As if it wasn't bad enough...

California is currently rated the 2nd lowest state in the country for the academic performance of our students. Yet, Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed to cut $5.5 BILLION from education in order to close the $8 billion state deficit. That's nearly 70% - and certainly not an area that should be undercut in it's current condition.

My district alone - with 6 public high schools - will sacrifice $14 million from next year's budget, which the administrators determined will require cutting almost 100 positions. They said EVERY new teacher will get a preliminary pink slip, but many of us will be rehired. I have been reassured that Science teachers are especially in demand, so my position should be safe.

It has been 3 months since last blog entry, and things have certainly not become any easier. With an hour commute each way and working well over 12 hours a day, it's hard to resist thinking of other ways to make a living. I just have to keep reminding myself that the first year of teaching is always the hardest and that it can only get better... if we could only elect leaders that care about the education of our country!

Barely Breathing

October 31, 2007
I apologize to those of you who have been waiting for an instant report after my first day of teaching. There's so much to do (even now) that I barely have time to eat. Now I have survived two days and I'm going back for more! I teach over 100 kids every day- divided among 5 different classes, mostly freshmen and all very wound up. They're good kids... they've just been lacking proper guidance and management for the past month.

I feel like I'm in an episode of Quantum Leap where I've been dropped into a potentially dangerous situation, and I have to figure out what happened and fix it real quick before an impending disaster occurs. This MUST be harder that starting fresh at the beginning of a year - trying to figure out where the previous teacher left off, get to know the students and learn all the school's systems as fast as possible. I can barely manage to pull together enough activities for the next day before I hit my mandatory bed time. That's one thing I won't compromise, however, the past couple night have been so riddled with dreams of being unprepared for school and being caught in desperate moments that I wake up in a sweat every couple hours.

I leave before Savannah wakes up and get home just before her bed time. It's making me sad to realize how much less quality time I'll have with her and Kathy. My commute is wonderful, though. I took my bike on BART (our mass-transit train) which dropped me off within a couple miles of the school. From there, I discovered a smooth, scenic hike/bike trail that follows a canal directly to the school. It was so beautiful and refreshing as the sun came up, and I was amazed by the number of people getting out that early to exercise!

Well, that's it for now. I gotta get to my preparations! I'll write in more detail when I can spare the time. I really appreciate the good thoughts from those of you who responded to my last posting. Thank you!

Now, that wasn't so painful...

May 4, 2007
Well, it's finally over. 3 years of night classes, meetings and papers topped with 15 weeks of unpaid student teaching, and I am finally free from the University of Phoenix. A year ago, I thought it was a wasted effort and that I would never achieve the masters degree that at first appeared so easy to reach. I never anticipated how much it would affect my family. We made a lot of sacrifices, and it cost us significantly more than the U of P would tell you when signing up. I could spend hours ranting, but others have pretty well summed it up on this site.

I had to cram a lot of material in the last couple weeks of teaching as the students were preparing for STAR testing, but we saved the last day for fun and celebrations. I picked up several dozen donuts early in the morning, and our master teacher brought apples and orange juice. Guess what the kids liked more?

We played some games, took pictures, and I spoke about my upcoming trip to Africa.
My mom has spent the past 3 years helping set up a new school in Ethiopia and invited me to come make a video documentary about the progress there. I explained to the students that education is a highly-sought privilege in Africa. My mom's school can only enroll about 200 new students each year, but easily more than 2,000 show up to register. If only our American children could understand what a luxury it is for them to have free, convenient, directed education, they might actually respect their teachers and care more about their grades. Think?

I learned a lot during this experience: how essential it is to be prepared, to be constantly observant of the entire class, to discipline effectively, to keep accurate grades, to keep track of policies and agreements, and how to arrange for a healthy work-life balance. It's amazing how much can happen in just 4 months, and I can see how quickly it can become overwhelming for new teachers. I feel more confident and capable, though, in being able to take on teaching as a career if that is what my future holds.

On the other hand, I feel stronger about teaching at a higher level such as ROP or Community Colleges where people choose to be there rather than getting stuck in classes they don't like because it's the law. Perhaps, if I find a position teaching about technology (video/internet), I will find like-minded students who are anxious to learn. So that's all for now. I may decide to continue this blog if and when I continue teaching. Until then, thanks for reading!

-Master Sierra-

Dealing with "Resource"

April 2, 2007
When I agreed to which classes I would student teach for these 15 weeks, I didn't exactly know what I was getting in to. So far, my two Environmental Science classes have been going as expected - a few challenges but pretty smooth overall. My afternoon Earth Science class, however, is a whole different animal.

I heard the term "resource" used occasionally when I was still shadowing the master teacher in the first weeks. I could sense his frustrations as he would try to talk over the constant social banter during class, and he had a way of calling out names of individuals who were particularly disruptive without losing a beat in his lectures. Never do I recall the class being entirely silent, and it never has been since.

In the weeks to follow, I learned that this entire class is sort of an "experiment" by the school to put all the kids with the most severe learning disabilities, behavioral issues and/or lowest grades together in one Science class. The product seems to be a devil's brew - a sort of evil concoction that could break all but the most hardened teachers. Some refer to it as a "hope and pray" situation while others simply say "good luck" with a smirk on their faces.

Each of the students in this class are supposed to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) on file for teachers to cater more effective learning styles to the students' needs. My master teacher said that sometimes those don't show up until the end of the year, though. He prompted me before I began teaching by saying everyone in this class has some sort of issue(s), so no matter how bad it seems here, things can be many times worse outside of school and at home.

He could easily send half the class to the office on any given day, but we should try to be tolerant and give them more help and opportunities to pass the class. So that is what I have done for the last 10+ weeks, and I have yet to see any difference it has made. I just come home more frustrated every day, racking my brain to image why kids could care so little about their grades - especially as Freshmen with their whole high school experience ahead of them.

About half of them currently have F's for the semester, but there is a spark of hope in about 3 or 4 students who actually pay attention and seem to be doing well. Frankly, I don't know why they are in this class. I sense their frustrations, too, when everyone else is bouncing around the room, talking so loud that I can't get through a single lesson in one period. At least those few are passing, and I hope they find better courses in the future.

Getting the class quiet... I have tried absolutely every strategy that has been shared with me, and I've come to the conclusion there is nothing I, personally, can do. Perhaps a Raider's football coach or military drill Sargent might get their attention, but I have stood with my hand raised until it lost circulation; I've had the class count down from 5 and made those who were still talking stand in the back of the room; I've even sent disruptive ones to the office. But, every time, as soon as we resume class and I begin speaking again, the conversations break out again. It's like that annoying game kids play or when there's a delay on cell phones - as soon as one person starts speaking, the other one talks, too. It's ridiculous! Sometimes, it feels like we spend entire periods, trying to get the class quiet.

So now we're cracking the whip. I spent last Friday instructing them about respect and responsibilities - while giving out referrals to anyone who interrupts. I've spoken with the Vice-Principal, tried his suggestions, and now we're having him come speak to the class. We'll see if anything changes after today...

Cookie Mining 101

Going Solar

February 28, 2007

Today I got to help the AP Environmental Science class experiment with their solar lab kits. The students were quick to figure out how the components worked and were smart enough to realize how much power could be generated if they connected several panels.

Worst Case Scenarios...

February 22, 2007
Today was a real adrenalin rush.

This was the first week I actually took control of a classroom. The students in Environmental Science spent the previous week preparing for an activity in class in which they would debate issues around global human population. There would be 4 groups carrying on debates simultaneously about different topics, all starting and ending at the same time.

My master teacher helped me gear up to be the overall facilitator which involved getting everyone situated, explaining the rules, helping them through the process and evaluating their participation all the while so I could determine grades at the end. At no time did I anticipate a fight breaking out, and I certainly wasn't informed about how to handle such a situation if it did.

And wouldn't you guess? We had two students on opposing sides in a group debating immigration policies - both of whom appear to be at least part Latino. As I made my rounds, it seemed to me that they were contributing the most for each of their sides, and it sounded like they were being constructive. When I came back around, though, things suddenly grew hot.

One student was speaking more from opinion than fact, and the other one was getting visibly annoyed. Words began flying back and forth, and the annoyed one threatened to take off his coat - clearly expressing his intentions. I approached him as he stood up and began to take things off. He seemed to be ignoring my attempts to get his attention and cool down. I didn't know how much I needed to raise my voice or how physical I could get in restraining, but he managed to push past me and head for the other student. Another brave student came to my aid while I called for the master teacher's attention. We managed to separate the two involved in the debate and began the process of reconciliation.

I escorted one student to the vice-principal's office, and the other one was sent down soon after. We spent the next hour listening to a military veteran (who could probably do a good Al Pacino impression) talk the students' ears off about respect, responsibilities and what a privilege it is for them to have a free education in America. Frankly, I didn't like the feeling of being lectured any more than the two kids in the room, but I picked up a lot of key concepts and phrases that I can use later on when I have a situation in the classroom.

As I was leaving, I remember thinking to myself not long ago that I really should learn about school policies and what to do in very similar situations. It was unfortunate that I had to learn the hard way, but it was still a significant learning experience. In fact, I'm sort of glad it happened (so long as it didn't get worse) because it boosted my confidence in being able to handle something like that better if it happens again.

Here are some of my key learnings:

• Put yourself between arguing students to break their eye contact.
• Separate the students as far as possible - usually opposite sides of the classroom.
• Have someone call for security as soon as it gets out of hand.
  
• Defying a teacher's orders and going around them is grounds for suspension.
• Teachers and students are legally protected so that if the fight got physical, the attacker would most likely be taken away in handcuffs.
  

I spent about 6 hours the following weekend compiling all the material to be graded from the debate and determining total grades for each student. There were many variables, and I tried to be as fair and consistent as possible. You can bet the fighters didn't score very well, though.

Beware of the quiet ones

February 15, 2007
I'm still struggling to learn everyone's names, but there are certainly a few in each class who draw a lot of attention and are the easiest to remember. I quickly found myself making false assumptions about who were "good students" based on their behavior. I took the noisy ones to be disruptive and less caring about the class while the quiet ones were more respectful and dedicated... when, in fact, it was practically just the opposite.

The quiet ones were more likely to be behind on work and afraid to draw attention to themselves in case they might be called on. Certainly, the noisy ones can be disruptive to the class, but they are also more likely to contribute when called upon and generally have better grades. Interestingly, there don't seem to be many in between: students who sit quietly AND do well on their grades.

It is important for teachers to give all students equal attention and a fair chance to get good grades while adapting lessons to all learning styles. This observation, however, helps me understand who might need more assistance, who needs to be brought into conversations and how to match up students for assignments and activities.

Then I found a third breed of students who would try to get buddy-buddy with me. I quickly detected their behavior as attempts to deceive me into being more relaxed on discipline for them, and they certainly proved to test my limits in days to come. Kids spend at least 12 years in school, constantly looking for ways to work the system and outsmart their teachers. Being able to "read" a student and "play the field" - being constant aware of the entire classroom is an essential skill for teachers that can only be learned through experience and over time.

First Encounters

January 26, 2007
For the first few days, I was a tall, dark stranger in the back corner of the classroom, casting an ominous shadow that students were afraid to make eye contact with. In one class, the teacher even told a few students that I was a parole officer (which they believed until several weeks later). I distinctly recall the first few, brave students who asked who I was and what I was doing there. It wasn't long until they saw me as Mr. Nice-Guy who could never be mean to them, but I enjoy being formally called Mr. Sierra.

As I grew more comfortable in the shadow of my master teachers, I began to feel confident enough to roam around during activities and offer support to students in need. It felt good when they started to recognize me and would actually call my name to get help. The second week of my student teaching, the school was having finals. So one of my teachers suggested that I could design and conduct a game to help them review. I scrambled to arrange all their review questions in to categories and phrase them like Jeopardy.

When it came time, I could only get about 8 students to participate while everyone else preferred to study independently. Perhaps they were just nervous since they didn't really know me. It turns out the game was a little too complicated and unrehearsed to be really effective. So, the following period, I simply had the students divide into two teams and ask each other questions. It helped to have lollipops as an incentive for the winners.

Here we go!

January 8, 2007
After years of contemplation, education, and a bit of hesitation, I have finally taken the leap into being a high school teacher. It's something I've always felt drawn to - a place where I may have a lot to offer and an experience that may be just rewarding enough to make me feel I served a good purpose with my life. I enrolled in a Masters/Credential program at University of Phoenix about 4 years ago, not realizing that it would eventually require me to dedicate 15 weeks as a student teacher without pay.

So I took all my classes, getting almost all straight-A's, and passed the CBEST, CSET and US Constitution tests. I got everything out of the way but procrastinated this final rite-of-passage (as some call it) as long as possible. That was primarily due to the fact that Kathy and I were tied into a mortgage, and we added a new member to our family just 16 months ago. Leaving my full-time job with this kind of financial burden did not seem realistic at all.

Fortunately, we have a loving family and many good Bay Area friends who wanted to do whatever they could to keep us in the area and help make our dreams possible. So, within the last 2 weeks of December, I found a school to student teach, turned in my resignation at work, found an apartment to rent across the street from the school, and moved out of the condo so it could be sold. Everything fell into place beautifully. We love our new (although temporary) home, the surrounding community, and the many conveniences within walking distance.

It's a beautiful walk between home and school that takes me no more than 10 minutes either way. I signed on with 2 "master teachers", one of whom has a PhD. They both seem pleased to have me in their classrooms, hoping I'll bring fresh, new insight and instructional strategies to keep their students engaged and productive. I guess we have a lot to learn from each other, although I may be holding my breath for the next 15 weeks, just hoping to survive.

So here goes... stay tuned to hear about Mr. Sierra's adventures in high school!