hard way that my bulletin board would get wet in a heavy rain - more than a few pieces of student work were ruined that way.

It got worse. Because the building was in such bad shape and allowed to remain that way, the attitudes of some staff (especially the custodians) and many children were pretty lousy. The lack of care of the building was palpable in many ways around the building. From the supply-hoarding principal to the kids who regularly destroyed the 8th grade hall bathrooms, the place was not a happy one.

So, it was a weird feeling when the new building project actually neared completion. Would we really get brand new buildings?

We did our first day of school in the new buildings was September 10, 2001. Our first fire drill came on September 11, 9:30am. While few of the systems in the school were working yet, someone had a radio.

That fateful day aside, the first year in the new building saw a great change in many of the ways that middle school worked in Medford. We had the good fortune to welcome a new, progressive principal to the new buildings. Most importantly, you could feel the optimism in the air. The building felt mostly happy.

We faced many challenges that year. The building wasn't really finished until January, but we moved in in August. The new principal tried to shake things up and met resistance from some of my colleagues. We had to merge staff cultures from three previous middle school buildings.

All in all, it was a tough year, but a great one. The kids and staff of Medford, were proud to have the new buildings. We all felt hopeful.

Maybe it is all about location.


photo credit: nate'sgirl cc not the actual Roberts building. ;)

cross posted on Connected Principals

Kids Who Aren't College Bound (#apr13)

Since the April 13 Blogging Challenge is in honor of my wife and son, I have asked them to help me come up with education related topics. So, for most of my April blog posts, I will write about whatever they choose. Could be an added twist to the challenge idea.

First, let me introduce our guest topic creators. My wife is highly qualified to do this as she is a former high school special educator and a future elementary school parent. She also has been learning along side me for the last several years as we talk at the dinner table. She holds a Master's Degree in special education from Boston University and got her Bachelor's degree in biology from Brandeis University.

My son, soon to enter his third year alive, is an expert in...he likes trucks, fire engines, and whatever his older sister is holding.

For the first topic, my wife brought up the issue that has been on her mind for years. She is concerned with the pressure put on all kids to attend college. Specifically, my wife is worried about those kids, sometimes disabled, who are pressured to go to college when they really need and want something different.

President Obama talks about getting all kids ready for college as a main goal of American education. My wife says, "that is a big disservice for those kids not going to college. For those kids who are not ready or those who are not going to college, it is not realistic."

I couldn't agree with her more. We do a disservice not only to the student but also to the nation as a whole. Do we really need our farmers and tradespeople to go to college if they do not want that. Every town and region must have suitable career tracks for those looking to learn a trade. High school educated and well trained people are a vital part of our economy and our democracy. We need to encourage the right path for all types of students whether it be college, a trade, a farm, or the military.

So, that sums up my discussion of my first family chosen topic.

What do you think about getting kids college ready?


P.S. I worked on this while sitting in the car with my family waiting for a realtor to show up. From the parking lot, we could see a rushing river with snowy banks. To keep my daughter occupied, I suggested she write a poem. She wanted us all to write one.

My daughter's poem:

The Baby Went up in The Sci

Here is my poem:

The river is flowing, flowing, flowing.

The snow is sitting, not growing.

The kids are bored.

The wife is frustrated.

I am writing poetry.

My wife's poem:

Snow melts

River rushes

Spring is here.

My son's poem:

Taw gawg guck in deet. (I saw a garbage truck in the street.)

Related articles

• Harvard: 'College for all' fails students (joannejacobs.com)
• Career tech and college prep? (joannejacobs.com)
• The College Myth: Why College Isn't Worth The Cost For Many Careers Today (theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com)
• #Apr13 Blogging Challenge (principalspov.blogspot.com)

#Apr13 Blogging Challenge

OK, I admit, I barely completed the Ides of March Blogging Challenge and the number of bloggers participating dwindled to just a few.

I don't care (said Pierre). I am pleased to announce the latest Fliegs sponsored blogging challenge. In honor of both my wedding anniversary and the birthday of my second child, I present to you:

The April 13 Blogging Challenge

Just write thirteen blog posts this month, tweet them out with the tag #apr13, and share with the world. I will read and retweet them all.

Maureen, Tom, Pam, Pete and others, I am counting on you to make this April the bloggiest of my life. If not for me, then for my marriage and my child!

For my part, I promise to meet the challenge head on with topics including the principal job search, my own status report, ed reform, admin best practices, teaching ideas, and more.

Oh, on April 13, huge prize (or lots of thanks and smiles) to anyone who sends birthday wishes to Manny or anniversary flowers to my wife, Jennifer.

Thank you.


photo credit: flickr user Admit One CC

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