NCLB Creates Situations Where We Look Stupid And Unprepared

I am happy that I'll be teaching summer school. I've been sort of type-cast a good math teacher, the kind that can handle remedial students. There are days when I'm amazed by how much I like these kids because when I was a RadioShack Manager stupid and lazy recent high school grads annoyed me. You could even say that I disliked them. Anyway, here is an article about my summer school assignment. Apparently, the State of Georgia knew that students wouldn't do very well on the tests but they did not tell anyone. Now people are pissed about it.

In my opinion one of the problems with standardized testing is that teachers prepare students (at least they're suppose to be doing that) based on broad standards for a specific test. Teachers are not allowed to look at the tests and if they do they are threatened with loss of license. I agree with maintaining the integrity of tests but there are those that believe in order to teach effectively teaching should be designed based on the information you want students to know. Here is a current 8th grade math standard.

M8A4. Students will graph and analyze graphs of linear equations and inequalitities.

a. Interpret slope as a rate of change.
b. Determine the meaning of the slope and y-intercept in a given situation.
c. Graph equations of the form y = mx + b.
d. Graph equations of the form ax + by = c.
e. Graph the solution set of a linear inequality, identifying whether the solution set is an open or a closed half-plane.
f. Determine the equation of a line given a graph, numerical information that defines the line or a context involving a linear relationship.
g. Solve problems involving linear relationships.

On a small scale, I design my assessments ( for a course or units) which includes questions about what I want to students to know. Then I create units and lessons based upon the assessments, which provides me with a specific road map for where to take the students.

But the standards are, in general, vague. They don't provide information about many details of the topic or the type of problems that students will need to understand. The standard is flexible. It allows teachers teach the topic to students who may have many different learning styles, understandings and backgrounds. The trouble is that we really have no idea what the students should expect on the test. Education's goal is to help students learn, understand and succeed in school but students and teachers are measured by a double secret test.

Maybe I am exaggerating but in the "real world" would you expect to conclude a successful project with out knowing and completely understanding the end result that you desire? No, it would be nuts.

There is more news. The State of Georgia knows the number who students failed the state tests over the last few years but has not studied what happened to them. I have another question, "How much does NCLB mean if we don't use the information we collect to help future students?"

The answer is clear. The government, Federal and state, doesn't care what happens to these kids. If they did they would be able to tell me what happened to those students:

How did they do in Algebra when they were freshman in high school?
Do they have similar socio-economic issues?
Are they native English speaker?
Do they have disabilities?

Perhaps knowledge of their issues could help the government and schools serve children better.

I Know What I Will Do This Summer

School's out for summer, finally. What a crazy year it has been on personal and professional level. No wonder, I am feeling the year end exhaustion. Last summer, I spent too much time working for no extra money, cleaning out our office for the computer lab and scheduling. This year, I work for money teaching 8th grade CRCT math failures so they can be passed on to high school.
Here is a list of some of the stuff that has happened this year...

DCup and Mathman live on the brink
Mathman H.S. student murdered
Issues with admininstration at Mathman HS
Tornadoes live to close to home
NCLB continues to torture
Baseball excitement and dissapointment
Students don't care about passing Algebra I

One More Day

Tomorrow is the last of school at least for the students of Mathman H.S. The teachers have to come back for 2 days of post planning. Which is time for the school district to hold us hostage where we are expected to go to a few extra meetings and get our grades done.

The boy also had a baseball game tonight. But the kids did not play particularly well but we won and are now 9-3. Last night we voted on this season's Allstars and we have most of the same kids back from last season. It should be fun.

Finally, I leave you with picture from yesterday and this morning. I hope you enjoy them.

A Last Minute Opportunity

Finals start tomorrow at Mathman H.S. But I took today off to be at the baby's award ceremony. My boss many allowed me take a personal day. It would be wrong if a school wouldn't let a teacher participate in a child's education.

I had no internal struggle about missing today. Many of my students have been pure pains in the ass. I know that even if they start to care on the last day of class, it is really too late for them to learn the entire course or even enough to pass.

But since I am opportunistic kind of guy, the student's last true opportunity is to pass the final. I told them that if they pass it then they will pass the class. I have only had one student in 3 years actually do that (and he has earned A's and B's in all his math classes since - I do keep track the kids). I don't worry about a kid that can't pulling the wool over my eyes who passes the final who shouldn't.

Stars and Pentagons

The best kind of math is the kind that occurs naturally. I suffer from amazement when I find it. The other day while uploading some garden photos had a mathematical moment. See for yourself.

Hollyhock (Star)










Petunia (pentagon)

ACompliment Worth Posting

Today was the senior's last day of school. They graduate on Saturday. Our (the math department' s) student aide left me a card on Friday.A few months ago I wrote her scholarship recommendation letter. The university is closer to my house than school.

Here is what she said:

Mathman!

I just wanted to say thanks for all you have done. You are a wonderful teacher and I hope to be as a good a teacher as you are. You might see me one day while you are shopping [in town]. Have a wonderful summer and a great next year.

Hope to see you soon.

Sometimes kids say the darnedest things and that's why I keep going back for more.

Six Score Months Ago...Has Nothing To Do With This Post

Time has been running backward for the last month until today and now it is moving forward again. Miles stones occur in the future so it is a good thing I reached this one today. One year ago I wrote my first post. I had no idea that large scale life changes would occur yesterday, one year minus one day from my blog-o-versary.

I could sit back and lament all those changes but this is not the time or the place. Let's look ahead and consider some future goals by looking at their relationship to those of the past.

Since arriving in Georgia five years ago, I have attained most of my teaching goals. I reach two biggies during my third year here; I became Department Chair in begining of the year and was honored as teacher of the year at the end of that year. My current goals focus my personal teaching practice while advancing the department's technology resources, collaboration opportunities and helping the teachers become proficient with the new state math curriculum.

I loved living in Chicago, my heart and soul still reside there. I like my rural location and maybe this rural situation is not permanent but it provides a refuge from daily life. I am hidden from the locals in this house and garden and field, where I am not Mathman but Everyman.

I plan to continue blogging into the summer. I will teach summer school and continue to coach baseball while maintaing the garden, the tiny pool in the yard and spend time with my family.

Five Innings and Eleven Runs Later

During difficult time true character tends to come to light. After all that we had to deal with today, the boy had to play a baseball game. A game in which his father asked him to pitch.

I have come to know that the boy, has mental toughness and when it comes to game time he's serious, almost too serious. He pitched well, 5 innings, 3 runs and 7 seven strikeouts.

During the 4th inning he hit a rough patch, errors and walks led to a run or two. I took my slow walk to the mound.

"Dad, I want to keep pitching."

"What's bothering you?"

"The ump is calling low strikes."

"Shake it off, you have one more batter."

The boy hunkered down and struck out the last two hitters. Game Over and our record is now 7-3.

During our post game debriefing, we praised the team for finally putting the game away in the top of the 6th inning by scoring 7 runs and ending it by slaughter rule. The great aspect of the that inning was that the bottom of the order got three hits in row. The boy was awarded the game ball for his pitching performance and he promptly asked:

"Can I give the game ball away?"

"Sure, you can"

"Then I give it to TC", and flipped him the ball. TC is the last place batter and he got a hit that drove in a run.

"On Three... One... Two ... Three... GATORS!"

Mathman's Songs With Meaning #14

I have been exclusively listening to my Beatles play list for the week or so. There are over 500 songs on the list. I first listened to most of these songs when I was kid. On Monday, this George Harrison song hit the play list. On this day, hours before (ʘ)(ʘ) leaves it seems apropos.

Isn’t It A Pity - George Harrison The Lyrics:

Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity

Isn't it a pity
Isn't is a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Now, isn't it a pity

(6 times, fade the 6th:)
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity

To The Tardis We're Going To 1978

I have been meaning to write about snap shots in my life for a long time. Thinking about time and years as they passed makes me feel like I missed many moments of importance and would give anything to get those moments back. Hence my tardis.

I don't promise to write about these in order or even to write about them at all. The Doctor doesn't travel in only one direction in time and neither will I.

Here are the important years: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1978

1978 was my first year in high school. In June of that year I graduated from 8th grade and my mom earned her B.A. in Teaching. I recall thinking that it was cool that we graduated the same year. For graduation, I got my first Kodak camera.

That summer I grew my first pumpkins. I planted them in an unusual place, in the front yard of our house. There was not enough space in the back yard for the vines to spread. Earlier that season my future sister-in-law mowed over one of my cucumber plants so I protected the survivors with a group of 4 bricks. My mom baked me a pie.