Really Moving To Our New School Building

This Friday marks the last day for us at Clinton Street. I know you’ve heard things like this before, but this time it’s really, really happening.

Some of you, who’ve been at Clinton for 2+ years and teachers who’ve taught at this location for many years, are going to miss this well-worn, old building. To be sure, it has a unique collection of creaks, groans, pops and hums. There are the drafty windows, the crowded, noisy halls and the two facilities on opposite sides of the street that make our school at Clinton Street one of a kind. 

I don’t think I’ll be missing those things myself, but perhaps some of you will.

Of course, McAuliffe Charter School is much more than the building we are housed in. McAuliffe is an intricate blend of different people, each adding his or her own contribution to the symphony that is our school. 

But, change happens and when we begin the new year, we’ll be in our new building.

What will you miss?

What should we do in our new location to make it a “home” for us? 

This is an opportunity to reboot the school year and make changes to your lifestyle as a student. Do you have changes you’d like to make?

What’s In The Bag?

I almost got wiped out by a backpack this week.

I was walking down the hall and a student turned suddenly and her enormous backpack swung around and knocked into my side, sending me reeling toward another student. I thought I was going to accidentally hip-check the other student into a computer cart but I was able to regain my balance at the last moment.

“What the heck is in that bag?” I wondered as I walked away rubbing my side.

I started noticing how huge so many of the backpacks are that I see every day. I see 75-pound students lugging around 50-pound bags.

Is this part of some physical fitness program that I’m not aware of?  Are our scholars prepping for the Olympic weightlifting trials? 

All I know is that it’s a good thing we don’t have textbooks at McAuliffe, otherwise each of these kids would be pushing a wheelbarrow full of books, notebooks, folders, binders, and, of course, all my missing pencils.

Ahhhhhh, Yes; The Pencils

I thought I had this figured out but I guess i was wrong. Last year, my students went through about 100 pencils in the first five months of school (See my January 16, 2014 post). I suspected they were using them as building supplies.

This year is no different. At least one person in every single class needs a pencil. Talk about being prepared for class. I mean, think about it, if you’re a student here’s a list of what you need in every single class:

1. Pencil
2. Piece of paper

It’s like a carpenter showing up at a construction site, “Hey man can I borrow a hammer?”

I don’t get it, unless it is the first block of the day, you just came from a class. Didn't you have a  pencil in that class? Did you lose it walking across the hallway?  If that's true, why isn’t the hallway littered with pencils?

I thought I had it figured out this year. Instead of providing full-sized pencils with erasers, pencils that students might be tempted to keep, I ordered a box of 100 mini-golf pencils. They’re four inches long and have no eraser. No one wants to use, never mind keep, these pencils and yet, they are almost gone and it’s not even Christmas.

I have no idea what happens to pencils in a school but I am beginning to suspect there may be a room chock full of pencils somewhere in the basement. 

Has anyone checked, is our heating system fueled by pencils?

Breadcrumbs?

At the end of nearly every class I can be assured of at least two things. 

First, someone is going to leave something behind.

Sometimes, I find water bottles, snacks or entire backpacks. Often, I find pens, pencils or pencil boxes. Usually, it’s paper of some sort - hand-outs, do-now’s, exit tickets, notes, permission slips or homework. 

Whenever I find a homework assignment, I know someone is going to tell me the next day “I didn’t get one,” which I know, is probably not true because I’ve found it under his or her desk. 

I have always assumed the leaving of stuff behind was due to some overall lack of organizational skills but, it occurs to me, there may be other potential explanations.

Perhaps, my forgetful students are just so over-burdened with paper and supplies that they simply can not bear the weight of one more sheet of paper. The paper that broke the camels back as it were.

Maybe, they are simply being very efficient. If they are due back in my room for, say health class, later in the day, maybe they’ll just leave the paper for later and not lug it around all day.

Of course it could be for navigation. Maybe they are simply leaving a trail of papers so they can find their way back to my room - much like a trail of breadcrumbs.

I’m not sure what the reason for all the things left behind, but I do know two things: There’s gonna be something on the floor when my students leave...and, the second thing, I’m probably gonna pick it up.

What A Great Idea

A student asked me a question the other day and it really got me thinking.

“Do you get paid more for giving homework?” she asked.

“Huh,” was my surprised response, thinking I had not heard the question correctly.

“Do you get paid more for giving out homework?” she repeated, and this time a couple other students chimed in “Yes, we heard you get paid for giving us homework”

“Why would you even think that?” I answered, a wry smile on my face, but in the back of my mind, I was thinking about it.

Hmmmmmmmm, paid for assigning homework - maybe $5 per assignment per student? 

This might add up, I was thinking. I teach four classes and have about 60 students in those classes. That’s $300 a night. If I assigned homework seven days a week, that’d be an extra $2,100 a week. If I could give them two assignments per night, I could double my money. This could really add up. 

Wow, what a great idea. Brilliant. Ferrari, here I come. 

Now, all I have to do is get the Board of Directors to agree and... 

“Do you?” begged a chorus of middle schoolers, interrupting my thoughts.

“Uh, no, not at all,” I said. “Trust me, if I got paid for giving out homework, you’d be doing 12 hours of it a night.”

But, what a great idea...

There's No Exact Answer

As a math teacher, I spend a lot of time thinking and talking about numbers. As math students, I would suggest you also spend a lot of time thinking and talking about numbers. 

There’s one group of numbers that I find very interesting. They are kind of the odd balls of the number system - irrational numbers.

First - what is an irrational number? 

Let’s think about the word “irrational” for a moment. According to Thesauraus.com, synonyms for irrational include unreasonable, illogical, unjustifiable and more.

To put it simply, irrationals are the crazy numbers. 

An irrational number looks like any other fraction - for example: 22/7 - but there’s a catch. You can write 22/7 as a decimal and it looks like 3.14285714 and the decimal places go on forever, never repeats and never ends.  (You might recognize that number as Pi - an important number in math circles.)

And here’s the part of that crazy that boggles my mind: You can never get an exact answer.

Think about it - If I ask you to calculate the ratio of a circle’s circumference and diameter you’re going to tell me it’s 3.14 or Pi. But that’s not really true. It’s more of an approximation. Because the number changes depending on how many decimal places we look at. 

3.14 is not the same as 3.1415. They are different numbers and, yet, we accept both as being equal to Pi. We have to accept that the value we place on any irrational number is not exact, and it can’t ever be exact, because the decimals go on forever.

It’s irrational to think like that but we do.

You Know We Root For You, Right?

I'm going to pull back the curtain on the mysterious world of a teacher just a little bit today. 

We have lots and lots of work to correct - homework, do now's, exit tickets, class work, projects, lab reports, quizzes and, of course, tests.  We’re constantly reviewing and commenting on your work. 

Do you know we teachers root for you, our students, right?

It's true. 

We root for you every day. 

We’re excited when you show us how much you’ve learned.

I cannot tell you how often I have been grading a student's test and he/she will have correct answer after correct answer, then a mistake, and I feel disappointment for the student. I'm really hoping every answer is correct.

I hope every student gets a perfect score on every test I give. It doesn't happen often, but I'm always pulling for my students to do well.

I know sometimes it may not seem like it, but, trust me, we're on your side. 

We're rooting for you all the way.

I’ve Seen This Place Before...

When I was offered a position at McAuliffe Charter School, it was a little ironic. It was an interesting coincidence that, of all the 351 towns and cities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, my new school was going to be in Framingham.

You see, this is not the first time I’ve worked in Framingham.

I see the town of Framingham today through the eyes of a middle aged man with a wealth of experience in the world around him. When I first viewed Framingham, it was through the eyes of a 22-year-old college graduate who was starting his first job. I had zero world experience. I knew nothing about the “real world.”

I worked at a financial services outfit on Concord Street. Framingham was a different town then. They built cars in Framingham in those days and a train full of new cars rolling out of town was a common sight.

I remember there was a drug store down the block, where I would buy a bag of Fritos and a Tab for lunch some days. 

Across the street on the second floor was a tailor. I had him do some alterations for me and I had one of those, literally, unforgettable moments, when I looked down at his forearm and saw, just below his rolled up sleeve, a number tattooed into his skin. He’d been in a Nazi concentration camp and survived. It was an epiphanal moment for me, one where time stopped as I realized the significance of what I was seeing.

Last week, as we walked to Market Basket to do our expedition field work, we passed my old place of business. It was not lost on me how wildly unpredictable life can be. No one could have predicted all the twists and turns my life had to take to bring me back to the streets of Framingham.

The wide-eyed, ambitious young man who once worked here has been replaced by an older, wiser man intent on sharing his knowledge and experience with a new generation. 

As we all trooped past my old store front, I thought, “I’ve seen this place before, but through very different eyes.”

My Dilemma

I finished reading, or I should say listening to, The Omnivore's Dilemma last week. Just as the author suggested in the opening pages, I feel torn over what to eat. 

It sounds so simple: “What’s for dinner?” But, as I learned, it’s kind of a loaded question. It’s hard to make an informed decision when you don’t really have an understanding of what we’re eating, where it comes from and what other options might exist.

A lot of the book is about corn; how it’s grown, sold, processed, subsidized and eaten. And, just as importantly, who and/or what is eating all this corn and why.

So...much...corn. 

I had no idea.

So, after reading the book I now have a strong desire to make more healthy choices. To eat cleaner foods that are less processed and more natural and avoid high-fructose corn syrup and a host of other food additives. 

Theoretically, I’d like to eat grass-fed beef. I say theoretically because I suspect grass-fed beef is going to be a lot harder to find and much more expensive to eat on a regular basis than corn-fed beef.  I wonder if I could taste the difference. I might have to do a comparison. 

This all sounds good so far but here’s the problem: I don’t want to give up my unhealthy choices.

I don’t want to live in a world without sweet and sour pork, Reese’s Pieces, Big Macs, and Cap’n Crunch. 

The author was right - it is a dilemma. 

I’m going to need some time to think about this problem. To consider all my choices and the trade-offs inherent in choosing this or that to eat. To think about what I want and need. To think about my role in the vast industrial food complex. Do I want to support an industry that treats animals so inhumanly? Do I really want to eat food that’s been processed to within an inch of its life? Can I find better food to eat? And if I can find it, can I afford to buy it?

It’s a lot to think about. In the meantime, please pass the Fritos.

Mixed Emotions

As many people know, I left the Hellenic American Academy and accepted a position at the McAuliffe Charter School.

I loved teaching at the Hellenic. I felt welcomed and embraced by the students, staff and parents. Tuesday was the first day of school for the Hellenic and supply drop-off day at McAuliffe. 

The pictures from the first day made me feel homesick. I could imagine myself right there with them, starting a new year and I was sad not to be there with them.

At the same time, I was meeting some of my new students and it was really exciting. I’ve spent two weeks getting ready, doing professional development and becoming part of an amazing community of students, teachers and staff at McAuliffe. 

I was sad and excited at the same time.  

And you know what? 

It’s okay. 

There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad to leave such a wonderful group of people at my old school and there’s nothing wrong being excited to get started at my new school.  

Being excited about joining McAuliffe does not diminish my feelings about the Hellenic and missing my students at the Hellenic does not slight my new students at McAuliffe.

Mixed emotions. 

Sad and excited at the same time.

Why is Science Important?

I’ve come full circle. Before school started last August, I asked my students to write an essay addressing the following question:

“Why is science important?”

Their responses were interesting, to say the least. But, I’ve been thinking about that question all school year. Now, with the benefit of all that extra time, here’s my answer.

Learning and applying the scientific method helps develop a framework for decision making and for analysis. The “scientific method”  provides a road map on how to figure things out. And it doesn’t have to be big things; it could be as simple as figuring out why the Christmas lights won’t go on.

People assume some general level of understanding of scientific principals. If you become a parent, you’re going to be asked questions like, “Why is the sky blue?” or “Where do vegetables come from?” and you’re going to want to be able to provide some sort of informed answer. 

It’s important to have a fundamental understanding of the world around us - how and why things happen. If you have absolutely no grounding in science, you’ll find yourself believing almost anything. Trust me, folks have been taking advantage of people’s scientific ignorance for a long, long time. If you have a basic understanding of science, you can help yourself. 

Science informs our species' fundamental curiosity. Humans are always exploring, wondering and thinking about things. Science is a method of looking at the world and understanding why things work the way they do, where our species fits in and how everything interacts with the universe as a whole. 

And that’s why science is important, as I see it.

What is Rocky Really About?

It’s about setting a goal - a goal you’re not sure you can attain, then doing all the hard work necessary to achieve it. 

When Mrs. Minaker challenged me to blog for 100 days I didn’t think I could do it. I just didn’t have the time. Between school and all my part-time jobs and my master’s program, I didn’t see how I could fit in 100 blog posts. I decided to post something on every school day.

And here we are. 

Tomorrow is the last day of school and tomorrow will mark my 95th post. It has not been easy, but I made time each day to share some thoughts with my students. Sometimes they were silly and fun and sometimes they supplemented what I was teaching in class. I hope they have been interesting and entertaining.

I feel a sense of accomplishment to have achieved my goal. It was worth the time and effort. 

Tomorrow, for my last blog post, I will answer the question that I asked all my students to write about before I had even met most of them:

“Why Science is Important.”

Don’t Leave Home Without Your Safety Goggles

This is what I said to the Hellenic American Academy graduates yesterday. I think it applies if you graduated from middle school yesterday or four decades ago...

We’ve spent a year with you and we’d like to take this opportunity to share a little of our life experience. Hopefully you will take our words to heart and save yourself a lot of time and energy.

Don’t leave home without your safety goggles.

Find what you love and do it. Even if it takes fifty years to find it. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Eat your vegetables, your parents were right. Actually, your parents are going to be right about a lot of stuff, but you probably won’t realize it for another ten years.

Live your life like no one’s watching. Be true to yourself even if it makes you stand out from the crowd.

Read. Have a book with you at all times. Nothing avoids wasted time like a good book.

Set goals that you’re not sure you can meet otherwise, there’s no point.

Sing, even if it’s just in the shower or your room or the car.

Have patience and avoid acting rashly. 

Recycle. You’re saving the only planet we have.

Cherish your friends and family. They’ll support you even when you don’t think you need support. 

Don’t worry too much about money. The list of problems money solves is surprisingly short.

Character matters. In the long run, it’s the only thing that matters.

Finally, remember, you don’t know everything.......and you never will.........but do keep trying.

SWBAT...

What is SWBAT?

To explain this, I have to backtrack a little and provide some background information.

I have to keep track of what lessons I teach, what resources I use, how they align with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for math or science, and when I teach it. 

This is a requirement of the Hellenic American Academy and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. My lesson plans are a legal document. They are the proof of what I teach and how I teach it.

I created a form that provides space for all that information and more. I also keep track of what I assign for homework, what chapters and sections in the text the lesson relates to, what outside resources I use, and the objective of the lesson.

I also write the objective of the lesson on the left side of the big white board in the front of my room but I’m pretty sure no one ever reads it. 

The objective usually begins with “Students will be able to...”

Examples: 

SWBAT place fractions, decimals and percents on a number line. SWBAT compare and order fractions, decimals and percents.

SWBAT solve multi-step equations using distributive property and combining like terms.

SWBAT to whine about tests and quizzes in English, Greek and Spanish.

Oh, and by-the-way, that last example, and more crazy objectives, were posted to my white board for the past week before anybody noticed.

The Light Blocking Homework Assignments

We’re practically back to bare walls again. You can tell the year is almost over, we’ve taken down all the school work, and posters. 

The collage I created with pictures from the year is almost gone - I gave the pictures to the students. 

The only things remaining from this year are the big foam board assignments from the astronomy and chemistry units propped up in front of the windows at the back of the class. Those are staying through to next year.  

I asked the students to create big foam board reports on constellations and elements. You see, I use the projector a lot, and the room has no curtains, so it’s pretty bright in the room and that makes it difficult to see some videos.

Part of my plan, was to use the completed work as a form of window shade and it worked out very nicely.

Thank You

Ευχαριστώ όλα τα μέλη της Ελληνο-Αμερικάνικης Ακαδημίας. Ήταν μια υπέροχη και φανταστική σχολική χρονιά για μένα. Όλοι με καλοδέχτηκαν και με έκαναν να αισθανθώ από την πρώτη μέρα σαν μέλος της κουλτούρας της Ακαδημίας.

Σας ευχαριστώ για την υπομονή σας και την υποστήριξή σας. Δεν μπορώ να το πιστέψω ότι η σχολική χρονιά πλησιάζει στο τέλος της. Ανυπομονώ για την νέα σχολική χρονιά.

Do I Have Favorites?

“...must be one of your favorites,” my wife said to me a few months ago.

“What do you mean?” I asked. 

She said I mentioned a particular student more than other students and suggested I had a favorite.

I have thought about that exchange for months. 

I’ve rolled it around in my head. “Do I have favorites?” I kept asking myself. 

My students delight me, they frustrate me, they make me smile and shake my head, and laugh all the time. 

I don’t know about favorite students, but I do have favorite moments. 

Like the time I told a student I couldn’t see her work on the board behind her big head; or the time another earned a 100 on a test and literally danced around school the rest of the day; or the normally quiet student who shocked her class by screaming at the top of her lungs just before a standard testing session; or watching a student who was stumped by something, suddenly “get it” and light up like a Christmas tree.

After months of deliberation, I have concluded I don’t have favorite students - they’re all my favorites. 

It just depends on what day you ask me.