Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Deck Chairs on the Titanic
Another three day week at Underwood High, and what a week it was! Things wrapped up especially well today thanks in no small part to the random first period assembly in the school lunchroom (because when our auditorium is not caving in on itself, it's spontaneously combusting!), the fist fights in my second period physical science class, and the malaise that oozed throughout my remaining classes. Regarding the second of these, which is clearly the most exciting of the three, I will merely reiterate that if the relative sizes of my students' brains to their egos could somehow be reversed then we would all be a lot happier and a lot less likely to care if someone said they could knock us out.
Perhaps the only good thing about my frustrations this week is that they were by no means isolated. As we reach the halfway point of the year, almost everyone on the underwood staff is beginning to feel the strain. Even the administration, which normally struggles to maintain a veneer of calm, has started to panic in the face of the upcoming standardized test season. And how does the administration vent its spleen when backed into these sorts of corners?
With misguided policy memoranda, of course!
Consider the following annotated memorandum from earlier in the week:
(memo begins)
To: Underwood Staff
From: Ms. Oldman, Principal
Date: January 30, 2006
Students are not to be out of class or denied entry. The number of students put out of class is overwhelming. Our discipline office, school police are being unfairly overburdened with trivial infractions that can be handled by teachers in the classroom.
Cutting and tardiness have both been long term problems at Underwood, so it is somewhat to be expected that these issues would be discussed in writing. Notice however that there is an additional problem: teachers throwing students out of class. I confess to having engaged in this tactic myself on a few occasions, but for the most part abstain from this particular temptation due to earlier complaints from the administration. Other teachers are far more liberal with just telling kids to get the hell out.
There is no one answer or magic wand to solve the problem of student disruption. Depending on others to handle discipline problems surely is not the answer. The answer lies within.
Fair enough sentiment, albeit mildly cliched. The problem is that one or two really disruptive students can completely undermine even the best planned lessons. And on those occasions where a student is seriously disruptive, the the answer does not lie within either the teacher (figurative interpretation) or the classroom (literal interpretation). That's when it's time to obtain outside support and the school should be providing that. But perhaps this memo provides some hints. Let's find out, shall we? (Why not?)
When the announcement is made to close classroom doors, please do not close the door in students' faces. We ask that you use good judgment and allow those rushing to get in and then close the door. Talk to your students in reference to your expectations as to being on time and appropraite behavior. let them know that you will close that door, assign detention and contact their parent regarding their lateness to class or disruption.
Ok. I'm not sure where to begin the list:
1. The announcement referenced in that first sentence occurs only half the time and there is no consistency as to how late in the period the call to close the doors is made.
2. Teachers are now being told that even after closing the doors, they should let students in, even if they are late.
3. The emphasis on not "closing the door in students' faces" suggests that the administrators and disciplinarians are believing all of the students who are coming to them with stories about the mean teachers who tried to keep them out of class. But things may not be as clear cut as that. Consider last week when I had a student show up between 5 and 10 minutes after the announcement to close the door. I asked him to present a note...he didn't have one. I asked him to go get one. A few minutes later, he was back...still with no note. Eventually, with 20 minutes left in the period, he has a note from the ninth grade administrative offices. He comes in, doesn't pick up his class work and proceeds to walk around, chat with other students, cuss me out, and then, after pulling down and reaffixing my wall map, explain how it was MY fault that he wasn't doing his work because I tried to kick him out and didn't give him the work when he finally came in the room. There are two sides to every story, and I fear the administration, unable to maintain stability in the hallways, is more likely than not willing to accept the student version on face value and place blame squarely on the teacher's shoulders.
4. I mentioned previously that a lot of teachers enjoy throwing kids out. The reason for this is that often this is the most effective consequence they have discovered for truly disruptive students. Even putting them in the hallway for a minute or two will force the majority of students to calm down, and getting them out of sight eliminates the issue to an extent with the remaining kids. Does the administration think we are NOT already talking to our kids about expectations re: punctuality and behavior? If the kids cut the detentions they suggest we assign, will the administration follow through with support then or will teachers still be out in the cold? And what about parent phone calls...where parents, like administrators, will be more likely to trust their son or daughter's version of events than the teacher?
5. Conclusion of the paragraph: The administration is cutting off support so far as dealing with hall swept or disruptive students is concerned. Teachers...you're on your own.
Continuing with the memo...
Pointers
* Ask to speak to the student alone after class and express your dissatsifaction with their behavior and what you expect. Be stern but caring.
A well meaning idea, but more likely than not, the really disruptive students could care less what you have to say to them, no matter how stern or caring you are! Keeping such students even one minute beyond the bell can be a struggle. I've found the number of profanities per sentence increases at a near exponential rate with each minute I keep a student past 3:00.
* Use your prep period and visit the classroom of a colleague.
And this will help me...how? Most of my colleagues have similar discipline issues whether they admit it or not. Not to mention the fact that midyear is not exactly the easiest time for a complete turnaround so far as rules, consequences, and discipline are concerned should my visit inspire a revolutionary new classroom management scheme.
* Attend professional development offered by the District on classroom management.
Because nobody knows how to handle classroom disruptions more than bureaucrats downtown who never have to deal with students cussing them out or throwing things at each other!
* Do not sit at the desk. Stay on your feet, keep a stool or chair directly in front of the students.
This is exactly the sort of advice that would be offered at the aforementioned District workshop. While again valid in theory, this is not the surefire cure for classroom management woes that people are desparately seeking.
* Be consistent, be well-planned.
More fortune-cookie style wisdom from the well-meaning, but ultimately irrelevant school of advice. Ultimately, I could be the best lesson planner in the world and as consistent as the tides...but all it takes is one student who actively wants do destroy the lesson and everything can still fall apart. Even the most consistent of discipline policies will fail if students do not respect the consequences.
* ASK FOR HELP
I'm going to leave this one for later...you'll see why.
Call the Academy Leader or the main office if a student needs to be removed for serious disruption. If there is no answer, give a child a note and send the student to the Academy Leader, main office and a secretary will get in touch with the Academy Leader or School Police. DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE.
The academy leaders and main office are overburdened the majority of the time with administrative business ranging from phone calls, parent visits, or otherwise running the school. Not to mention the fact that the academy leaders are also teachers who may not always been available when my students are acting out. And let's not even get into issues surrounding sending a student with a note to deal with discipline issues. Consider the increased time involved if I have a fight in my room like I did today and need help to break the students up and get them out of my room.
Before: Fight breaks out, teacher calls school polic, police are sent to the classroom.
After: Fight breaks out, teacher writes out a note, finds student to take note and sends them to main office, main office contacts school police/academy leader, police are sent to the classroom
Widen the communications loop and it becomes easier for something to go wrong along the way. What if the main office is otherwise occupied. Precious time is wasted looking for an academy leader or other support personnel. Not to mention the time spent actually WRITING the note or trying to get the note where it needs to go when chaos is breaking out all around you.
But my favorite line...the best line of the whole thing---DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE
Remember: ASK FOR HELP
BUT: DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE
Wrapping up now:
It is my desire to support each teacher and work to ensure that teachers can teach and our students can learn. We will continue to work hard to make Underwood High a place where students and staff will enjoy coming to each day.
A noble sentiment to conclude the memo, but one that is completely contradicted by the text of the memo. Teachers need support from the administration to create and enforce a uniform school wide discipline policy covering everything from tardiness to cell phone use. And in the event that a student or two get to be overly disruptive and normal disciplinary consequences prove ineffective, there should be some higher recourse...one that will not be contradicted by the next person up the chain of command.
The memo remained the subject of conversation for the entirety of the week. The teachers were completely befuddled by apparent contradictions in its message and the seeming abandonment of any semblance of administrative support to clear the hallways or deal with classroom disruptions. One colleague compared it to a memo asking to "reorganize lifeboats on the Titanic": ultimately a means of showing how busy the captain has been attending to minor details when the whole ship is sinking.
I found the metaphor particularly apt.
Another three day week at Underwood High, and what a week it was! Things wrapped up especially well today thanks in no small part to the random first period assembly in the school lunchroom (because when our auditorium is not caving in on itself, it's spontaneously combusting!), the fist fights in my second period physical science class, and the malaise that oozed throughout my remaining classes. Regarding the second of these, which is clearly the most exciting of the three, I will merely reiterate that if the relative sizes of my students' brains to their egos could somehow be reversed then we would all be a lot happier and a lot less likely to care if someone said they could knock us out.
Perhaps the only good thing about my frustrations this week is that they were by no means isolated. As we reach the halfway point of the year, almost everyone on the underwood staff is beginning to feel the strain. Even the administration, which normally struggles to maintain a veneer of calm, has started to panic in the face of the upcoming standardized test season. And how does the administration vent its spleen when backed into these sorts of corners?
With misguided policy memoranda, of course!
Consider the following annotated memorandum from earlier in the week:
(memo begins)
To: Underwood Staff
From: Ms. Oldman, Principal
Date: January 30, 2006
Students are not to be out of class or denied entry. The number of students put out of class is overwhelming. Our discipline office, school police are being unfairly overburdened with trivial infractions that can be handled by teachers in the classroom.
Cutting and tardiness have both been long term problems at Underwood, so it is somewhat to be expected that these issues would be discussed in writing. Notice however that there is an additional problem: teachers throwing students out of class. I confess to having engaged in this tactic myself on a few occasions, but for the most part abstain from this particular temptation due to earlier complaints from the administration. Other teachers are far more liberal with just telling kids to get the hell out.
There is no one answer or magic wand to solve the problem of student disruption. Depending on others to handle discipline problems surely is not the answer. The answer lies within.
Fair enough sentiment, albeit mildly cliched. The problem is that one or two really disruptive students can completely undermine even the best planned lessons. And on those occasions where a student is seriously disruptive, the the answer does not lie within either the teacher (figurative interpretation) or the classroom (literal interpretation). That's when it's time to obtain outside support and the school should be providing that. But perhaps this memo provides some hints. Let's find out, shall we? (Why not?)
When the announcement is made to close classroom doors, please do not close the door in students' faces. We ask that you use good judgment and allow those rushing to get in and then close the door. Talk to your students in reference to your expectations as to being on time and appropraite behavior. let them know that you will close that door, assign detention and contact their parent regarding their lateness to class or disruption.
Ok. I'm not sure where to begin the list:
1. The announcement referenced in that first sentence occurs only half the time and there is no consistency as to how late in the period the call to close the doors is made.
2. Teachers are now being told that even after closing the doors, they should let students in, even if they are late.
3. The emphasis on not "closing the door in students' faces" suggests that the administrators and disciplinarians are believing all of the students who are coming to them with stories about the mean teachers who tried to keep them out of class. But things may not be as clear cut as that. Consider last week when I had a student show up between 5 and 10 minutes after the announcement to close the door. I asked him to present a note...he didn't have one. I asked him to go get one. A few minutes later, he was back...still with no note. Eventually, with 20 minutes left in the period, he has a note from the ninth grade administrative offices. He comes in, doesn't pick up his class work and proceeds to walk around, chat with other students, cuss me out, and then, after pulling down and reaffixing my wall map, explain how it was MY fault that he wasn't doing his work because I tried to kick him out and didn't give him the work when he finally came in the room. There are two sides to every story, and I fear the administration, unable to maintain stability in the hallways, is more likely than not willing to accept the student version on face value and place blame squarely on the teacher's shoulders.
4. I mentioned previously that a lot of teachers enjoy throwing kids out. The reason for this is that often this is the most effective consequence they have discovered for truly disruptive students. Even putting them in the hallway for a minute or two will force the majority of students to calm down, and getting them out of sight eliminates the issue to an extent with the remaining kids. Does the administration think we are NOT already talking to our kids about expectations re: punctuality and behavior? If the kids cut the detentions they suggest we assign, will the administration follow through with support then or will teachers still be out in the cold? And what about parent phone calls...where parents, like administrators, will be more likely to trust their son or daughter's version of events than the teacher?
5. Conclusion of the paragraph: The administration is cutting off support so far as dealing with hall swept or disruptive students is concerned. Teachers...you're on your own.
Continuing with the memo...
Pointers
* Ask to speak to the student alone after class and express your dissatsifaction with their behavior and what you expect. Be stern but caring.
A well meaning idea, but more likely than not, the really disruptive students could care less what you have to say to them, no matter how stern or caring you are! Keeping such students even one minute beyond the bell can be a struggle. I've found the number of profanities per sentence increases at a near exponential rate with each minute I keep a student past 3:00.
* Use your prep period and visit the classroom of a colleague.
And this will help me...how? Most of my colleagues have similar discipline issues whether they admit it or not. Not to mention the fact that midyear is not exactly the easiest time for a complete turnaround so far as rules, consequences, and discipline are concerned should my visit inspire a revolutionary new classroom management scheme.
* Attend professional development offered by the District on classroom management.
Because nobody knows how to handle classroom disruptions more than bureaucrats downtown who never have to deal with students cussing them out or throwing things at each other!
* Do not sit at the desk. Stay on your feet, keep a stool or chair directly in front of the students.
This is exactly the sort of advice that would be offered at the aforementioned District workshop. While again valid in theory, this is not the surefire cure for classroom management woes that people are desparately seeking.
* Be consistent, be well-planned.
More fortune-cookie style wisdom from the well-meaning, but ultimately irrelevant school of advice. Ultimately, I could be the best lesson planner in the world and as consistent as the tides...but all it takes is one student who actively wants do destroy the lesson and everything can still fall apart. Even the most consistent of discipline policies will fail if students do not respect the consequences.
* ASK FOR HELP
I'm going to leave this one for later...you'll see why.
Call the Academy Leader or the main office if a student needs to be removed for serious disruption. If there is no answer, give a child a note and send the student to the Academy Leader, main office and a secretary will get in touch with the Academy Leader or School Police. DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE.
The academy leaders and main office are overburdened the majority of the time with administrative business ranging from phone calls, parent visits, or otherwise running the school. Not to mention the fact that the academy leaders are also teachers who may not always been available when my students are acting out. And let's not even get into issues surrounding sending a student with a note to deal with discipline issues. Consider the increased time involved if I have a fight in my room like I did today and need help to break the students up and get them out of my room.
Before: Fight breaks out, teacher calls school polic, police are sent to the classroom.
After: Fight breaks out, teacher writes out a note, finds student to take note and sends them to main office, main office contacts school police/academy leader, police are sent to the classroom
Widen the communications loop and it becomes easier for something to go wrong along the way. What if the main office is otherwise occupied. Precious time is wasted looking for an academy leader or other support personnel. Not to mention the time spent actually WRITING the note or trying to get the note where it needs to go when chaos is breaking out all around you.
But my favorite line...the best line of the whole thing---DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE
Remember: ASK FOR HELP
BUT: DO NOT CALL SCHOOL POLICE
Wrapping up now:
It is my desire to support each teacher and work to ensure that teachers can teach and our students can learn. We will continue to work hard to make Underwood High a place where students and staff will enjoy coming to each day.
A noble sentiment to conclude the memo, but one that is completely contradicted by the text of the memo. Teachers need support from the administration to create and enforce a uniform school wide discipline policy covering everything from tardiness to cell phone use. And in the event that a student or two get to be overly disruptive and normal disciplinary consequences prove ineffective, there should be some higher recourse...one that will not be contradicted by the next person up the chain of command.
The memo remained the subject of conversation for the entirety of the week. The teachers were completely befuddled by apparent contradictions in its message and the seeming abandonment of any semblance of administrative support to clear the hallways or deal with classroom disruptions. One colleague compared it to a memo asking to "reorganize lifeboats on the Titanic": ultimately a means of showing how busy the captain has been attending to minor details when the whole ship is sinking.
I found the metaphor particularly apt.
