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Permalink Reply by Dr. Larry Aronstein on February 12, 2013 at 3:12pm

LIKE, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT, LIKE...IT'S  REALLY WEIRD, LIKE, YOU KNOW.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Michael L. Cubbin on February 16, 2013 at 12:59pm

So when do articles such as this stop? How long will it take for us to realize that if we do not stop our slide down deep into the abyss that we will lose the fight to educate? Why, in these days of technological marvels and "marvelous" systems, such as Danielson's (yes, to name your technique after yourself also takes a shortage of vocabulary), are we asking what will we do about children coming to school not knowing enough? We are always a day late and a dollar short. We lose our HS kids because the middle school dropped the ball. We lose middle school because elementary teachers provided no rigor. Now we see that they are coming to us not even in possession of a standard vocabulary. How sad is this? Is there a way to fix this problem? There is always a way. That is why we signed up for the job.

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Permalink Reply by Jill Berkowicz & Ann Myers on February 19, 2013 at 9:41am

Agree.  Sara Sparks article is on point.  Also suggest reading blog post by Leadership 360 on same topic.

http://bit.ly/XG6x1X

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Michael L. Cubbin on February 19, 2013 at 10:40am

That is a very interesting and thought provoking article, Jill. (Lead Equity Through Literacy in All Classrooms) I agree with much of it. Unfortunately, as long as we see our classroom population coming to us with, "different set of learning and social emotional needs," or "vast differences in readiness and readiness to learn" we will not be broaching the subject at all. Maybe it comes from my time in practice, Catholic school or being a science teacher, but my take is a little different. First and foremost, parents need to be involved. Not just in words, but they need to be involved. For every day a student is not learning, that parent needs to know what, why, how, where and be shown - in no uncertain terms - what they need to do to help correct the problems. (There are multiple ways of doing this that are at our disposal and are not even being mentioned.) Second, if vocabulary is so critical, why are a vast number of teachers (I am in NYC), using the same language and vocabulary used by students in their conversations with students? (Not all, but a vast number.)

When I was a boy, my parents had a welder work for them. He was blunt and to the point and one of his favorite expressions was, "What we need is less horse sh_t, and more horsepower." Clear and concise. Unfortunately, frank talk is missed on so many and so many others feign to be offended. Talk is cheap.

Have you ever seen a skilled teacher take a class of students with a "variety of learning levels" and get them all on the same page? I have, and this is how I teach. (100% Spanish-speaking ELL class with a 100% passing rate on their 2012 Chemistry Regents. All here 3 years or less.) It is the Japanese philosophy of learning. We don't move ahead until all understand the concept. As Jaime Escalante said, "Students will rise to the level of our expectations." As long as we think they are different, they will be different. If we believe they can "get it," then they will get it.

And here is where candid talk always finds me in "warmer" waters. Teachers need to be held more accountable. If we were in sales, better than half of us would be unemployed. (I have debated the "sales" concept many times over and it is what it is.) We are paid, and paid well, to teach. There are so many ideas and techniques out there not being utilized, or underutilized, that is is sad. Not just that, but our students are failing as a result. There must be a "revolution" of sorts. I am hoping to be part of it when it happens. (And yes, my book, The Business of School, due out by summer may be a first step.)

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