Sara Ruddock-Harris's blog

First Year of Teaching

Now, that the first year of teaching is over all I can say is :thank God. While I ponder the upcoming summer and following school year and more importantly if its worth coming back, I think of all the strides I've made. If teaching, or being a part of MTC was all and only about the children, it wouldn't be that bad. I love my kids; I hate everything else. I have learned to not take everything that happens in the classroom personally. I can remember even this semester when I student said he hated my class and wouldn't mind failing as long as he didn't have to retake the class with me. Unbeknownst to him, he sent me in a tailspin. I was depressed and and felt oppressed by this whole experience. How could he say that to me? My class is fun and we actually learn biology. We do labs, including dissections, and see great Youtube clips. We do projects. This is so much exciting than my introduction to biology and he still hates it. The next day, the same student bounced on it to my room happy as a clam. After he made me doubt my reasons for teaching, rocked my confidence, and caused my to consider packing it all in; HE WANTS TO ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. AAAH. So, I called him on it:
"Boy (I might have used his name, but you know), didn't say you hated my class."
Student- "Yes"
Me-"Is it boring?"
Student-"No"
Me-"Do you think I'm a bad teacher"
Student-"No"
Me-"Do you think I give too much work"
Student-"Yes"
Me-"Oh well, good!"

His best friend threatened to hit a few weeks later, and, similarly, a few day later came bouncing back into my room. So, I've decided the kids are...kids! I just need to just stop taking everything so personally.

Trip to the Civil Rights Institute

Five of us ventured to Talladega, Alabama this weekend for the Sprint Cup, but thanks to some more than stellar weather conditions we ended up in Tuscaloosa and then Birmingham, Alabama. I was lost for ideas on what to do in Alabama, but shout out to Molly. She suggested we go to the civil rights institute in Birmingham. It was amazing. I love museums, but the civil right institute is up there with the best of the best that New York museum community has to offer. The museum was interactive and intelligent in its design. The exhibits stimulate four out of the five senses (they haven’t yet incorporated scent), surrounding you in the feel and the look of the civil right movement in the Deep South. As a Black Studies major, I learned a lot about the civil rights movement, but seeing testimony up close and personal. Looking at relics of the civil rights movement across from 16^th street Baptist Church was touching and engaging in a way I have never experiences before.

            While the simple experience of being in the civil rights institute was wondrous, it made me ponder how little has changed in the area I teach in since the epic struggles in the 50’s and 60’s. The museum features exhibits about Greenwood, Mississippi and Belzoni, Mississippi. It talked about how bad everything was. The exhibits documented the bigotry of school, housing, and social segregation, and all I could think was not that much has changed. Yes, I see white people at Wal-mart, but that’s about it. There kids don’t go to the school where I teach. The go to white-people-night at Roller World. The white community in Greenville is still largely segregated from Greenville’s majority black community. At the Civil Rights Institute, they talked about how Jim Crow laws legitimized and legalized common social practices. Now, we have the same practices with out the laws

Letter to the Second Years

Second years,

Thank you so much. Your advice on planning and instruction plus your support and camaraderie through homesickness and disillusionment about education has been invaluable.
Special thanks to Team Bio: You all guided me through my first lessons and helped me feel comfortable in front of the classroom. Your insights built my confidence in instruction. You provided wonderful examples of exceptional teaching. With an adept mix of direct instruction and independent practice, you showed me that even with limited resources science instruction can be exciting and inspiring.
Shout out to my mentor: Thank you for great conversation and awesome lunch spots in Oxford.
A Major Delta Shout out to the team in the DIrrty "D": Wednesday night potluck helped get me through the week. Plus, Sealand, your advice on classroom management and general organization made a world of difference. Thanks to you know one sleeps in my class anymore!

I wish all the second years a prosperous year after MTC. For those of you staying in education in Mississippi, bless your hearts. For those of you leaving for bigger and better things, God bless and when you thinks its bad where ever you go remember you spend a year of your life TEACHING IN MISSISSIPPI'S WORST SCHOOLS!!!!

Sincerely,
SRH

Teaching What You Don't Know

 

Sounds like an abomination—“teaching what you don’t know.” However, standing in front of a classroom of 30-or-more students as an “authority” in a course entitled “Biology” lends itself to this abomination. Studying the Mississippi state framework for my subject (biology II), I was flabbergasted by the notion that the state thought the in a lifetime let alone a semester I could cover an objective as broad and as vague as: “Relate gene expression (e.g., replication, transcription, translation) to protein structure and function. (DOK 2)” (MS Framework 3c). My first response to such an objective was, “people spend lifetimes studying just transcription, and the state expects me to teach this to a group of teenagers in the space of a semester and still wants me to cover other topics.” Little did I know that this was the smallest obstacle I would overcome in attempting to construct a curriculum based on the state framework.

                 My fear in teaching gene expression was based on my broad knowledge base in the material; I was afraid that I would have too much material for my students to digest and process in the allotted time. Pruning and prioritizing solved that problem. However, my unfounded fear in teaching topics like transcription paled in comparison to the sheer horror I experienced after I realized that the state expected me to teach nine broadly based objectives on natural selection. I don’t know the first thing about NATURAL SELECTION! There’s Darwin then… I can talk day-and-night about transcription, translation, and replication; but natural selection—let’s just say my content knowledge has room for improvement. What am I going to do?

            First, save it for last! I am definitely not advocating this approach, but I waited until the very last minute to teach natural selection. I hoped above hope that we would not have time for it. The state does not test my course, so what is the harm in skipping a competency? I plowed through every other competency. I did not look at the state framework on natural selection until the last month of the semester. It was a now-or-never moment. Teaching on a four-by-four block, time goes quickly in a semester long course. I had to decide NOW if I was going to cover natural selection. I decided to take to the challenge.

            Second, open the textbook. I barely use my course textbook, because—it’s terrible! My students struggle reading a two-page article in the New York Times. The majority of them read significantly below grade level.Taking this into consideration, why would my school district select a book written on a college reading level? More than just the reading level the book’s content is convoluted and boring. Thus far in the semester, I have only used the textbook once in class. I usually consult the state framework to get an idea of what my students are expected to learn, read the chapter(s) in the assigned textbook on the topic, study other biology textbooks, search the Internet for more resources on the topic, and lean heavily on my previous knowledge. After this sometimes long and arduous process, I splice together these resources to make my lesson plans and construct my own handouts and guided notes sheets on the topic. However, this time my content background, which is usually my strongest resource, is the weakest link. So, I turned to the textbook. Although the content was dense and hard to comprehend; luckily, my textbook had great figures, tables, and images on Darwin and natural selection for my use.

            Third, scour the Internet. In my adventure in teaching, I have found some immensely beneficial Internet resources for lesson plans, laboratory exercises, and handouts. However, my never-fail resources failed me this time. I could not find a resource that could supplement my lack of subject knowledge. Then, a miracle—I found a great National Geographic’s special about Darwin and natural selection on YouTube conveniently broken up into 10-minute episodes.The special covered background on Darwin, information on his voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle, Darwin’s specimens, fossil evidence, homologous structures, population change, evolutionary trends, contributing scientists (such as Lyell and Malthus), and more! That is when it all came together. I found a web hint that allowed me to download YouTube clips on my computer, and, therefore, circumvent my school’s block on YouTube.

            Fourth, pull it together. I watched the National Geographic’s special. I read the chapters in the text. I dissected each subsection on natural selection covered in the textbook, parsing out the key terms and concepts. I watched the special over-and-over again until I picked it clean of concept connection questions that overlapped with the subsections in the textbook. Subsequently, I crafted guided handout sheets with critical diagrams accompanied by question on the clips. Now, I had a plan! I taught a subsection each day followed by the accompanying clip. I discovered a hands-on group activity that covered an additional section on natural selection. This ensemble of resources helped differentiate instruction based on learning styles, covering auditory (lecture), visual (clips), and kinesthetic (activity) learners. In addition, each subsection had built in remediation because the students heard the same or similar information covered by the clips, the activity, and me.  

            Finally, teach! The first Monday of my new unit, I jumped in headfirst. I knew I planned as thoroughly as possible. I put the bell work up, wrote out the daily objective, scribbled down the day’s schedule, and began. Students poured in and the day went like every other day. Success! Hearing myself talk during the lesson and reflecting on the day, I was even convinced that I knew what I was talking about because miraculously I did! Did it all go exactly as planned? No, but it never does. Did my students learn something they did not know before? Yes.

            I recognized most of the angst that rose in my throat about teaching natural selection from similar insecurities that I felt when I had to teach my first lesson this summer. As a new teacher, fresh from undergraduate studies, I was emerging from my role as a student, a novice to the daunting position as a teacher, an authority. As an undergrad, yes, I was expected to have prior knowledge on the subject matter, but my place in the classroom was based on the fact that I did not know everything about the subject. I assumed a teacher’s sole purpose in the classroom is to know everything. However, I have altered this standpoint drastically in the few months that have been teaching.

            Currently, I understand that the learning never stops. There will always be a question that a student poses that stumps me or a subject I do not yet fully understand. My role in the classroom is to be a learning facilitator. The onus is not on me to know everything and simply disclose my knowledge, but to work with my students to play with and mold the subject matter to best suit them. With this new outlook in mind, I now realize that I have to be my first student. I have to re-teach/teach topics I am familiar with and topics I am less comfortable with to myself, so I can try to anticipate my students’ needs and questions.

            Although preparing to teach natural selection was my biggest struggle, teaching natural selection was my biggest success. My discomfort with the subject matter forced me to find resources that captivated me and therefore were more likely to captivate my students. I wrote plans with more details because I knew I had very little background to fall back on. All in all, I think natural selection was my best unit. If I could change anything about the planning process, I would have made sure to consult with other teachers in my department. While I am the only one currently teaching my subject, some collaboration with more seasoned teachers in the department might have provided an additional resource. I think some of my hesitation in asking my coworkers for help stemmed from the fear I previously discussed. However, this is just another step in my learning process.

 

State Testing

 I agree with Josh that state testing does require some level of accountability on the part of teachers and administrators. If there was no state testing, then no one would be able to tell the difference between a biology class taught by a PhD at Madison Central, where students have to study every night to earn a passing grade, and a biology class taught in Washington County, where a substitute teacher with a degree in Political Science issues A's to students for sitting down and shutting up. Standardized testing in perfect world does as its name suggests. It creates a base line measurement of students' content knowledge so that colleges and other outsiders can have a valid means by which to compare students from different institutions. Also, standardized tests in a perfect world can highlight a teacher ability to improve a student's performance in a specific content area. However, we don't live in a perfect world.

I hate teaching a state tested class for several reasons, a few of which I have expanded upon:

1. State testing sucks the fun out of the course because it requires the teacher to teach directly to, for, and from the test. Especially on a block schedule, so much material has to be crammed into a 14 week period before the test that the teacher has no flexibility.
2. Administrators, who have no or little experience teaching my subject area, are constantly breathing down my neck because of all the money and state scrutiny attached to test results.
3. There is very little student accountability attached to these standardized tests. The test is directly linked to a specific course and therefore all students have to take the class, also students cannot be dropped from the state testing roster after October in spite of excessive absences and tardiness. Therefore, teachers have to take what ever they get from the student pool in spite of the students level of maturity or responsibility.

   Standardized tests should not be linked to a specific class. First, the selections seem arbitrary. The selections apply undue pressure on teachers in only four courses at the high school level. These selections overemphasize four courses at the expense of all the other classes in the high school curriculum. An alternative to mandatory testing in specific courses is to allow students to pick from a standardized test in one of the courses in a certain content area. For example students would have to take a standardized test in science, but they could choose from either biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology, etc. This first model follows the SATII model. Another alternative to current standardized testing would require students to take a standardized in each content area. For example students would have take a science test, which would cover natural and physical sciences. This alternative spreads the responsibility for preparing the students for standardized testing across all courses as well as requires students to be responsible for studying independently for a course that is not linked to a specific class.

 

Milestones...Right!

I'm sure Shaila Dewan's article, "Southern Schools Mark Two Majorities," had something to say about education, but Lord knows I could not get past the same tired essentializing language used in countless articles about race and socioeconomic class. How is it possible that in an article about how people of color make up more than fifty percent of the school population in the Southern region is it possible that the author consistently called these students and their families Minorities!!! Let's review. Minority means less than fifty percent of the total as opposed to majority, which means more than fifty percent. Therefore, if students of color are now more than fifty percent they are no longer in the minority. Correct. So, unless you are using the word "minority" to characterize the inherent value of these people, you need to find a new word to lump all these people who are not white together. Moving on.

 Dewan has fallen into another far more annoying, on the verge of offensive trap when talking about race and socioeconomic class. She implies that integration is the key to the success of students of color. Dewan fails to identify the merits of these white, which she conflates with affluent, schools that she is trying to merge with these black, which she conflates with poor, schools. Just by the simple, obvious fact that they are white they must be better than those schools offered to black students. More egregiously, she assumes that just by adding white students to the mix black and Hispanic students will be better off. Has she never heard about the travesty that happened to the predominantly black Dunbar High School in Washington, DC post-integration?

Lastly, Shaila Dewan uses half-a-line to talk about the history of this region that has lead to the disparity in academic achievement and socioeconomic class in this region. We are standing in the school parking lot a mile away from the cotton fields, asking why don't these black students do as well as the white students in the private schools or the predominantly white public schools. Well allow me to point out the two ton elephant in the room: SLAVERY!!! JIM CROW!!!

Why you should join MTC

MMMhmm...Why should you join MTC? Luckily, you are catching me on a good day in my teaching career. I love teaching. If I only had to teach in my classroom all day, I would never complain about my experiences here in the Mississippi Delta. I have known for a long time that I could never work at a job where I was forced to sit at a desk all day. This revelation came to me as I slept under my desk during a stint as a summer intern at an unnamed financial institution. Also, I have always known that I wanted to work in a service oriented field. Teaching satisfies both of these requirements.
One, I never sit at my desk. I am constantly moving around the classroom interacting with my students. As a science teacher, I have the opportunity to converse with my students and manipulate materials in class and in lab. Everyday, I explain areas of science to students that come to me with a relatively blank slate. All they know about science is that it's hard. They don't associate science with a young teacher, so me just being there throws them for a loop. Then, my excitement about the subject material really startles them. The classroom is like a performance space for both me and my students. Yeah, I have a lesson plan, but I never know exactly what is going to happen from one minute to the next and I love that about my job. One thing about teaching is that it is never boring!
Two, I believe in service work. While my biweekly paycheck speaks to the fact that my "job" is more like a hobby, I feel that my work is impacting my students' educational experiences even in a small way. At the end of last term, I had several students tell me that they had never had a science teacher that was as excited and exciting. Many of my students, who were mostly in the 11th and 12th grade, told me that they had never done a lab before my class. Even after a terrible day, knowing that a few students learned something in my class and may have a greater appreciation for science is nice.

Semester Reflections

It is astounding how much has changed in my perspective on teaching between October and December. In October, I thought about quitting and going home on a weekly and, sometimes, daily basis. I hated everything about my experience in the Mississippi Delta. Remarkably, my perspective has largely changed. No, everyday is not a walk in the park, but I actually am enjoying not just teaching, but my school and my town. I feel like I have found my niche in the school community and my most effective teacher persona. I even managed to teach the unit I put off all semester, natural selection. I think most of my new found joy in teaching comes from teaching on a four-by-four block. My semester and my course are almost finished. It almost feels like I finished my first year. I have written a year's worth of lesson plans and a year's worth of guided notes sheets.
In terms of the classes this semester, l think the graphic organizers lesson and the visitor's workshop provided useful information about tools I was able to use in the classroom. However, I think the most beneficial activity for me was the community statistics survey. I was startled to see the vast discrepancy in wealth in Greenville. I would never imagine with my daily experiences of students talking about food stamps and their distress in now having to pay for lunch that there are people in the same small town that are earning over $500,000 annually.

Sec. Of Education

I  think that the secretary of education made a good point that more is expected of students today than ever before, and, therefore, teachers need to bring more to the table everyday. However, it sounded a lot like the blame-it-all-on-us message I get from my administration everyday. Yes, teachers need to bring there all to the table everyday, but so do our students. Everywhere, not just in schools of education, do we as a society need to be screaming failure is not an option because in my school failure is more than an option is the norm. Many of my students do not see the connection between the here-and-now and their life prospects. While it is my job to help them make that connection, I can only do just that--help. Students and teachers alike need to come into the school house with the perspective that this a life-or-death situation on our hands. The responsibility cannot all rest with the teachers.

 Also, in response to her comments about schools of education not preparing teachers for the work that lies a head of them, preparation can only do so much. One of the things that I most like about MTC is that it teaches all of us that you don't know anything until you go out and DO IT! You can sit in a classroom all day and listen to well crafted theories on teaching, but until you get up in front of 30-something students you don't know SQUAT!

The Oracle Strikes Again

Well, what is there to say about my man, Pete Nelson?  While Pete's speech was not on the order of President Obama speech about race, Pete's speech spoke to a lot the anxieties and fear about teaching and being apart of the teacher corps that I think about and endure all the time. I think Pete's opening sentiment on the uncertainty in his qualifications to be apart of the teacher and feeling unsettled about his qualifications to teach is something that most of us can relate to. I know for me I was scared out of my mind for my first lesson during the summer and then dumbstruck that someone would trust with a class of my own. yes, I know biology, but what makes me qualified to teach--impart knowledge. Now, I am simply resigned to the fact that I know more than my students about biology and that's enough.

More than just the feeling of insecurity that Pete shared, the story he shared about his experience eulogizing one of his students who died untimely struck me. Besides the obvious heartbreak, I think Pete's point about making a small impact on a child's life was an important point to remember everyday. Sometimes I would rather five gut punches than ight hours of teaching, but, alas, teaching does make a difference as cliches as it might sound.