Memories

This past week on the show, we had the pleasure of welcoming two gentlemen who were planning a reunion. This reunion was of a different sort, it wasn't a class reunion, but a school reunion. It is amazing, the bonds that we form as school mates, even if we were there at different points in history. When you think of it, we spend more waking hours with our teachers and classmates than we do our biological family. We go through good times, bad times, laughs, tears, and fears with these people who just a few years ago were strangers. Total strangers, yet placed together and form bonds that stand the test of time.

These two pictures started a chain reaction, one person sharing these pictures that they found caused many to get together to think and share memories of happy times gone by. As educators, let's do our part so that when our young scholars look back, 5, 10, 20, or even 30 plus years, they can remember the impact that you made o their lives!! Be encouraged, you are making a difference in someone's life.

BEC vs the BHB

The Talking Teacher was perusing the newspaper today, the Royal Gazette, and came across this article-Jennifer Attride-Stirling named CEO of Health Council . Bermuda Health Council, "Hmmmm, we now have a Bermuda Educator's Council, so let me read this and see what this article is about", thought the Talking Teacher. So, The Talking Teacher began to read and noted certain things about this newly appointed person-

1.Dr. Attride-Stirling has been credited with introducing the National Child Health Record initiative, along with the Healthy Schools programme, the Public Health Awards and Bermuda's first national health promotion strategy, called Well Bermuda.

2. Since joining the Council last December, she has produced its first strategic plan and oversaw the redesign of the organisation's website.

3. Before coming to the Department of Health, she was a Development Manager at the Commission for Health Improvement, the regulatory body for the National Health Service in England and Wales.

4. During her career, Dr. Attride-Stirling has written and published several papers in international, peer-reviewed journals and books on subjects including health regulation, health promotion, mental health and research methodology.

5. She earned her doctorate at the London School of Economics, and last year she received an Executive Diploma in Strategic Management from the Chartered Management Institute in the UK.

Wow!! Such credentials, The Talking Teacher must commend and congratulate Dr. Attride-Sterling for this step in her career.

The Talking Teacher is sure that there was much thought and careful consideration that went into choosing the Dr. for this post. A Dr. leading the Health Council, hmmm, I am sure that a Dr. Leading the Health Council was a no-brainer, no need to even explain why not, but please indulge me... The terminology, the mind-set, the way of life, the small innuendos that only Dr's. would understand would help her to make stellar decisions that would greatly benefit their council. This body seems ready to take their members professionally forward and prepared to meet any challenges that may come up in their way. Well done.


Then the Talking Teacher considered the Bermuda Educators council.....hmmmmm......ummm......errrrrrrrr......what a contrast!!

Step into technology-challenge yourself then let your students fly.....

I know I said that I was going to take a little break for the summer, but , the Talking Teacher, being the consummate learner has stumbled upon a video that he must share. I challenge you to go out on a limb this summer and broaden your horizons. Adopt some new skills, there is a lot of internet techie stuff out there, push yourself, then in September go back and push your students. Check the video:







New Classroom Rules (as taken from Education Innovation )

1. Come to school every day, unless you would rather just go on line.

2. Come to class on time, or log into your online class anytime day or night, whenever it is most convenient to you.

3. Leave your seat only when necessary, which should be often to go collaborate with others or demonstrate something to the class.

4. Bring required materials, including your laptop and cell phone every day.

5. Talk only when permitted, text at all other times.

6. Don't Talk to your neighbors, unless you are sharing your ideas, asking for help or giving help.

7. Use polite speech when speaking, blogging, texting, Twittering, instant messaging, etc.

8. Do not cheat, but remix, re-purpose, and sample other peoples’ work and ideas and give them credit.

9. Follow the teacher's directions immediately and your peers’ directions too.

10. Be polite, courteous, and respectful at all times in both physical and virtual space.

11. Complete all assignments neatly and on time and submit on line or post to your blog or wiki, and share it with your followers on Twitter.

12. Keep your hands to yourself, but share all your ideas and knowledge with others in your Personal Learning Network.

13. Be quiet in lines, hallways, and restrooms, unless you are at home and logged into your on line classroom, in which case you can dance and play music.

14. If you need help raise your hand, but don’t wait for the teacher get help from your neighbors and post your question to your online Personal Learning Network.

15. Know what you are supposed to be learning, why, and what you will do with the knowledge.

Whew, made it to the end of the school year...

The end of the school year usually hits the Talking Teacher with mixed feelings. I can't get over the fact that the year is done, there are things that you wanted to try and didn't get a chance to do, there are students that you may never see again, there is an emptiness when you stand there and watch the last student walk away...


Teaching is a most noble profession, and I love being in the clasroom, but the Talking Teacher wonders why many get it all twisted. I don't watch NASCAR, but, I understand the fans tune in to see the driver negotiate his way around a track at speeds that glue the driver to the seat of the finely tuned car. People don't tune in to watch the guy who changes the tire, nor the guy who put gas in the tank, or even the main track coach who wears the headphones and keeps in constant contact with the driver. Nope, people don't tune in to see them. Now don't get me wrong, they are important, they have a role to play. BUT the main person is the driver and his car.

The Talking Teacher feels that education has become a bit twisted. Many of us tend to think that the classroom is not the place to be and one needs to strive for "upward mobility" , and those that do have drive, show initiative and are clicked on. Interesting, when I went to school, I went to study education, to become a teacher, to be in the class. I LOVE being in the class. Does my not wanting to be a mentor or some departmental official mean that I have no drive or initiative?

The class is where it is at!! The class is the main event, everything else, everyone else is playing second fiddle, everyone else is support staff...the PIT CREW!!! The teacher and the class can be likened to the driver and the car, they are what makes the difference, the class is where the magic happens, the class is the best place to be, everyone else, mentor, principal, departmental people, directors, you are support staff, you ensure that the teacher has what they need to keep going. Just as the driver and car cannot be a success without the pit crew, we cannot be a success without your support.

Why is it then that many strive for these positions, and please do not get the Talking Teacher wrong, but many think that positions are where it is at. The funny thing is that when they are given these positions, for some strange reason, they do not even play their pit crew role well, I am not betting that when the NASCAR pulls in, the tire changer says," You need to fill out this form, even though you have filled it out every year for the past x years and nothing has changed, fill it out and then we'll see if we can get some tires for you..." Never will you hear that. NEVER!! So why is it that we treat the teacher and the class that way?!?!?! I don't understand...or maybe I do, maybe it is our view of the class and the teacher. When the funk hits the fan, who is the first to get the blame? THE TEACHER!! When things go well, who is the first to get the praise? The principal!! cheesh......


So my good people, after seeing people who have no skills , sorry, I lie, people who have butt kissing skills get position after position and who offer no more information then the snake oil salesman of the wild wild west. Who strove for position, for mere name dropping sake or to feel "important" or because being in the class in underneath them, "me be in the class? Do they know who I am and what I have done? " I say unto you this day-the class and the teacher is the most important part of this whole operation. Don't get it twisted, the classroom is WHERE ITS AT!!!!


This is going to be my last post for a while, going to take a break from it all, change gears, switch mind set, recharge my batteries so that I can be ready for September. To all my teachers, my fellow colleagues out there in the trenches- have a great summer- enjoy it-let you batteries recharge!!!!


PEACE-The TALKING TEACHER IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should abilities be mixed?

The talking teacher was in a meeting just last week where a teacher was complaining about their students and how most were "so not motivated". They went on to say that if they were able to split the students up in ability grouping, high fliers, lower, medium etc., she would be able to cover more ground with the high fliers and then she would be able to better differentiate? WELL WHAT?!?!?!? Differentiation should be taking place in EVERY CLASS, and for EVERY ABILITY. I could go on about how if you go to a restaurant, be it Italian or island cuisine, you won't get one thing on the menu, or, if you turn on your t.v., there is one show on many channels, no, you have a choice, teach that way. Yes, it is challenging, and calls for much planning, but it PAYS!!!! Here is an article that backs my view.

So in an unusual experiment, Cloonan mixed up its sixth-grade science and social studies classes last month, combining zeros and ones with twos. These mixed-ability classes have reported fewer behavior problems and better grades for struggling students, but have also drawn complaints of boredom from some high-performing students who say they are not learning as much.

The results illustrate the challenge facing this 15,000-student district just outside New York City, which is among the last bastions of rigid educational tracking more than a decade after most school districts abandoned the practice. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Stamford sorted students into as many as 15 different levels; the current system of three to five levels at each of four middle schools will be replaced this fall by a two-tiered model, in which the top quarter of sixth graders will be enrolled in honors classes, the rest in college-prep classes. (A fifth middle school is a magnet school and has no tracking.)

More than 300 Stamford parents have signed a petition opposing the shift, and some say they are now considering moving or switching their children to private schools. “I think this is a terrible system for our community,” said Nicole Zussman, a mother of two.

Ms. Zussman and others contend that Stamford’s diversity, with poor urban neighborhoods and wealthy suburban enclaves, demands multiple academic tracks, and suggest that the district could make the system fairer and more flexible by testing students more frequently for movement among the levels.

But Joshua P. Starr, the Stamford superintendent, said the tracking system has failed to prepare children in the lower levels for high school and college. “There are certainly people who want to maintain the status quo because some people have benefited from the status quo,” he said. “I know that we cannot afford that anymore. It’s not fair to too many kids.”

Educators have debated for decades how to best divide students into classes. Some school districts focus on providing extra instruction to low achievers or developing so-called gifted programs for the brightest students, but few maintain tracking like Stamford’s middle schools (tracking is less comprehensive and rigid at the town’s elementary and high schools).

Deborah Kasak, executive director of the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform, said research is showing that all students benefit from mixed-ability classes. “We see improvements in student behavior, academic performance and teaching, and all that positively affects school culture,” she said.

Daria Hall, a director with Education Trust, an advocacy group, said that tracking has worsened the situation by funneling poor and minority students into “low-level and watered-down courses.” “If all we expect of students is for them to watch movies and fill out worksheets, then that’s what they will give us,” she said.

Click here for the rest of the article from the New York Times.


Teachers, raise your standards, let's get a better mental view of our young scholars!!! Challenge them, raise the bar, they will rise to the occasion!!

At Last, Facing Down Bullies (and Their Enablers)

Interesting read from the Ney York Times:

In recent years, pediatricians and researchers in this country have been giving bullies and their victims the attention they have long deserved — and have long received in Europe. We’ve gotten past the “kids will be kids” notion that bullying is a normal part of childhood or the prelude to a successful life strategy. Research has described long-term risks — not just to victims, who may be more likely than their peers to experience depression and suicidal thoughts, but to the bullies themselves, who are less likely to finish school or hold down a job.

Next month, the American Academy of Pediatrics will publish the new version of an official policy statement on the pediatrician’s role in preventing youth violence. For the first time, it will have a section on bullying — including a recommendation that schools adopt a prevention model developed by Dan Olweus, a research professor of psychology at the University of Bergen, Norway, who first began studying the phenomenon of school bullying in Scandinavia in the 1970s. The programs, he said, “work at the school level and the classroom level and at the individual level; they combine preventive programs and directly addressing children who are involved or identified as bullies or victims or both.”

Click here for the rest.

Graphic Novels

The Talking Teacher is always trying to think outside of the box, and I'm sure, like most of his colleagues, is always thinking of ways to get his students actively engaged in the learning process. So, this year, Graphic Novels were introduced into the class. THE STUDENTS LOVED THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first was a book called "Ghost" followed by "American Born Chinese" and a few more. I must say, the students ate them up!!! Many are reluctant to try graphic novels in the class and sadly, don't even see them as a viable learning tool, dismissing them as simple "comic books". Sad......

Take a look at this article:
When Art Spiegelman won the Pulitzer Prize for Maus in 1992, graphic novels began to shed their stigma as a childish, escapist genre. Recently, Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese, a narrative weaving the ancient Monkey King fable with contemporary Chinese-American tales, was the first graphic novel nominated for a National Book Award.

“Graphic novels entice students to read because they think of them in the same way they think of video games. Visuals enable students to comprehend and infer from the text,” says sixth grade teacher Donna Kasprowicz, who integrates Yang’s work into her curriculum. Click here to read the rest.

Last night's show

We had two segments in this show. First, we had Mr. Eric Bean of CedarBridge Academy, talking about their upcoming 100 Men on campus day. This looks to be an event that is sure to make an impact on some young male scholar's life-if you have time, and you are male, check it out!

We also had our book chat, sponsored by iTEACH, discussing a few chapters in the book "The Dreamkeepers" .

Listen for yourself:

The Dame Jennifer Smith Awards

Last week Thursday they were held, we salute our young scholars from the East End who received awards. Well done! Keep up the good work!

Effective teachers key to better education-Whoa, I didn't know that....thanks

Gates Foundation study: Effective teachers key to better education
Posted by:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead, it found that the key to better education is not necessarily smaller schools but more effective teachers.
Some people might cringe while recounting how much money the foundation spent figuring this out. But the foundation's new CEO, Jeff Raikes, smiles and uses it as an example to explain that the world's wealthiest charity has the money to try things that might fail.
"Almost by definition, good philanthropy means we're going to have to do some risky things, some speculative things to try and see what works and what doesn't," Raikes said Wednesday during an interview with The Associated Press.
Raikes talked of a study of the Los Angeles Unified School District after an initiative to reduce class sizes led to a liberalization of rules on who could be hired to teach. The district found that whether a teacher had a certificate had no effect on student achievement.
Raikes said the district found that putting a great teacher in a low-income school helped students advance a grade and a half in one year. An ineffective teacher in a high-income school held student achievement back to about half a grade of progress in a year. Read more in this Associated Press article on Google's hosted news website.

Thought quote for the day:

"Kids need 2 watch teachers learn - not teach."

Reform is in the air...

It seems like all around, there are school systems talking about reform, trying to boost retention rates, graduation rates, and improve "failing" schools. Here is an exerpt from an interesting article, it highlights the approach that the newly appointed Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan has taken:

CHICAGO—For years, the Julia Ward Howe School in Chicago's Austin neighborhood was beset by discipline and academic problems. At one point, only 20 percent of the students at the K-8 public school were meeting state academic standards. In 2008, Arne Duncan, then leader of Chicago Public Schools, was so fed up he approved what usually is seen as a nuclear option: To save the school, he fired the entire staff and put a nonprofit group in charge. New principals and teachers were brought in to set the school on the right path. "Sometimes it takes a fresh start," says Don Feinstein, executive director of the Academy for Urban School Leadership, the nonprofit group that took over Howe in September and now runs a total of eight "turnaround" schools along with six teacher-training academies in the city.

Interesting huh? Read the rest here.

What do you think? Leave your comments.

Parental Help with Goals Gets the Grades

In a new meta-analysis on parental involvement, researchers found the highest positive effect on student achievement among middle schoolers whose parents engaged them in goal setting that valued education as integral to future successes.

Though middle school is often marked by declining interest in academics in favor of social pursuits, it's also the time when adolescents begin to internalize personal goals. Parental guidance on goal setting and learning or studying strategies tied to achieving those goals goes a long way for students at this age.

Parental involvement with homework had less of a clear connection to academic gains--some students found parents helpful, while others found their parents' help confusing or over-bearing.

click here to read the rest

Support the Dame Jannifer Smith Awards this week

Every year Dame Jennifer Smith Awards are given to those students who exuded excellence in the public schools situated in St. George’s parish both primary & middle schools. It is housed at the East End Primary School every year. Parents, family & community members come out. Students receive plaques, books, etc.. from Dame Smith. It is a really nice function. Teacher Talk encourages you to go and support it-this Thursday, the 28th of May at 730pm at the East End Primary School.

Alpha Phi Alpha

The goal of Teacher Talk is to not only showcase the efforts of our fine educators and to highlight the workings of the Union, but to bring all stakeholders to the table. This show featured one such stakeholder in the form of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Listen as Brother L. St. Leger explains the history of the fraternity as well as the initiatives of the Alphas on the island. Click below to listen to the show. Also, we had a Teacher Talk FIRST!!!! They actually stepped in the studio!! Check the video to see how it all went down. Leave a comment, we'd like to hear from you.

Yesterday's meeting...

Whew, what a meeting, apart from the fact that the whole meeting ended up turning into a box of frogs, a few pieces of information did come out. Here are a few:

1. We have adopted the IGCSE program. Click here to see what it looks like.

2. You can leave a comment and/or question for the board chair Mr. Byrne on the Ministry site. Click here.

3.The new curriculum is due to be implemented in September 2009.

4. Certain programmes will remain such as the reading initiative.

5. A few teachers will be trained by Cambridge as workshop presenters on how to use the curriculum.

6. Certain elective courses may be cut at the middle school level.

7. Vocational courses will be implemented in the new curriculum.


Interesting meeting, but the Talking Teacher wonders if we are equating reform with the new curriculum, are we? What do you think? Leave a comment.

Flight EdCIE2009 about to take off....

Ever tried to build a plane while flying it? This mammoth, seemingly crazy task is similar to the one that we face. The new curriculum is coming- get over it. Yes, it may mean that some things are going to be a bit different, but you know your content and you know your material, other than Social Studies, things are going to be basically the same. Is the time frame given too short? Maybe, but, we all admit that we must do something, and we can’t wait much longer to do it. Which brings us back to the title of this blog- is it possible to build a plane while flying? That is what we are going to have to do. How? Stay tuned. Why? Our young scholars need it!!

Check the video- leave a comment, tell us what you think.

Don't forget the meeting.

Good Day Colleagues,
Tomorrow’s meeting, Wednesday, 20th May 2009 scheduled at 4:30pm at The Berkeley Institute is of the utmost importance to all educators and the future of education in Bermuda.

The main agenda item is the NEW CURRICULUM and its implementation for September 2009. The Minister, Hon. Elvin James and the Chairman of the Board of Education, Mr. Mark Byrne will be in attendance to answer any and all questions.

As members of the Education Board charged with representing our entire membership, it should be noted that we have some reservations regarding the implementation. We need to have the input of all members who will be charged with delivering the new curriculum. You are the soldiers on the front line who will be responsible for the success of any programme changes for the Bermuda Public School System.

Please be advised that babysitting services will be made available for members with young children so that you may attend the meeting.

We hope to have standing room only in a bid to show solidarity as concerned educators, citizens and parents.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Top 100 Tools for Learning 2008

View more presentations from Jane Hart.

So much technology!!

I am trying to dive into the world of education based technology, or should I say, merging the many different applications and software out there with my classwork. This is an exciting task, but, THERE IS SO MUCH OUT THERE!!!! It is unbeleivably overwhelming the amount of technology that is available for teachers to make their lessons a little more snazzy. PBwikis, blogs, podcasts, smartboards, twitter, digg, facebook, arrgghh!! The list is endless!! But I can say that the talking teacher has aimed to focus on 5 different things and hone in the skills and do it well. As there are soooo many things out there, I figure that if I focus on 5, I should be able to master them, and then branch on to other forms of technology. Only thing, I will have to be superfocused as I am usually blown about by the never ending winds of technology!! lol It is windy out there, but I challenge you to take a leap, a techie leap...go ahead, try some new form of technology for your students. Leave some feedback and share what you did and how it affected your students. Here I leave with you the Bloom's Technology Chart.

"Last night of Fun"

We had Mrs. P. Nesbitt on the past show along with two students who shared their excitement about their upcoming "Last night of Fun." Listen and share in their excitement and zeal about their upcoming showcase of talent!

Caribbean Union of Teachers Workshop in St. Croix

What an informative time!! Workshops were held on the island of St. Croix, put on by the Caribbean Union of Teachers to enlighten members on technological moves as well as the process of collective bargaining. This member attended, and got a chance to network and forge new links, while reinforcing others, with units from around the Caribbean. The photos and video show some of the events that took place. On May day, the first of May, there was a sing and March held in the parking lot of the University of St.Croix to commemorate the struggles of those who have led in the past, and the promise of things to come.
More to posted later.

Place your order...

The talking teacher is seeing all that is going on in the wonderful world of education right now and wonders what will come out of this mighty whirlwind that we are in right now. Let's look at education like a meal, like food. I wonder if we are taking the fast food approach to things. Quick fixes, let's do this like yesterday. Rush in, order, change the order, add a few things, take a few things, but I want it my way and in 5 minutes or less. Fast food is good, don't get me wrong, we all like a ice queen order of wahoo and french fries, but, Is this approach the one we should approach reform in Bermuda?

Let's look at the counterpart to the fast food meal, the 4 or 5 course meal. It takes time, it requires patience, it calls for the best supplies and ingredients to be produced, but the outcome is exquisite. It may even cause the taster to scream out "BAM" in an "Emerilistic" tone. ...

The Talking Teacher wonders if we are rushing too fast to make major overhauls to education. It seems like we got the report that the transmission is not that great, but we want to, while the car is in the garage, change the engine, tires, windshield, and everything else, when the initial report said that the transmission was in need of an upgrade.

We know and agree that something needs to be done as soon as possible, BUT, some things can't be rushed, fast food, or 5 course meal? Which do you want?

Mr. Mark Byrne, Chairman of the Board of Education

Tomorrow's Voices-Autism month

To end Autism awareness month, we had Tomorrow's Voices. Tomorrow’s Voices - Bermuda Autism Early Intervention Centre was the brainchild of two parents of autistic children, Ms. Tricia Crow and Ms. Thea Furbert. As the founders and former President and Vice President of BASE these parents felt that there was a need for a place that could provide hands-on Applied Behavior Analysis/Verbal Behavior services for children on the Autism Spectrum. With the help of donors, the autism community, friends and family their brainchild became a reality with Tomorrow’s Voices – Bermuda Autism Early Intervention Centre officially opening its doors to clients in October 2007. 

Want to learn more about what they do? Click here to go to their site.

What a creative video-I love it!!!

Oxygen from Christopher Hendryx on Vimeo.

Despite Dangers, Afghan Girls Determined To Learn

This article speaks for itself, take a read, or take a listen:

Check the bottom for a link to take you to scenes of Afghanistan.

click here to listen

All Things Considered, May 1, 2009 · Public education is among the many casualties of the growing war in Afghanistan, and the threat of violence is especially acute for Afghan girls. Parents, who in the past did not allow their daughters to go to school because of societal taboos, are once again keeping them at home because of the threat of attacks by militants wielding acid or worse.
But many girls are refusing to give up their schooling — no matter what the cost.
The Afghan government, aid groups and defiant teachers are operating public schools as well as secret, in-home classes in a risky effort to ensure that Afghan girls get an education.
Nearly half of the country's children do not attend classes, most of them in the Taliban-rife south, says Afghanistan's education minister, Farouq Wardak. Hundreds of schools have closed in Kandahar and neighboring provinces because of militant attacks and threats.
Acid Attack On Girls, Teachers
Education officials say more often than not, girls in Kandahar and the surrounding provinces simply stay home — especially after attacks such as those last November when men on motorcycles sprayed or poured acid on 11 female students and four teachers as they headed to school in the city.
Shamsia Hosseini was the most badly injured in the attack. The burn marks are still visible on the ninth-grader's face; she needs surgery her family cannot afford. Still, unlike most others who were attacked that day, Shamsia has returned to the Mirwais School for Girls.
She describes what happened to her in a rapid monotone. She says she refuses to dwell on the attack, and she is clearly still traumatized.
Shamsia goes to the front of the cavernous classroom and reads a passage in Dari from a well-worn textbook. But she quickly falls apart.
"I can't do this," she mutters, and returns to her seat.
Staying Home Not The Answer
The younger students at her school are more enthusiastic. In a UNICEF tent that serves as a classroom, 8-year-old Shazia points to Quranic verses on the chalkboard and reads them aloud for her classmates to repeat as a fighter jet flies overhead.
Their teacher, Sadigha Rezaie, puts on a brave face for the children. But inside, she, like most teachers, is frightened.
"It's very unsafe in the city. Every time you walk to school, you're looking behind your back to see if a motorcycle is following you. And it's even scarier because we're with these little girls," she says.
Education Continues In Private Homes
There is another option for the girls of Kandahar.
In the walled courtyard of her parents' house in Kandahar, 17-year-old Marzia Sadat teaches a Dari language course. Her students, who range in age from 14 to 40, all wear their opaque burkas in class on a recent day, guarding their anonymity against Western visitors.
The youngest, Amina, says her parents have always refused to let her go to school because of the threats. But they agreed to let her attend this class because it takes place inside a neighbor's home.
The 10-month course is similar to secret classes Afghan girls attended during the 1990s, when educating girls was banned under the Taliban. But now, the effort is sanctioned by the Afghan government and funded by international groups like the World Food Program and the Canadian International Development Agency.
Afghan supervisors, who asked they not be taped or named for fear of reprisals, say they started about 200 of these in-home courses two years ago.
Clandestine Classes Keep Hope Alive
Today, the number of classes exceeds 400, each with about 30 students. To help coax families into sending their girls, students are given wheat, cooking oil and salt.
Teachers, such as Sadat, receive no salary but instead receive food staples, too. Sadat says she doesn't mind because her aim is to make sure her country doesn't fall to militants.
"I want to serve my nation and my country. If the militants kill me, so be it. I pray to God as do my mother and father and that gives me the strength not to be afraid," she says.
Sadat says her efforts are paying off. Her student, Amina, says she is determined to stay in school so she can become a nurse or doctor someday.
Threats, Options For One Girl
Fourteen-year-old Golalai Achakzai doesn't attend school — and hasn't for nearly 18 months, she says, because her father won't let her go, although her situation is different from most Afghan girls.
Her father, Darweza Achakzai, is a dual Afghan-German citizen and chemistry professor who returned to his native Kandahar to teach.
Achakzai looks sadly at the shy teenager he adopted in Afghanistan. He fiddles with his worry beads as he explains in German to a visitor that he has no choice but to keep her home.
"People assume I'm rich because of the fact I moved here from Germany. So she's a target for kidnappers. They'll cut off one of her hands and send it to me and tell me to pay a ransom if I want her back," Achakzai says.
Such fears are founded. The professor's late wife, Sitara, who served on Kandahar's provincial council, was gunned down earlier this month in front of their home. Achakzai says the only hope for his daughter's education is for them to leave Afghanistan, which he plans to do next month.
It's an answer for this family, but not an option for countless other girls in Kandahar.

Click here for pictures.

Same thing all over the world-We must stand together!!

The Talking Teacher has just recently returned from a Caribbean Union of Teachers conference in St. Croix (pictures to follow) and have had a lot of different thoughts on his mind as a result. One thing is this- all around the world, teachers are going through the same struggles, the same celebrations, the same issues. Check this from a recent BBC post, about teachers in Africa:

Teachers in Zimbabwe have called off a strike despite their wage demands not being met, while the government has slashed school fees for the new term.

David Coltart said the government had no money to raise their salaries, but he had agreed to help teachers by giving their children free schooling.

Teachers' groups said they accepted the government was struggling for funds and needed time to raise revenue.

Teachers are paid $100 (£66) a month but unions wanted four times as much.

Interesting huh? Yes, different economy and all, but same thing, teachers are not worth their weight in gold, yet every politician loves to get up and say how much we love our teachers, and they love to state ever so proudly that they were once teachers. (well, why did you leave?That's another entry...)

So to all the teachers around the world, to all of the teachers unions, hang in there, last Friday was May Day. May 1st, labour day for many countries around the world. To all the unions, we support you- SOLIDARITY FOREVER!!!

Ch 3 Seeing Color, Seeing Culture Questions

Here are the next set of thought /discussion questions for the book club. Remember to feel free to tune in, as well as to leave a comment on the blog.

The chapter begins with the part of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech, I have a Dream.

1. Do you consider yourself a Cultural Relevant teacher? Why or why not?
2. Why do you think Dr. Ladson-Billings began this chapter with a vignette? Do you have any experiences to share like this?
3. AT the end of the vignette on page 31, last sentence..What are you doing to make your students feel, special, important & smart?
4. Do you feel that we acknowledge the racial & ethnic differences of the students whom we teach? Why is this so important?
5. On page 32, Billings, speaks about an early study that was conducted on pre-service teachers, paragraph 2. Read paragraph 2 and think of our school and its culture to answer the 3 important questions.
6. Page 32 – If a teacher looks at a classroom and sees the sons and daughters of slaves, how does that vision translate into her expectations for educational excellence. When we look at our children and see the faces of those who have socio-economic and educational problems, do we lower our expectations for these children?
7. What happens when teachers don’t see racial or ethnic differences in their classrooms?
8. Let’s compare the culture relevant Teacher to the Assimilations teacher.
9. Do you feel Joe Public, looks at our public school system as catering to the lower white income families PLUS blacks & the private schools are for the WHITES and upper class blacks. Do you feel this is true?
10. Page 35 Ms. Dupree states that when one of her students asked, “why you so dressed up?” she replied that she dresses that way because she was coming to work & works with very important people, so she wanted to look good. Do feel professional attire speaks volume for the teacher & their profession?
11. Page 35 describes Pauline Dupree what she looks like, how she dresses & what her classroom looks like & how it is run. The conclusion made was that the students were well behaved and orderly. What does this speak to in reference to the role model teachers are to their students?
12. What persona is given off by those teachers who dress poorly? Should professional dress be revisited here in Bda?
13. If you look good, you feel good, you want to be the BEST!!
14. Read pages 36 & 37, Dupree is talking with her students about wanting to become a teacher. Do you have these conversations with your students? Explain
15. Hwy is it important to see yourself as part of your school’s community? Explain the phrase, teaching is giving back to the community. Do you encourage your students to do the same?
16. Do you fit the mold of Dupree ”neat & orderly”, or Deveraux ”organized chaos”?
17. Deveraux had a missing child so she activated her –telephone tree, do you agree with having something like this as a teacher?
18. Parental involvement – What do WE do to get parents involved?
19. What are the characteristics that an excellent teacher should have that would inspire young scholars to want to become a teacher?
20. How important is it to spend time outside of the classroom to build community spirit? What would that looks like?
21. Do you see teaching as an ACT, Science or ART. Explain.
22. Do you see yourself in your students? Do they have your experiences, background, stories?
23. Peggy Valentine is on of the best teachers at the school she teaches. Her principal doesn’t like her personally, BUT he does acknowledges her as one of his best. Do you feel our leaders can separate the personal from the professional?
24. Do you believe that ALL students can achieve? Support your answer. – refer to CH2 page23 to assist you Why is it important to have a classroom that shouts success & a loving environment? What does this look like?
25. Does the competence of your Principal dictate the success in your classroom & in your school? Why or why not?
26. Is it important that students say positive affirmations to begin & end their day?
27. What are some practices we can take as educators from our colleagues in Chapter 3?
28. Why is it important to help students make connections between their community, island and the world?
29. One of her subjects – Margaret Rossi, states that she hated working at the private schools because she felt students were given material things BUT lacked sincere parental involvement, parents did what they were told they had to-do and nothing extra. Relate this to both our private & public schools.
30. Bermudian students are known for their talkativeness, who will be their selves no matter what and who will tell you exactly how they feel. Do you feel this is a strength, If so how can teachers best utilize this strength?
31. How does teaching with culturally relevant practices “dig knowledge out” of students?

The Mentor Program

This Washington Post article shows the importance of a proper mentor program. Read it, leave a comment, share your thoughts on the topic.

Nationwide, schools in low-income communities lose 21 percent of their teachers every year, while those in more affluent areas lose 14 percent, according to the Education Department. Academic malaise and discipline problems drive many teachers out of schools in low-income areas. Half of all teachers quit within five years.

Mentoring is an unheralded but pervasive reform that has swept public schools during the past 20 years to stem the exodus.

In the District and Montgomery County, full-time mentors are dispatched from the central office to observe a new teacher's lessons and to offer tips on how to decorate a classroom bulletin board or build a class library. In Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties, the mentor is a specially trained teacher at the school.

Three months into her first year at Flower Valley Elementary, Lawrence had not yet divided her class into smaller groups for daily reading lessons, a cornerstone of instruction in Montgomery. She was nervous about managing the class while working with five or six students at a time.

Her mentor offered a suggestion: When teaching small groups, wear a firefighter's hat. Tell the class she is not to be interrupted at such times unless there's a fire . . . or someone needs a bathroom break.

"I can help you sit down and plan this," Robinson said.

Mentoring is available to virtually all new teachers. Since 1999, Virginia has required a mentor for every new teacher. The commonwealth also offers grant money to fund extra mentors at hard-to-staff schools. Fairfax schools use the money, about $2,000 per new teacher, to pay a team of about 30 mentors, mostly teachers who are retired or on family leave.

Good induction and mentoring programs have proven worth. But some programs are underfunded, with mentors who have multiple jobs or are "spread very thinly among many buildings," said Jennifer King Rice, an associate education professor at the University of Maryland.




Good news, Bermuda has this form of programming and should, for the most part be around for a while, many find their mentors rather effective and helpful-share your thoughts.

Multiple Intelligences

We had a show a few episodes ago where we highlighted the theory of Howard Gardner- Multiple Intelligence. There is a school in Georgia that is using this theory, and thriving as a result of it. Check the artlicle for yourself.



Smartville is the Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy, a charter elementary school, in Gainesville, Georgia. The nickname embodies the schoolwide philosophy: At Enota, the theory that everyone possesses unique talents and aptitudes isn't just accepted and celebrated, it's an integral part of school culture. Kid-friendly labels for Howard Gardner's eight intelligences -- punchy interpretations like "word smart," "body smart," or "nature smart" -- pervade the school, appearing in hallway signs and classroom conversations. The real-world activities afforded by the school's village persona, staff members say, allow students to explore and express the multiple ways of being smart.


"Some people learn by doing worksheets, some by acting it out, some by sculpting, and some by listening," explains Enota fifth grader Katherine Anderson. "We work together and show each other different kinds of smarts. It helps us choose what we want to be when we grow up."
This schoolwide application of multiple-intelligences (MI) theory to curriculum is not an ivory-tower exercise, say Enota educators. It is good teaching. "Changing the definition of smart needed to happen for a long time," says fourth-grade teacher Audrey Thornton. "Gardner's principle was written to build in flexibility. The beauty in it is that you can take the philosophy and figure out how it's going to work with your kids." In other words, adds fifth-grade language arts and social studies teacher Denise McConnell, "we don't teach content. We teach children."

Click here for the rest of the article.

To read an article to learn more about the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, click here.

"A Random Walk through the Forest" an evening with Dr. Christopher

We here at Teacher Talk must say that this show was rather informative and would encourage everyone to purchase this book. Dr. Christopher has taken the time to record the history of education in Bermuda, the book places it all in context as he shows what was going on in the cummunity, and how that helped to shape the events that forged new pathways in education. This is truly a book that is a must for every library, and will be an important read for generations to come. Make sure you purchase this book!!

A place at the table- Not ready for the rocking chair

Here's a finding worth mulling over:

At the end of their careers, accomplished veterans who still have much to contribute are being separated from their schools by obsolete retirement systems.

I’m one of those highly accomplished Baby Boomer teachers. I love working with my students. I love working with new teachers. I love working with colleagues in staff development. I love writing and researching. I love being a keeper of institutional knowledge for my school and my school system. I love developing my professional skills with experiences such as the Santa Cruz mentor training. My own children are grown, my personal life is in order, my professional network is strong, my knowledge is current, and my skills are refined by practice. I’m not ready to quit. I’m ready to do more.
I'm ready to take on new challenges, but I find that there are few options at this point in my career. Those of us who chose to stay in the classroom in our 30s are now expected to stay in our classrooms in our 50s. But by limiting how we are used, school systems fail to realize the full return on their investment in skilled classroom practitioners.


...It is a faulty and costly assumption to allow accomplished veterans, who have been the beneficiaries of a substantial, long‐term professional development investment, to walk away from their careers just because they are in their fifties. We must develop selection criteria and processes that enable veteran teachers to contribute to schools according to their expertise and level of commitment.

What do you think? Post your thoughts.

Discussion Questions for Chapter 1

We would like to thank you for joining us on this venture. Here are the discussion questions for Chapter 1. Please feel free to post your thoughts.

1. Why do you feel Dr. Ladson-Billings felt it necessary to entitle the Chapter – A dream Deferred? Give evidence to support.
2. Interpret the 5 vignettes used in the chapter to address cultural relevant teaching.
3. What are differences between educating whites versus educating blacks. In order for our students to receive a quality education, do they need to attend private schools? Why or why not?
4. How are teaching practices (how we teach/ the way we teach) different from curriculum (what we teach)? Is having a new curriculum going to improve teaching and learning practices? Why/why not?
5. What can teachers take from this chapter, to take steps to empower themselves and make a difference in their classrooms?


Here you go- post your thoughts, we can't wait to see what your groups have discussed.

Celebrate our Students

This past show featured our young scholars and what they are up to. We had Mr. Wendell "Shine" Hayward on to talk about the wonderful Spring into the Arts event that has just started and features talent from both public and private schools. In case you haven't seen it yet, you must check it out this week. It starts at 7 at the Ruth Seaton James Performing arts Center, you will not be disappointed as you bare witness to the best in amateur talent that this island has to offer. We also featured three people from the Berkeley Institute who were talking about their upcoming student conference, and event designed by the students, for the students, designed to address the issues that they want to know about. Kudos to them!! Then we had Mr. Harris and Mr. Virgil fro the Educational Center who shared their heartwarming experiences about their trip to Ghana, West Africa. Mr. Harris, personifies the statement- "The audacity of hope" as he is doing everything that he can do to reach his students, planting the seeds that will hopefully take root. Click here to listen to the show.

Try something new in your class, encorporate technology. Want to hook all of your students? Take the battle to their ground, use what they know best to reach them. Here is what a school is trying:


DAVIE - The fourth-graders sit in clusters in a darkened classroom at Nova Blanche Forman Elementary School, headphones over their ears and pencils in hands, jotting notes into science journals as they watch a report on the sun's layers play on iPods.

Down the hall, a class of third-graders watches a podcast on iPods to help them solve math problems. And in another classroom, first-graders read books and create their own video book reviews for their classmates to watch.

At this elementary school, iPods are more than just trendy devices for listening to music or watching movies. They help give classroom lessons, facilitate parent-teacher conferences, serve as teacher-training tools and deliver messages from the principal.

Students still get traditional drills from teachers and textbooks, but the iPods are a regular part of the curriculum.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

What do you think? Try it, you just might hook them.

Using cell phones in class? Well what?!?!?

In less than an hour, the Mary Passage Middle School students worked their way through more than 70 questions for a semester exam review, with every eighth-grader participating in a drill that looked more like a game show than a quiz.

"They only get one crack at it so they have to make sure they are right," said Neeley.

Cell phones, considered a nuisance or worse in many schools, are welcome at Passage. At least eight teachers are using them for a range of lessons, from reports to quizzes in English, social studies, science and math classes.

Principal Kipp Rogers is the man behind the move. Rogers teaches a math class in addition to his administration duties.

Last year the school ran out of calculators needed for a math exam, so he let a student use the calculator function on his cell phone. The student was excited to use a phone instead of a calculator. He found 19 of his 22 students had phones, a finding that squared with a 2008 Harris Interactive research study reporting four out of five teenagers carry cell phones.

But Rogers was aware of the potential for trouble, from students sending messages to each other during class to cheating or taking inappropriate photos and sharing them, an activity known as "sexting."

Click here for the rest of the article.

What do you think?

Why will they miss you?

If for whatever reason, you were not able to teach tomorrow, or next month, or next school year, would you be missed? The bigger question is, why would you be missed? Would you be missed simply because you were a fixture, having been in the same classroom, or at the same school for a looooong time? Or, would you be missed as you were an enzyme for change, you encouraged collaboration amongst your colleagues, you sought to use innovative methods to present your material, or you stood for what was right, no matter if it went against the popular opinion, namely, your chances of upward mobility may have been hindered by you simply expressing, even in a respectful way, what was right?

Why would you be missed? Think about it. If necessary, set your sails now, set a new and positive course, its never too late to change.

Fix the 9th Grade Problem in PreK

Contrary to public opinion, schools don't cause the achievement gap, and cannot close it on their own. We must not let society off the hook, noting that raising the average income of lower-income people by $4,000 a year would go far in closing the gap. Yet schools still have the biggest potential to help and when they fail to act, children become more disadvantaged. Among the promising school interventions that work— used best in combination—include preschool programs, smaller class size especially in the early years, use of cooperative strategies, personalized learning, extended time for learning, extracurricular activities targeted particularly for underachieving students, and, finally, providing high-quality teachers who understand the students, respect them, and believe that the students can learn.

The place to fix the 9th grade problem is in preschool. "The hill gets higher as we climb it . . . It is time to see the problem as the moral and ethical issue it is."

What do you think?

Are two teachers better than one?

More planning time for teachers will mean changes to the length of the school day for middle-schoolers in neighboring Jordan and Canyons districts.

Beginning next year, all Jordan middle schools will start two hours later on Fridays to give teachers paid time for team planning. Canyons middle schools will have the option of starting 60 to 90 minutes late or ending early one day a week, pending board approval.

The change in pickup and drop-off times will be an adjustment for busy families. For the districts, it means tweaking bus schedules.

But team-teaching isn't new. Other states have long cultivated so-called Professional Learning Communities. Utah's own Granite District has been doing it for eight years.

Elsewhere in Utah, though, teachers have pow-wowed on their own time and their own dime, said Michael Sirois, student achievement director at Canyons. "This is our way of formalizing and encouraging more collaboration. Teachers are accustomed to working in isolation. That's not the model we want here. We want teamwork."

Teachers at Crescent View Middle School are already believers.

The Sandy school adopted the "two-heads-are-better-than-one" approach in 2007, using trust lands money to pay teachers for an extra hour after school.

The program is voluntary, but most teachers participate, which "speaks to their commitment," said the school's principal, Greg Leavitt.


click here for the rest of the article

After presenting a workshop with a fellow teacher, this writer can say that he surely discussed the notion of team teaching with his colleague. The concept is one that can take the students to the next level, as well as energize the teacher as they team up to present a topic, a lesson, or a unit.

Try it, link up with someone, tell us what your experience was like.

Back to the Basics

Sometimes we think that we need to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, the answer is as simple as a phone call away.

Pinellas school officials acknowledge that student behavior is an issue, but they say they're working hard on new ways to tame unruly students.

Early in the school year, the two directors of school operations for high schools meet with each principal to identify goals based on data. One school might choose to reduce its number of referrals for defiance and insubordination, for example, while another might decide to reduce its out-of-school suspension rate.

The district gives each school leeway to choose a discipline program it thinks will work best. Some schools, including Countryside High, have ninth-grade learning communities that help kids transition from middle school. Several others, including Dixie Hollins High, have adopted a program called Positive Behavior Support that concentrates on preventing unwanted behaviors and building relationships.

At Lakewood, where in-school suspensions topped 1,378 last year, administrators decided to adopt a detention program that requires kids who are repeatedly defiant or disrespectful to stay on campus until as late as 6 p.m. under the supervision of two classroom teachers.

Concern over a high number of referrals — 3,100 in 2007-08 — led Lakewood officials to begin requiring teachers to contact parents when kids commit less serious offenses like being tardy and using obscene language.

But school principal Dennis Duda says there's more to it than enforcing rules. It's easy to punish, Duda says. What he's looking for is a change in behavior.



Duda, who has been principal at Lakewood for four years, makes it a point to be visible on campus. During class changes, he stands in the school's hub, checking for dress code violations and electronic devices.

He requires teachers to be visible as well, stationing them at classroom doors to curtail any rowdy behavior before it has a chance to come inside with the students.

When the final bell rings, all doors are shut and locked, forcing students to knock to get in. Duda says the practice has reduced tardiness considerably.

He likes the fact that most of the school's 1,575 students live in the area, which has a long-standing reputation for being economically and culturally diverse.

And despite a decrease in diversity among the student population, he thinks the return to a neighborhood school system has been good for Lakewood, knitting the community together and increasing the opportunity for parental involvement.

Click here for the entire article

Students give up wheels for their own two feet.

LECCO, Italy — Each morning, about 450 students travel along 17 school bus routes to 10 elementary schools in this lakeside city at the southern tip of Lake Como. There are zero school busesIn 2003, to confront the triple threats of childhood obesity, local traffic jams and — most important — a rise in global greenhouse gases abetted by car emissions, an environmental group here proposed a retro-radical concept: children should walk to school.

They set up a piedibus (literally foot-bus in Italian) — a bus route with a driver but no vehicle. Each morning a mix of paid staff members and parental volunteers in fluorescent yellow vests lead lines of walking students along Lecco’s twisting streets to the schools’ gates, Pied Piper-style, stopping here and there as their flock expands.

At the Carducci School, 100 children, or more than half of the students, now take walking buses. Many of them were previously driven in cars. Giulio Greppi, a 9-year-old with shaggy blond hair, said he had been driven about a third of a mile each way until he started taking the piedibus. “I get to see my friends and we feel special because we know it’s good for the environment,” he said.

Although the routes are each generally less than a mile, the town’s piedibuses have so far eliminated more than 100,000 miles of car travel and, in principle, prevented thousands of tons of greenhouse gases from entering the air, Dario Pesenti, the town’s environment auditor, estimates.

The number of children who are driven to school over all is rising in the United States and Europe, experts on both continents say, making up a sizable chunk of transportation’s contribution to greenhouse-gas emissions. The “school run” made up 18 percent of car trips by urban residents of Britain last year, a national survey showed.

click here for the rest of the article

Bermuda could learn from this model. The Talking Teacher remembers walking to school every morning,and then to "Nanna's " house in the afternoon. Later on, after getting on and off of the bus, yes, the bus. Some carry their children to and fro as if their prescence on the bus will cause them to break out into some horrid, horrific desease, but yes, the bus, and it is free now also. But you may not be able to walk to all of your schools, but the bus route will allow for a few steps, we used to be a society of healthy walkers, lets get back to it. One step at a time.