What is School For?

This week I'm wrapping up my first Masters course - Introduction to Curriculum Theories! Man. I wonder how long my teacher training would have taken me if it was all online, at my own pace. Probably like 45 minutes because those classes were largely repetitive and barely useful in a real classroom environment. (Get it together, BYU Education Program! More Classroom Management and actual teaching, less theory and methods!)

To finish the course, I have to write an opinion/personal philosophy paper, and I want YOU to weigh in. Yes you. My dear friend. You. Read the following brief summary and tell me what you think.


This class focuses on the four main ideologies held regarding education as a whole. Here is what these four ideologies generally support as the reason we have education:

Scholar Academic - school is for students to learn the collective information we've accumulated over hundreds of years in academia (math, science, history - below, language, humanities, etc), putting kids in college and making them experts in various disciplines. There is a set curriculum they need to know and will be tested on.

Social Efficiency - school is to prepare potential workers with skills, knowledge and behaviors they need to contribute and succeed in society. This is the Ron Swanson approach - we turn them into the workers that the market needs using a factory-like method: they go in as raw materials, they come out as polished, completed commodities (employees).

Learner-Centered - school is to help kids discover and self-actualize. These are the schools where kids individually decide what they want to learn and when, and kids are allowed to be kids.

10 Extra Awesome points if you get this reference

Social Reconstruction - society is ill, and school is how we heal it. We educate kids on the problems of the world (i.e. Kony, hunger, racism), teach them critical thinking and problem solving skills and then encourage them to take it forth into the world to turn this bus around.

Realistically, our public schools today are generally Scholar-Academic with more and more Social Efficiency as they get older (think MATC, Wood Shop, FFA, etc). We work in Social Reconstruction wherever we can, but especially in Utah we can't push too hard on social issues. Utah has several Montessori-type schools, and one self-proclaimed Learner-Centered school in Murray called Sego Lily School.

I have to write a paper on my personal philosophy of curriculum, referencing these four main ideologies. I'm on the social side - Social Efficiency and Social Reconstruction, but grounded in Scholar Academic. I think the way our society and education system is headed, if we can't get kids jobs and limit their student loan debt, we're gonna collapse in on ourselves! We need to be teaching kids skills the market needs - no more useless English degrees with $50,000 in student loans. We also need to be talking to them about social inequalities, demographic issues and horrors that need to be corrected - they are the future! Only they can control what happens when we get all old and decrepit. But still. I know my kids hate to hear this, but I USE MATH. Maybe not trig, but I still use everything up to Geometry and Algebra 2. Maybe even College Algebra. They need to know about our history, even if it won't apply to their future jobs because THEY LIVE HERE GOSH DANGIT. They need to know WHO THEY ARE. I'm just the teensiest bit biased here, obvs. Learner-Centered is great in theory, and I do try to incorporate their choice and interests wherever possible, but in reality it just doesn't work for most people/teachers/schools.

So I want to know, as I prepare to write this paper - what do you think? What is school for? 

Is school for learning information and ideas?

Is school for learning skills so you can get a guaranteed, good job?

Is school for discovering yourself and growing?

Or is school for preparing a generation to take on the world and fix all of societies problems?

Should we focus on information or skills? Thoughts or feelings? 

What is the most important? Can you choose just one?

Let me know! I want to get perspectives from parents, students, non-teachers and teachers alike. Love you all!

My Happiness Project: Week Three

You guys this might be my best week yet. I'm fitter, more energetic, making some good life plans and feeding my brain. Don't let my tweets about watching tons of episodes of cheesy teen dramas let you think I just sat on the couch last week. I freaking got shiz done.

Physical

- Exercise every day and push myself.
-- It was hard some days to drag myself off the couch when I had a sleeping puppy in my lap, but I worked out every day but Sunday. Zombies! Run, gym rat lifting, Kickboxing classes, jogging in the park with Glen Coco and yoga - I'm feeling good. You seriously never regret a workout. There's something about that sweaty, weak, tingly feeling after a tough workout. You want two things

1. A high-five or pat on that sweaty back
2. A ton of carbs

- Sleep 8 hours
-- Since May I haven't slept well. I've been staying up late, tossing and turning all night, and getting up early. Even in Hawaii the jet lag had me sleeping so weird, then I came home to crazy packing, 5k training, Mitch's Farewell, Boston, moving and settling in. I tried hard to go to bed at a reasonable hour, do my meditation/breathing exercises before bed and hit at least 8 hours a night.

- Eat Right. I really do feel like a million percent better when I eat tons of fruits and veggies and kick the sugar.
-- There was a huge batch of my homemade chocolate chip cookies on the counter all week. I'll have you know I only ate like 2 of them and didn't eat a thousand calories worth of bread. And I ate like 8 bags of Steamables veggies. Straight up nutrition over here. 

Learn

- Apply for Grad School.
-- I did it. I applied. It still makes me a little sick to my stomach to think that I will have homework again. But if I get in, I'll be able to get a Master's in under 2 years. Then I can make slightly more than nothing as a teacher.

- Learn more about dog training
-- We never got Glen Coco as socialized as he should have been. He LOVES people, especially little kids, but he gets really nervous around people/places/things he isn't familiar with. And as The Beard puts it "He's a barky little doosh." I checked out a few books from the library and read up about it. We're trying a few new techniques and he's already less barky and more calm! It's like I always say - the library can fix anything.

- Figure out Education Plans with The Beard
-- This one is still in the works, so hopefully I'll have some good news to share in the next couple of weeks, but we made some huge progress this week. The Beard went to some meetings and found some really cool programs that we're interested in. We're getting all kinds of grown up over here.

This week I'm tackling Finances and Spirituality -Already hitting it hard with my 30 day BOM schedule! Join me if you like! :)

My Happiness Project: Overview
My Happiness Project: Week One
My Happiness Project: Week Two

The 3 People You Meet at Parent Teacher Conferences

I have concluded that there are really only 3 types of parents that come to Parent Teacher Conference. There will be your anomalies and different flavors, but they'll all fit generally into these 3 categories. For your reading convenience they are listed from the easiest to the hardest. Enjoy.

#1 The Mandatory Parents

"Yes. Your child has 110% so everything really is fine. Thank you for coming. Bye."

These parents will go to every academic event, every school function AND bring their entire family. Always. Their kids are always at the top of the class and talking to the teachers is kind of a waste of time, but they do it anyway. Although I roll my eyes at them, I really appreciate them and their dedication to their student's education.

#2 The Interrogation Parents

"So he's telling me there is never any homework and that everyone is failing and that he's turned in everything and you just haven't graded it. Is that true?"

"Well..... no. Actually none of that is true. At all. Even a little bit."

These parents have kids that try to pull a fast one on them, but they use Parent Teacher Conference to attack confront their child in front of the teacher. It seems that tension has existed in their relationship for a while and the parents use this to spearhead the imminent conflict. With me watching. These kids might be B students or D students, but they get an A+ for Awkwardness and embarrassment.

#3 The Two Face Parents

"I know he is failing/he's just been so stressed/we had to move/we're getting a divorce/I'll have him stay after school/She's going to be grounded until this changes/I will make SURE she is up in time to get to your class first period/He's just been SO sick/Thank you so much for your help!"

These parents are the worst kind. They come in 100% on the teacher's side. They coo and simper and agree and justify. Their guilt (mixed with true parental concern, I am sure) forces them to Parent Teacher Conferences because they know they aren't doing everything they should as a parent, but they want to cover that up. And they probably honestly want to do better.

Today they are an attentive parent and a true ally, but tomorrow the kid will be late or absent from the first period class their mom PROMISED to get them to on time. Tomorrow their brand new iPhone won't be taken away as promised. This weekend they won't spend grounded and "working on homework," but instead having a great unsupervised weekend.

But even these parents, working 12+ hour days and cleaning pencil penises off my desks can't make me quit smiling over the 100% test scores, high fives and lightbulb moments I get every day. :)

More #jrhighprobs for Your Reading Pleasure

A few weeks ago my bestie Katie suggested that I write more about the funny things that happen at school. I'll oblige.

I think a lot of people still view school, and history classes in particular as super ineffective, useless and boring. Textbooks and movies and date memorization. In reality, education has come a long way. We focus on small-group collaboration, DOING rather than TELLING, and focusing on big themes and concepts rather than date/fact memorization. The new "big thing" is standards-based grading - meaning we ONLY grade whether they meet the standard or not - no behavior, homework, effort,

Last week we were studying the theme of Movement as we did our Europe unit, so we had a lesson about things that originated in Europe and are now seen as "American" and are important to our lives. The list included things like blue jeans, hamburgers and hot dogs, the music of the Beatles, Adele, One Direction, Led Zeppelin, etc, and principles of government like democracy and republics.

We mapped these at their origins and then the assignment was to write one page on something that came from Europe that they think is important to America today.

Here are a few funny exerpts from their papers (I did not correct their original spelling or grammar, fyi)

• France is a very "legit" place.
• Your not American if you don't at least know what a hamburger is.
• The hamburger is the ultimate sandwich it is no ordinary sandwich, it has a big slab of beef that is so good that it will tickle your tastebuds.
• Hamburgers are so jucie and meaty, and just really good and talking about this is makeing me really hungry.
• Cheeseburgers are one of the main reasons in the US for Obesity. Cheeseburgers in my opinion are amazing.
• One Diretion sings like angles.
• One Direction is probably the second best thing that has happened to American girls. Justin Bieber is probably the best thing thats happen to us. 
• Adele also came from England. She writes songs that make people want to cry.
• Adele has perfect skin she has no acne.
• The Sex Pistols music is crap, I won't sugar-coat it. They sound like an infint walrus being thrown into a blender while still consious and I love them for it.
• Music has saved many lives throughout the years. Yes, it may also lead other to a more worse depression, but overall, most lives are saved from it. 
• Girls wouldn't have their cute diamond butt jeans and guys wouldn't have their silly saggy jeans.
• Fences make it so you don't need to look or talk to them if you don't like them. 
• With a fence you can keep the neighbors dog of your lawn and poop free.
• If your yard looks uglie you should protect and block with a fence.
• Democracy is one of the greatest things America has, and I hope we never lose it.
• Democracy made our lives so much better because we would have a king and we would have a good chans that he would be mean. 
• Republics are important to our government. We need both (meaning democracy) to balance it out so we don't go crazy and start shooting.  

So many days I wonder what I'm doing. If I'm having a positive effect on their lives. If they are even learning. If I can overcome the overwhelming circumstances in their lives that inhibit education.

Then I read stuff like this and realize that I couldn't pay for better entertainment. And for the most part, despite the spelling and grammar, they understood the assignment and will remember the theme of movement and globalization every time they listen to One Direction. Maybe even Democracy. :)

Then I feel better and love my kids for a few more days. Until another penis is drawn on my desks. 

What are Marijuana Tablets?

What if, as a teacher, I took a strange liking to one of my students?

What if he was underage and I was a weirdo 40-something?

What if I followed him on Twitter?

What if I, after weirdly stalking his Twitter feed, noticed he had a party at his house over the weekend and one of his sketchy friends tweeted about having ecstasy at said party?

Would I ask the sketchy kid who tweeted about it? Would I ask the student who had the party, who is my student and and I respect?

Would I submit a concern to the administration, the people who's job is to deal with student discipline?

Or would I decide to announce to not one, but ALL of my classes the next day about the "ecstasy party" and the bad high school kids who would throw such a party, based solely on a tweet I saw while STALKING a TEENAGE BOY'S twitter feed?

No. The answer is - I wouldn't.

Because I'm not a psycho who follows her teenage male students on Twitter.

Because I have half a brain and understand that MAYBE a teenage boy can tweet something that isn't true simply for the comedic value. Call me crazy.

Because I would ask the real person who tweeted about ecstasy, not the respectable, stand-up young man who works so hard in my AP class and has never done anything remotely delinquent.

Because if I were concerned, I would address that stand-up young man personally, privately to ascertain the truth.

Because sharing that a kid who had a party last weekend (everyone knew about the party AND who threw it) was a bad kid and had drugs and alcohol at his party MIGHT be considered slander and is a generally terrible thing to share even if it WERE true. Which it isn't.

Because what would happen if that untrue information started being spread around town by people who don't know the stand-up young gentleman and might believe it?

Because I'm not only a normal human being, but I understand that as an educator I have a reasonable duty to be a positive influence and have a shred of integrity.

There is someone at Maple Mountain High School who does not share these values (also called common sense).

It's a good thing my little brother is the amazing kid that he is.

It's a good thing he has built such a good, honest, strong reputation that most people know he would never have ECSTASY at a party, or even be anywhere near it.

It's a good thing he's so mellow and such a good sport, which has enabled him to roll with this.

It's a good thing it wasn't me. Because she'd be sitting in front of the Board of Education explaining why she did all the aforementioned things.

My brother is the best kid I know, a worthy priesthood holder and a total drug-free rock star. And no, there was not ecstasy at his very clean, very Mormon party.

So the next time you want to make up some crap about a student and spread that around the school like a 13 year old girl, you better pick a different target than Mitchell Jeffrey Budge. 

Because no one messes with my family and gets away with it. You think this is bad? I get all my feisty from my momma. And you haven't even had to deal with her yet. Be afraid. Be very afraid. 

Why Your Parenting is Crippling Your Child, in 5 Easy Steps

The term ended a week and a half ago, but I've been bombarded almost endlessly by a few parents about their children's grades. Many are frustrated because their student received a low score on one of the big projects we had due at the end of the term.

There are several problems with that:

1. Why isn't your kid coming to talk to me? Either

A. Your kid doesn't care = your fault

B. You care way too much = your fault

C. You feel bad because you didn't pay attention to your kid's grades all term = your fault

You are teaching your kid that their grades are about you, and that you will step in and fight all their battles for them.

2. Classy move, attacking education. No, definitely plant that seed of cynicism and doubt in your 14 year old. Show by example that bad grades are the teacher's fault (OBVIOUSLY) so that they go the rest of their life shifting blame to others.

3. Wait to email me until AFTER final grades have been posted. Because the real world doesn't have deadlines, right? Nevermind that I send weekly emails home about upcoming projects and notable class events.

4. Use impersonal email to be meaner than you would be to my face to try and bully me as a new young teacher. These kids don't use enough texting/Facebook/impersonal communication as it is. You would never let your kid cyberbully, would you? But you feel no shame telling me that I am an unfair teacher, that my assignments are terrible (which, by the way, are mandated by the district, so thanks!), and that you're going to go over my head to the principal.

Too bad for you, I may be young, but I do not get bullied. Sorry. I'm still not going to give your C+ kid an A. Not to mention, Nebo School District is awesome and they have their teacher's backs.

5. Demand that I just change grades and give points, without asking why they were given/taken or requesting that your student can rework their work to make sure they actually learn the material. They shouldn't have to earn grades/points. What I'm being asked to make sure they do DOESN'T matter, after all.

In the real world, your kid won't have you to fight their battles. Are you gonna do this all through high school? What about college? Are you gonna be on a first name basis with their future boss?

In the real world, they can't just assume everything is their boss' fault.

In the real world, you miss deadlines and that window of opportunity slams shut on their privileged little fingers.

In the real world, there are big things due at the last minute that can hurt you if you don't do them correctly.

In the real world, you can't turn to a mean email to solve all your problems. You have to see your boss/coworkers every day. That's right. In person. Flesh and blood.

In the real world, if you don't do your work, it's still there waiting for you. It doesn't magically show up in your "points." Stuff needs to be done.

I don't write this because I hate you. I'm NOT a parent yet, that's true. I admire so much of what you're doing, this is just the only part that I see.

I don't write this because I hate your kid. I write this because I love your kid.

I love my job. Teaching is the greatest. I would love to do my job if you'd let me.

Can we be a team? Please?