Am I at Fault?

Suppose a parent of one of your students called you today to complain about his/her child's poor performance on your classroom tests. The parent concludes by asking you, "Just how sure are you the fault is in my child and not in your tests?"

How would you respond to this parent? What would you think about? Justify your response.

 

This is a very interesting question. Two weeks ago, I would have been able to stand firm on the opinion that the fault was neither in my teaching nor my tests but in the child. After taking a look at the rules for creating effective tests, I realized that many of my small mistakes can affect the student learner. I haven’t always taken the time to outline the objectives that I will teach and match them up with the questions that I put on the test. My multiple choice answers were not always in columns. As I reflect upon this, I can recall students placing the wrong answer on the line or even circling the wrong answer. For many students, we just called it a “careless mistake” with my knowledge as the teacher that they knew the information. However, that mistake may have been the difference between a letter grade.

 

As far as a response to the parent, I will probably suggest that this be a conversation we have the student together. This will give me an opportunity to listen to the student’s feedback on their previous exams. It may be best to take an exam that the student did poorly on and go through the correct and incorrect answers while having the students to justify the incorrect answers. This would provide the student to explain any questions that they may not understand or acknowledge that they knew the answer but may have circled the incorrect answer. I would hope this will give me an idea of whether it’s the knowledge of the student or my exam.

 

Testing Conference

This is a very tricky topic just because there are so may angles that the parent, student, and teacher could debate. The one thing I would try to do as early as possible is to schedule a parent meeting with both the child and the parent(s) to see if all three or four of us can get a clear understanding of my expectations, the test itself, and a solution. One thing that I would assure the parents before the conference is that it is nobody's fault why the student failed the test, all of this would be discussed during the meeting. Once we figure out all of the factors which may contribute to the low grade, then we can start discussing what happened. One reason why I would want the student to be present is that if the student really struggled during the test, I would want his or her opinion of how the test could've been written differently so that the student can understand future tests better. Something that may happen that could be unexpected is that a child may have a learning disability to comprehend certain types of assessments and that might require further testing. In my opinion it's a win-win situation for everyone that is involved. The final thing I would do in this parent teacher conference is I would ask the parents if they understood the test as well. If the parents see the test, then they can get a better understanding of the structure of the test and what is expected. The bottom line is, I don't want to play the blame game, I want to come to a solution so that everyone involved is happy. I feel that there is too much blame going on now, and no solutions being offered. I believe having a face-to-face conference is the best way to come to a solution.

Test or student, who or what is at fault?

This situation has a lot of layers to it and should be analyzed before any decisions are made. If a student is consistently performing poorly on tests (notice this is multiple so there may be a pattern) I take a look at the overall performance on each test by the entire class. If the class performance closely mirrors the one student’s, then yes, there may be a problem with the test. However, if the rest of the class is outperforming the one student on the test(s) then, most likely, the problem is not with the test.

Hopefully, you have this information ready when you talk to the parent. I would be well prepared to communicate all details about that particular student’s efforts in class and how he or she compares to their peers. I would also have an action plan ready to suggest to the parent if they do not offer one first.

In the end, professionalism will be the most important factor in the teacher’s conversation with the parent. Being prepared, polite and proficient should allow the situation to be resolved easily.

Testing confrontations

I must say that I have not had this situation arise yet and I hope it never does. I have, however gotten a few parent phone calls and emails about their child’s progress in my class. I have more students that simply won’t do the work assigned to them than I have students who do poorly on tests. I do, however, have a robust plan in place if such a moment arises.

The good news is that by using a learning Management System called Edmodo, I am able to stay in direct contact with students (And their parents/guardians if they choose to sign up for a parent account)and it is a one stop shop for due dates, deadlines, study guides, helpful links, etc. This is by far, my biggest defense to such issues. Once a parent sees exactly what their child is doing, or NOT doing for that matter, this usually quells even the most protective of them. Once they can see first-hand that the fault lays with their child and not with me, then that takes the wind out of their wings so to speak.

As far as the testing results go, the good news is I adhere to ALL IEP and 504 accommodations , along with providing study guides and ample warning on the content of each test/quiz well before it actually occurs. It also helps that I always give my quizzes on Fridays nearly every week of the semester so there can be no confusion as to how or why a student did not do well on the test.

Mr. H

Who's fault?

Before my students are given a test or a quiz we review the entire thing the day before. I make it clear to all my students to pay attention to the review and to take notes. After the students take the test or quiz I count to see how many students passed. According to that number I am able to tell if the students understood me and the test. If majority of the students did not pass, let’s say 55%, then I will reteach the material and give them a different test or quiz.

Test Justification

In the event of a parent confronting me about a test grade and confronting me on the accuracy of the test, I would have to take a number of things into consideration. The first thing would be the percent of students that did pass the test. If the class has an overwhelmingly high number of passing grades (higher than 50%) then I would bring that to the attention of the parent. The next factor would be how long we had been covering the material for the test and if the students were given a study guide. If the test was over a topic that had only been covered for a short time and the student in question had been absent a lot, then I might be lenient with the allowance of a re-take. Also if the students had been given a study guide, often they are, I would not be as lenient with the allowance of a re-take. I also would explain to the parent that before each test begins I go over what each portion of the test is, the directions for each section, and what is expected for the format. Any student with a question is to ask at that time. I would always take any criticism openly and be flexible with students. I do make all of my own tests, and my students all know that I am not a person that lives a life with no error. So, I would take a parent complaint very seriously, step back, and evaluate my test and it's content.

Who's Fault is it?

I would say that overall I feel pretty confident that the material on my tests is covered in class, and as a whole we review for tests. I do not believe in trick questions, relying on the students to “just figuring it out”, or hanging my kids out to dry. There are a lot of factors that would have to play in to my response to the parent such as: the student’s effort on other assignments in my class, the student’s attendance record (which I never had a problem with before this semester), the student’s overall grade, and their note-taking during lessons. If all of those factors were in favor of the student, then maybe I would have to step back and re-evaluate my tests. I can also add, that in school I feel that I was always a good student when it came to classwork, homework, and projects, but I really struggled as a test taker. Maybe we could look into a possible pull out group for the student, or we could break the test down into sections so it wouldn’t be so overwhelming. So after all my rambling, I guess I would say my simple answer is that initially I would not put all the blame on my tests, but after ruling out other factors, I would consider re-writing my tests (which this unit is teaching me I already need to do).

Where lies the blame?

Before this unit on test writing I would automatically assume it was the fault of the student. Perhaps the little darling didn't study or slept during the review. However, after learning how to actually "write" a test and not rely on the ones supplied to me I would certainly have a different opinion. Maybe. If I had written the test and the child failed and the parent called here are my thoughts: 1. I would reflect on the child's daily performance and share his studious behavior or lack of studious behavior with the parent. 2. I would explain that we reviewed the material in class the day before the test (something I always do, usually in a game type format) 3. I would also show the parent the study guide the student had available for use in preparing for the test. 4. Lastly, I would explain that the test material represents the content taught and that modifications are made as necessary (IEP, etc.) If it was a hands on skill, it was a hands on test. If knowledge based, written test. In addition to that I would also show the parent the material I used to create the test so they understand I am not pulling random questions out of a hat.

Quotes and Thoughts

After reading through the "open mic" posts I thought perhaps we should be philosophical with this post. I have selected two quotes, hoping you will gleen some inspiration. Please post what comes to mind after reading these quotes. "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) To me this quote almost makes me feel as if the failures and mistakes that every new teacher makes are okay, the mistakes ensure growth. We must take the failures and build on from there. It's not easy to look your failure in the face and say, "okay, I screwed up… but let me have another shot at it! I'll do much better next time." But in the event that you do take that discouragement and make it your motivation success is right around the corner. This can also be used to help motivate your students but my first though was how it related to me and my struggles. "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) To me this quote makes me feel realistic, to realize that success in one thing does not ensure success in everything you will encounter. But the success can get to your head, it can make you feel as if you can't be taken down, you won't lose. We all know that is unrealistic. You have to remember to stay humble and do your best in everything you do but not to get discouraged if you do encounter a failure. And to definitely not let the success get to your head. Stay real my friend. :)

Philosophical Post

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) All the people who I consider to be successful have experienced failure. Those failures were a blueprint for them on how to gain success on their next attempt at whatever they were pursuing. Even if they decided to change what they were pursuing, they always used the previous failure to gain success at their next endeavor. When people attempted to discourage them, they used those words of doubt to steer them towards their next success. "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I don't 100% agree with the quote. I personally think success without some failures can seduce people. I know that if I hadn't experienced some failures along the way I wouldn't be as cautious as I am with certain career and life decisions. I think both quotes can take on the perspective of what the reader considers successful.

Success

I like both of these quotes, there is so much truth in them. To truly understand something, one must find it's faults and understand what doesn't work before understanding what does. That is a point that I try to drive home to my students. One of the first steps in engineering a product is failure. Only after evaluating and understanding that failure can you progress from it. I believe that is why so many students find my class "easy", not that the tasks are simple or the work is simple, but I feel that if they are putting forth the effort to learn they will pass. I understand that not everyone can be be completely successful in the numerous areas that I cover, so failure at the task does not mean a failing grade. I believe, failure is the true form of progress, that is why the saying is 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.

It is okay to fail

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I love the fact that we learn from mistakes. I am always telling my students that it is alright to "fail" at something, because that's how we grow. I am a bit of a perfectionist (shocking, right?) but sometimes I enjoy when I mess something up in class, like spell something incorrectly on a Powerpoint, or tell the class how to do an editing trick that doesn't work. I enjoy making mistakes in front of them, because it shows them that I am human, and I hope it makes them feel better for their own mishaps when they see that I am messing up as well. If we always do everything correctly, and we always get exactly what we want, how can we ever expect to get better or improve? If we always succeed, the one time something doesn't go our way, we could be devastated. I agree with the quotes, that show us it is alright if we fall down, because we will learn how to get up and try again. Plus, life would be boring if we never had any roadblocks or obstacles to overcome.

Inspirational Quotes

The following quotes that you shared have inspired me in ways I didn't expect.

 "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie)

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates)

 Both of these quotes made me feel better about my current situation as a teacher. I know I am new at this, but this week was particularly hard for me. I had two IEP meetings back to back and the first one was just so sad. I was in a room full of people, counselors, fellow teachers, psychiatrists, and the parents of this student. To see him so unwound and not willing to come to school really hit me hard and made me really see the side of one of my students I had no idea about.

The second IEP was polar opposite of the first. The second IEP meeting I had was one that made me feel really good about being a teacher. It was a student with definite reading issues but he is one of my best students. He is so respectful and a pleasure to have in class. Comparing him to the previous student was like comparing apples and oranges.

When I got home that night all I could do was think about the differences between the two students. It’s like it was in that moment I realized just how hard it is to be a true teacher. Understanding that this journey as a teacher will be filled with such difficulties and success make it bittersweet for me. And while I know I won’t reach every single student that walks through my door, maybe through my failures with them they will be my successes with those students I am able to reach.

Mr. H

"Success from Failure"

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie)

I love this quote. I agree 100% with Mr. Carnegie on this philosophy. Dale Carnegie is one of the authors I most respect. His book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has guided me through my development as a professional in the corporate world and as a budding teacher in the world of education. In fact, this very book is still used by many companies to mold their leadership and management teams even though it was written in the 1930s. I have been through many of these classes and can attest to their immense worth.

The quote above is a restatement of the human fight or flight philosophy. What Mr. Carnegie is attempting to cast light upon is that people can improve themselves if they learn from their disappointments and allow them to motivate them forward to success. Some people will embrace the challenge of failure and use it to motivate them into becoming better at whatever they failed at. At the same time, some people will quit or give up when failure occurs. If you don’t quit after a disappointment, learn from it, then you should eventually be successful.

Everyone experiences disappointment throughout their lives. How you handle each situation helps shape you into the person you are. Are you going to let letdown change your direction (flight) or will you get up and try again with more experience under your belt (fight)? Dale Carnegie wanted people to be the latter of those two. In this philosophy, you become a more successful and influential person with each step forward after disappointment, especially if you learn from it.

Success/Failure

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) I can definitely adhere to Dale Carnegie's quote about developing success from failure. It's one thing to hear how failure leads to success and it's another to actually encounter it. I recall my first week of teaching an absolute flop and somewhat being a failure. However, without that first try, I wouldn't have been able to find stamina and courage to continue on as I eventually found some success. Success for me was being able to connect with the students as a human and not just a teacher, whereas the first week was primarily focussing on learning the career of education while learning about the students. I also agree with Bill Gates quote about success being a lousy teacher and the illusion it can portray of never losing. Well, I know as a teacher, it's not always a win win situation. You have your battles and you have your wars. I have simply decided to place my energy where it fits best and that's to see my students become successful.

Inspirational Posts

I can definitely relate to Dale Carnegie's most out of the two quotes. "Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." When you are discouraged about something that you are passionate about or love and it is not working out, I honestly believe that is when you find out what type of person you are. I believe that in life, the best lessons a person can experience is under adversity. How are you going to respond, what is your attitude going to be like, will you give up easily? Those are the types of feelings a person will have when failure happens and when they are discouraged. Over a period of time and life experience, a lot of feelings of disappointment and self-doubt won't be as prevalent if you learn to take that experience as a learning tool and to not sit in your own self-pity. The second quote is also a good quote because it talks about the people who haven't gone through much adversity. I believe this applies more to the person who didn't have to work as hard to get to the top because I believe that if someone sacrificed everything they had and struggled for their entire lifetime to get to where they wanted to be, so I don't believe that success is a lousy teacher. I believe that success is a great teacher if the person worked for whatever they want because I believe they would've experienced disappointments and struggles to get to where they had to. I don't necessarily agree with this quote.

Beauty from Ashes (or scrapped knees)

After reading through the "open mic" posts I thought perhaps we should be philosophical with this post. I have selected two quotes, hoping you will gleen some inspiration. Please post what comes to mind after reading these quotes. "Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." (Dale Carnegie) "Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." (Bill Gates) As I read today's topic, I stand in total agreement. I have had many successes in my career but what has formed me as an individual are a few failures that taught me great lessons. You all know me well enough to understand that I like to be the best at what ever the assignment has been given. I am somewhat of a people pleaser and that side of me will not allow me to quit. My pawpaw used to say "aint no hill for a climber" when I would share my problems with him. I didn't quite get it at the time, but now I understand. He wasn't saying that my problem wasn't a big as I thought it was, he was saying if I am determined enough the problem is just the PATH to get me where I want to go. If I sat down when things didn't go my way, I would never get where I am going (total failure). If I pressed onward, the result would be all the more sweet (total success). There have been many times I have scrapped my knee getting up that hill but the view is breathtaking when you crest the horizon. If I never fell, scrapped my knee, and kept going I might have never seen the beauty that was waiting...

Thoughts on Success

When I read these quotes, my football players instantly came to mind. If we were to always win our games, we would never have those teachable moments that are built from reviewing film from week to week, game after game. Although winning is great, don’t get me wrong. However, the sense of accomplishment that the players feel after working really hard and growing throughout the season is something that can only be experienced by failing first and then succeeding.

So as I was reflecting about my football players, I see how this relates to my classroom experience. I am one of the students that has been really discouraged this year, I have been very open about it. Much of my discouragement has come from influences that are outside of my control, however, some are within my control. I will use my first evaluation by Dr. Montrois as an example, it was good, but he gave me several tips to make it much better, such as sharing the workload with my students so that I am not trying to do it all by myself. The next time he returned, I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I had improved. Had it been perfect to begin with, I would have not have had those learning opportunities. So in this regard, I completely agree that success is developed from failures. And perhaps, I should take the advice I would give my own players… never give up, nothing is ever accomplished without hard work, sweat and tears. 

When they get it!

I guess i am going to talk about the kids that really make it rewarding to come into school everyday. We all have those kids that really seem to want to get into what you are doing. The ones i seem to really enjoy are the ones that don't do well in core classes but are "star students" in the shop. Many of them struggle with the first nine weeks of all book work, but once we get into the shop they begin to shine. These students make me smile, because shop class may be the first success in school they have experienced in school. I was that kid when I was in school. I had a shop teacher that really helped keep me in school. I was not the ideal student in high school, but Mr Griffen put me on a land judging team and made me be apart of something. Once I was in, I was hooked. I love to see these kids get in SKILLS and learn something in the shop that will be with them for a life time. They may not be a carpenter or construction worker but they will still have skills to use for a life time. Some days I wonder if I am getting to anyone and then I see a kids in the shop working and using skills I know they have learned.

Fundraiser turned Successful

As a CTAE teacher, you have so many ways on how to use creativity with your students. At the same time, our schedules and demands can weigh on us as if we teach core classes. In this case, I decided not to focus on deadlines but concentrate on what matters the most with students and even entertainment all teachers. Last Friday, my students put on a fashion show that turned out to be so successful. It was a fundraiser and an entertainment event all wrapped up in one. The students participated as models, singers, dancers and we even had a student comedian. To my suprise, more than six hundred students bought tickets and attended the event. Everyone enjoyed themselves to the point when the show was over, no one wanted it to end so soon. This event allowed me to incorporate the interest of everyone on a whole including the students, teachers, faculty and staff. Day after day, compliments are still coming in. I didn't realize how much of an effect this show had. I was glad to be a part of a show that helped to ease the minds of everyone while allowing creativity to take its course. In the end, we all won. Aside from schedules and demands, I truly enjoyed this part of my teaching.

A Positive Free Style about teaching

It seems so easy, when given the chance, to speak out negatively, so I would like to speak this week in a positive manner generally about a career as a teacher. This job has been like no other before it. I have had so many new experiences that I would have never gotten anywhere else. Not every one of them has necessarily been a pleasant one, but they all have created a level of growth and knowledge that where little or none existed prior. I have always enjoyed leaning, I love exploring and discovering new things and this is really a great field for doing so. Being a teacher allows you to experiment with social behaviors and with what does and doesn't work in the classroom. It also allows time to learn perspectives of younger generations and different mind sets. The other learning side of this career, is the subject matter. The subject I teach is so broad that there are so many places of exploration to delve into. It would be relatively impossible for an individual to be an expert in, machine tool, robotics, welding, engineering, chemistry, electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, AC and DC theory, programming, and so on. With that said, I have years of knowledge to absorb, and nothing but incentive to do so, in a comfortable, conducive atmosphere. What better way to spend a day, spreading knowledge, learning, and infecting others with the passion to move forward in life. I do believe that I love this job.

Open Mic….

I'm here to vent… Let me just tell you guys about our SkillsUSA Adventures. We took 23 amazingly talented kids to Atlanta for the SKillsUSA State Championship and I was sure we'd bring home some type of medals but we didn't. Not one, but 3 kids to be expelled. We have worked with these kids for months, stayed after school several times a week, prepped them during class, had countless talks about expectations, behavior, and the way that our school is represented. I don't know if it's some March Madness or what but we had some serious issues. The first night we started the night off by going over rules and expectations before giving the kids some downtime to themselves. They knew the rules, but leave it to teenagers to push the envelope. We had 3 advisors present and monitoring students all through the night. I have a hard time sleeping so I was up until 2:30 that morning checking on the students but that didn't stop them from being sneaky and breaking not only our rules but SKillsUSAs rules. We had a female student sneak into another schools boy room. This is a nightmare no advisor, parent, chaperone, wants to have to deal with. All students involved were sent home. It's hard not to be disappointed when you expect so much out of these kids. It's not like we open the bus door and let the first 23 on go to championship, these are kids we teach, kids we respect and trust, kids that normally make us proud. I felt that i did everything possible to prevent this but this was totally out of my hands but it's hard not to feel guilty and disappointed. After a long morning dealing with the situation we had competitions for the rest of our students. We had to suck it up and push forward, guiding these kids to where they needed to be. If you've ever been to State you know how hectic it can be…imagine running on a few hours of sleep. Sadly, the chaos wasn't over. The very next night we had 2 of our other kids sneak off to the balcony to smoke. Really, At this point I'm ready to lose my mind. I seriously wanted to cry. We spent the rest of the night and morning dealing with that situation. The kids were upset, parents upset, and advisors all upset. It was a nightmare. I don't know if this is normal teenager behavior or what but I wouldn't wish that kind of weekend on anyone. I feel so sorry for the kids because stupid mistakes really messed up the rest of the year for them. All 3 students involved were expelled for the rest of the year. Have any of you had to deal with trouble like this?? Please tell me I'm not alone in this...

Open Mic

I have to say that even though this is my second year, I feel that I am not doing as good of job as I was last year. Perhaps it is because I took on additional coaching responsibilities or perhaps it is because I am trying to balance the additional work from NTI with my already overwhelming tasks. Or maybe it is because since I have been going through NTI, I am learning all the things that I didn't do the first year. No matter what the reasoning, I am frustrated. This is a frustration that is making me reconsider education altogether. Maybe you all have felt it at one time or another over the past year, but teaching is not easy and I am really second-guessing if this is for me or not. For example, I was notified last week at the last minute that I have to be out Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for S.L.O. Training. So, of course I didn't have time to prepare during the day to be absent three days, and I don't have time after school because I am coaching. I spent all day yesterday at a track meet, so this afternoon I had to go to school and prepare my substitute plans and make copies. Needless to say, I am exhausted and being out of the classroom only creates more work. So, I am highly anticipating Spring Break for a mental break. I appreciate everyone listening to my rant..

Open Mic

This has been a really busy year for me and it has taught me some valuable lessons. Two lessons which I learned very quickly are, I implement everything I have learned this year in terms of the NTI material, and two I have to learn to balance my time better. All of the ideas and lessons I have learned throughout the NTI courses are exceptional, however it's probably going to take this summer for me to go over every lesson plan to figure out how I'm going to implement certain things from the NTI classes. I will say that the lesson plans, the rubrics, and the organizational materials I have used from NTI have worked brilliantly! A lot of my students have said, "This looks different from the past rubrics we have gotten." I replied, "Yes they are, as a teacher you have to continuously work to become better, just like students, you have to always work to become better students and not become complacent!" When I said that, it put my reasoning into perspective for a lot of my students. The second lesson I learned is the never-ending chore of trying to balance my time more efficiently. One thing about career tech classes is that they include so much more than other core classes such as math and history. The reason why I say that is because there is so much more skills challenges, professional preparation, and lessons outside of the classroom which are involved that we have to get across to our students. I will say that I enjoy prepping my students for these activities but it is very time-consuming. Although it is challenging to fit everything into my schedule however, I wouldn't have it any other way!

SkillsUSA competitions

This is was our first year trying to compete in SkillsUSA and we learned a lot. Unfortunately, we were unable to go to the State competitions due to funds and we didn’t do well in the regions competitions. But as I mentioned we learned a lot from these experiences and next school year should be a different story. We now know what to expect in the Regions competition and we are starting a few fundraisers this school to help build up our funds for next year’s State competitions. If anyone went to the State competition could you help us out and give us some information on what to expect, we would really appreciate that.

Open Mic

It's open mic so I just want to vent. At my school, whenever we (the teachers) want to do something, whether it's a field trip, fundraising opportunity, "out of box" classroom strategy or even something that is required like teachers getting their required professional development hours, the initial answer is always no. This is the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced in a professional work environment. Everything is always "policy and procedure" this or "district policy" that. Most days I'm optimistic but sometimes I get really down. I want to help the kids and give them new and real world experiences, of course while covering all the standards. Case in point, some of our CTAE students attended a district-wide health and wellness symposium at Atlanta Metropolitan State College this past Wednesday. The field trip had to be rescheduled because it was originally scheduled to take place during our 2nd Snowpocalypse. Our CTAE department notified us (after the district notified them) that we did not have to resubmit the field trip paperwork, we only needed to have the students and parents complete a new permission slip. My administration did not allow this. I wasn't made aware that I had to resubmit all the field trip paperwork until the Monday before the trip. On this past Monday I had to drive to 3 separate locations and retrieve signatures because interoffice mail would not have gotten the paperwork to the necessary offices before the field trip. It was storming rain and very chilly on Monday. I really wanted my students to attend the symposium so I did what was required from my administration to make that happen. I feel resubmitting the paperwork was very unnecessary, especially since the district did not require it. Why must potential road blocks be placed in front of us, while attempting to help the students?

And now for something completely different............

Okay, since its open mic, I am going to take this opportunity to tell a funny CTE story which occurred in my class recently. Let me set the scene for you. As teachers, we all know how tough the time period AFTER lunch can be. Full tummies and sitting in class many times can be a bad mixture for a teenager. Upon returning from lunch, my class sat down to complete a reflective writing assignment they had begun before the lunch bell rang. I was concerned that many of the students had not finished the five paragraph task before going to stuff their faces so I was mentally prepared to “help” any students needing a little push once we returned.

What I was not prepared for was the puddle of drool that had formed on the desk just under the mouth of one of my students! He had obviously succumbed to the tryptophan in his lunch-time turkey sub and had made the mistake of laying his head down on the desk. Sleep won, he lost. So this is the state I find him in, near comatose and likely dreaming of running with puppies through fields of flowers. Luckily, I was not nearly as incapacitated as he and was able to make a quick decision to save the day.

The note I wrote on the dry erase board was simple. “When you read this, slowly, quietly make your way out into the hallway in small groups”. As the students read the note and realized the situation, they gladly complied. Some crept like ninjas others moved with the stealth of a world class secret agent. Within a few short moments, my room was emptied of students, save one; my drool manufacturer was still fast asleep in his comfy desk.

It wasn’t long before he emerged from the classroom, book bag slung over his shoulder and moving with a sense of urgency. The look on his face told us everything we needed to know, he had no idea what time it was or what period/block we were in. Insert howling laughter here. He was a good sport about it and was able to laugh along with the rest of us. I did make him clean up the puddle though.

Open Mic - Caring TOO Much

I am going to take this open mic post to use as my own personal therapy session. Over the past few months I am facing a similar dilemma over and over again: caring too much! I was told by a veteran teacher, “Once you start caring too much, that’s when you start getting into trouble” and I have begun to see that take place in my life when it comes to my kids. Without going into too much detail, I have a student who has become very attached to me and even calls me “mom”. Her mother has acknowledged that her daughter responds better to my directions than her own for some reason, and has asked me to have one-on-one chats with the student on several occasions about issues they are facing. I don’t mind helping out, but the other night my substitute parent role got out of hand when I was asked to get involved in something I wasn’t comfortable with. Long story short, DFACS ended up getting involved, and I feel guilty for not doing more to help the situation. Those close to me have told me to step back and realize that there is nothing I can do. In a two week span I had to deal with a student who was sent to alternative school, a student who was arrested, a student who is threatening to drop out, and a student who confided in me that her mother is dying. I love these kids as if they were my own, but I feel that is starting to get me in trouble. I worry about them constantly, I try to “save” them from their problems, and I talk about “my kids” all the time. I know that I am a caring individual who wants to solve everyone’s problems, but that very fact is becoming my own issue. Am I being too whiny? Does anyone else feel my pain? How do I turn off caring too much?

Open Mic Post

Last night I was able to participate in my first 8^th Grade Parent night at the high school. Needless to say it was a great experience to see so many parents, future students, but most of all community members. This was especially unique to me because I got to see how all the different programs offered at the high school are represented.

There were several booths out and displaying highlights and articles/ some project-based items. This gave the teachers of different clubs, sports, and organizations to showcase their programs to appeal to next year’s upcoming freshman class.

The best part of this night was that I got to participate in representing SkillsUSA with our Special Education for CTAE liaison. It was a great experience and very informative to both myself and several parents/students. Explaining the many successes of this organization was an occurrence I soon won’t forget.

Mr. H

Everyday is a learning curve.......

I am really not sure if I should say this out loud and I hope it is not a disappointment to our fearless instructor, but I tell you what, I feel like everyday I am reevaluating myself and my plans for instruction. Y'all know me and to say that I am an overachiever is an understatement so this is a real struggle. Maybe this is what is supposed to be like as an educator, constant evaluation/reevaluation so that we do not get stagnant. More often than not, I feel like we are in the 9th inning with bases loaded and I strike out... can I get an amen??? Can someone give me some pointers on how you handle these overwhelming feelings of "is this ever going to get easier"?

Theorem 15

We are returning to history and Prosser this week. Please comment on Theorem 15: "The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized." I do agree with theorem 15, vocational education should be fluid. The administration, or delivery, should just "go with the flow". The time frame an instructor uses to deliver instruction should be fluid and should be determined by the class dynamic. For instance, my students were without instructional time for 2 weeks because of the weather. Although the students were familiar with information, they had lost the "why?" component of the unit and had difficulty connecting everything together. I decided to increase the instructional time for those 2 units. Increasing the instructional time allowed the students to gain a higher understanding of the unit content and increase the amount of information they were able to recall. Increasing instructional time describes now vocational education should be fluid. We have end of pathway assessments (EOPA) in our programs and for some pathways those do not cover a greater understanding of the course content. For instance, the EOPA for the physical medicine is not specific to my pathway. The EOPA is general for introduction to health care and is not specific for our pathway. I personally feel as though this is a "flaw" in the system and further proves Prosser's theorem 15 that vocational education should not be rigid or standardized.

Theorem 15

I strongly believe all successful teachers have the ability to be “elastic and fluid” within their classrooms as there are always unexpected distractions and delays. As for CTAE teachers, they must be a degree or two more flexible within their subject areas because these will change more than most core classes.

In CTAE areas such as Sports Medicine or Video Broadcasting or Business, industry standards will change often. Sometimes these changes are even year to year. Teachers of industry must be up to date with what is going on in the working worlds which mirror their classes. If not, they may teach outdated material or procedures.

Core classes will rarely have the amount of industry reflective changes we in CTAE do. For example, 2+2=4 isn’t going to change. Neither is water freezing at 32 degrees. But, the way you wrap a sprained ankle or how best to interview for a job is more opinion based and will most certainly change over time. Because of these changes, CTAE teachers must be “elastic and fluid” across all aspects of their teaching.

Theorm 15

"The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized." This quote can be interpreted many ways but I believe it out of all of the ways it could be interpreted, I believe the one thing that is universal about it is elastic and fluid. One thing that I know for sure in a work-like environment is that something is always changing. That's why I believe that the learning experience for CTAE classes should be "elastic." The way I would interpret the word elastic in this example is being able to constantly change but to never lose a beat in a methodical work place. An example of this would be if there is a certain way to edit a piece of video that has been done the same way for five years, but could be completed another way in half the time, that is being more efficient or elastic without losing a beat. The last part of the quote said "rather than rigid and standardized." I believe this is not a good way to complete anything because standardized to me means a routine without thinking. Change is always good, even if it's during a transition period such as a new boss, or location for a new job. It seems like rigid and standardized means that something is hard and nobody is going to change it because that's the way it's been for a long time. Vocational education should have multiple ways for something to be taught because students are always looking to be challenged and find new ways to complete something,

Theorem 15

Theorem 15: "The administration of vocational education should be efficient in proportion as it is elastic and fluid rather than rigid and standardized."

I believe in this statement. The difference between what we do in the vocational field and the standard classroom are two totally different beasts. If you think of a traditional classroom setting you tend to look at it as a place of rules and boundaries, procedures and policies that are the norm for way of life there.

When you take a moment and really look at all of the vocational offerings in our department, then you really see just how robust and dynamic it is. On any given day, even in my structured lab environment, I have two to three different activities going on simultaneously. This leaves little room for a rigid and standardized atmosphere when students are learning at different levels and experiencing a variety of dynamic stations.

This is not to say that there does not need to be structure and rules. We must still have an overall control of our environments no matter what is going on, but the idea of being efficient in proportion to the tasks at hand maximizes the learning opportunities for our students.

Mr. H

Prosser Theorm 15

I know that I often times feel like meeting certain criteria as a teacher can feel rigid and standardized, but one of the luxuries of my job is that I get a sense of freedom in my classroom when it comes to teaching my course. I agree that vocational, or career and technical education, should not be set to a standardized way of thinking. Careers as a whole are always changing and always evolving, so I think it is our obligation as educators to make sure our curriculum meets those changes. In my two years teaching, I have noticed that comments are often made along the lines of “but you teach a fun class”, or “the kids want to take your class”. I know that teachers don’t mean this as an insult, but it can feel like they are saying I am not good at what I teach, that instead, the curriculum is drawing the kids in. Even if that is the case, how lucky am I to be able to teach a “fun” class that is always changing and always evolving!

Administrative guidance will typically have a rigid, firm stance, leading by example. In the Career and Technical Education fields there is a constant moving target in the classes, labs, CTSOs, and industries. If things stayed the same in all of the fields of industry and areas of society, we could easily stay firm and rigid, but in order to grow and progress we must change. I believe I would have to agree with Prossers' Theorm 15. The fluidity and elasticity of the administration is key. If their had not been a small deal of "elasticity" in the requirements from me at the administrative level in these first two years as an educator I would not have been able to maintain. I am thankful for the WONDERFUL administration that I have. When faced with any change, question, or option in reference to my program, they have nothing but good input and an open mind.

Prosser Theorem 15

I believe there is a lot of truth to this because we as CTAE teachers need to be able to teach to the standards of our industry. The only way we can do that is if we stay current with what is happening in the industry, therefore we must be flexible and adapt when necessary. For example, if there are new laws put on the books that change a process or procedure in law enforcement, I need to be able to make changes in my curriculum to address those changes. I also asked my wife who has been in CTAE for 12 years now, what her thought on this is and she said CTAE is famous for changing the standards bringing up the point that we are currently rolling out new standards and that this was done just a few years ago as well. If we are preparing students for the demands of the workplace, then we must change as the business and industries change. It only makes sense to do this to keep viable and meaningful programs that truly prepare students for a seamless transition into post-secondary schools and/or the workplace. 

Elasticity and Fluidity

When I read Prosser's Theorem 15, I almost laughed. I totally agree that in CTE a certain level of flexibility and flow are necessary to achieve success in and out of the classroom. I chuckled because of the lack of flexibility and flow I feel on most days. Let me explain. We are forced to include differentiation in our lesson plans so that the needs of ALL students can be met. Differentiation mirrors Prosser's Theorem 15. We are flexible in that we understand students learn differently. We do not expect them to "fit" into one particular style of teaching strategy so we plan using several teaching strategies. The hope is that every students' strength is acknowledged in the course of the lesson by this type of flexibility. I chuckled because although I have to differentiate for my students, nothing is differentiated for me. I am forced to "fit" into a specific style of planning that is not conducive to my learning style. I feel as though flexibility and fluidity are thrown out the window and the cookie cutter expectation is the only acceptable method of planning. I truly believe that if teachers could experience the flexibility and fluidity that Prosser dreamed of for students test scores would rise, classrooms would run more efficiently, and teachers would be less frustrated at the end of the day!

Rewards and Challenges

Like teaching, counsels has its own rewards. Part of the duties of counselor rule is too have students complete and not drop out. Too keep a student from dropping out the student would completed an IGP. The Counselor would review the plan with the student, evolve other teachers and Administrators in an effort to get the student to finish school. Where it be with his/her home school or an Alternative school. So in this situation the at-risk student has two options for completing school. The worst case is the student drops out. Some other rewards are when you open a person up to something new such as CTAE and then run with it and succeed. The great reward for anyone in education is to see students succeed and the student comes back and says thank you, the light comes on moment. The real challenge to any part of education is not want to give up on a student.

Changed Impressions

Previously I stated that counselors were more like shirks (Psychiatrist) than anything else. After completing the required reading they have some additional responsibilities. They may include but is not limited to student scheduling; IGP (Individual Graduation Plan) development; IEP (Individualized Education Programs); SST (Student Study Teams); Consultants to special education teachers; and mat serve as administrator if designated the principal. This may seem like a lot but the Guidance Counselor does have some additional resources themselves such as Social workers and Community outreach if necessary. The school Guidance Counselor also to meet deadlines set by State and Federal government. No wonder why my High School Counselor was always stressed out.

Perceived Roles

High School Guidance Counselor...A couple of years ago when I was in high school.  I thought that Counselor was there to help me with my huge live problems(teenage Timothy). I thought their was a chair in which i could lay down and say, "Back when I was five," type deal. However I soon realized that they have a somewhat different purpose.  To either assign students to College Prep or Technical Prep. I now know from being a Teacher that the Guidance Counselor does more than simply put students into classes. They also print out transcripts, tell students about scholarship's other than HOPE, and somehow make sure that students are on track to graduate. Other than this I wait too see what the research will show me.

sunshine and 70s please

Snow sounded like a great thing to start with but it really has missed up my classes. Its hard get everything in that you are supposed at best. With the last few weeks its been impossible. Go to school two days, out two days, come back for a day. I can't focus any better than the students can. My kids go to school in a different school district so they were out on days we went to school, and at school on days we were out. I hope all the snow is gone for good. I'm ready for sunny and 70s.

Snow days

Where do I start? At first I thought it would be nice to have a couple of days off because of the snow, I mean who wouldn’t want the time off to relax and maybe even play in the snow. Well let me tell you, not me because I have learned my lesson. The days have messed up my schedule in class and now I feel I’m behind and time is running out. HELP ME!!!!!! I don’t want to rush anything but I feel I have to hurry up and catch up because before I know it, the students will be gone. Is it me or does someone else feel this way?

Hip Hip Snow Day!!

I am such a child at heart I was just too excited about the snow days! I was seriously the same staring out the window waiting for it to fall, changing clothes 3 times because I was wet from snow ball fights, snowman making, frozen nose and fingers child as I remember. Nothing excites me more than snow. I had a blast. I took off my teacher hat completely! I didn't think of work or school at all. I've come to the realization that if I decide to be OFF, than that's just what I need to be. I am at work enough of the time so I shouldn't be working while I am at home. It's kind of hard to do at first but once I go the hang of it, I felt so much less stressed and more relaxed. Now it does mean that when I am at work, I WORK. I don't have time to relax a little between tasks. I am pedal to the metal working. But it feels nice knowing that when I leave work, I'm not dragging home projects that need to be graded or tests. I am simply off. Now I do think of my kids and often think of ways I will better my lessons but I don't designate time during my off days to finish tasks from the week before. You all should try it. Totally makes me happy, it may you too!

Atlanta Snowmageddon 2014

While I'd like to keep working through Prosser's theorems, I think this is a good week to take a break and talk about "us." Please put on your "teacher hat" and your "favorite hat" to answer the following: How have the snow days and time away from school affected you? The snow days and time away from school has been positive from a relaxation point of view. I am mildly dreading our return to school for a few different reasons. Partly because the students act as though they have forgotten every classroom management technique that has been presented to them. It's always a battle the first few days back getting the students back on track. We have less time to prepare for the HOSA state leadership conference and the students are worried. We haven't had much time to fundraise and to prepare the students for competition. I have caught up on a lot of school work for myself and paperwork for both of my positions. Getting back into the swing of things will be difficult but I'm optimistic we can handle it.

SNOW!!!!!?????

Snow days in Georgia! I grew up in this state, meaning I spent 14 years in public schools here (pre-school included). During those 14 years I think I experienced 2 snow days, this year, we have had 4 and 1/2 snow days in 2 separate occasions. I have heard rumors that because the time was claimed to be a state of emergency by the governor that the students will not have to make up the lost time. This is a place of concern for me, though a free day off is nice, not at the expense of increased stress. Trying to hit all the standards and teach the students all they need to be prepared for the next classes, S.L.O., and or the end of pathway testing is hard enough in the time given, now we are a week behind! I did use the time to get some planning for projects done and grading, as well as some much needed relaxation. All and all the snow was a bit of a blessing for the break it gave, and a bit of a nuisance because of the time crunch it caused.

Snowmaggeddon 2014

In the wake of the culmination of two weeks total of snow days, I must say my teaching anchor has been shifted. It's like there is this massive side that says thank goodness for the time off, while the other side says, days are ticking like a watch, never to be given back. In these times like this week I am, indeed, thankful for the time off to be closer to family and friends, but at the same time I yearn to be back in the classroom.

So many of my kids are different than last semester's and it pains me that there are several of them I simply have not connected to like I did the kids in first semester. I don't know what it is but I feel like all of these snow days have put a DENT in the proverbial learning curve. We honestly have not had a solid week of instruction at all this semester, unless it was spent on catch up, and even then it's a mute point.

I have tried to diversify my videos and lectures to what I can share on Edmodo.com but that, I feel, is still not enough. I have more kids this semester more interested in Twitter and Facebook posts than giving concrete and sound input to my class and the separation anxiety I feel from the weeks of disruption only compounds this feeling.

My only hope is the coming weeks will have more continuity and I can reach these kids on a level at least SOMEWHAT to how I did first semester, Then , maybe, just maybe, I can reach them and share some knowledge with them that they will take beyond the brick and mortar walls of my classroom.

Mr. H.

Snow talk

For me, the snow days fell right before our winter break, so we were out for three days and then had a planning day, and are now out for an entire week. This unexpected time allowed me to catch up on many things I needed to work on including lesson plans and grades. This time also allowed me time for reflection and relaxation. I know that sounds crazy, but I have been overwhelmed this year with TKES, NTI, SLO's, and many other responsibilities. So, this time has been really good for me to catch up and renew my mind and spirit. I think this is critical especially for new teachers that can easily get burnt out quickly with all the demands put on them today. So over the snow days, I wore several different hats--all of which I feel helped make me much more productive. In the end, we all know that being flexible is a must as educators--last week was another lesson learned.

JT

Mixed Feelings Toward the Snow

I have been thoroughly torn by all of the snow days we have experienced in Cobb County thus far this winter. The teacher/coach (adult) in me is not very happy. Each of my classes now has a week of catch up to do. We will endeavor to get the most important information taken care of so we can move forward with the rest of the semester; I have no doubt about that. In addition to my classes being behind, the off days could not have come at a worse time for the team I coach.

We were playing well heading into the end stretch of the regular season when the first snow occurred. Since that time we have had to cram multiple games into the few school days we had available with few practices in between. The second snow storm has only added to our time off and right before the Region Tournament. With little time to prepare for the most important game of the year I am very frustrated at the timing of it all.

Then there is the other (kid) me. As a child growing up in Georgia snow came rarely, maybe once every other year or two. This meant whenever snow did occur it was a big deal. Fast-forward to the present and the kid in me still relishes the excitement of seeing those magical white flakes pouring down from the sky. In addition, I have two children which show the same level of exhilaration I did during times of snowy weather.

Therefore, I am torn by all of this weather generated time off. I guess as long as I can get the important school related items done; the kid in me can still enjoy the snow.

sNOw Thank You

I can honestly say that I am not one of the teachers glued to the television or my phone waiting on a snow day to be announced. I love my job, I love my kids, and I certainly love being in the classroom. I want to be at school! I did take advantage of the break, but I haven't been doing very many school things. I have used my "off days" to catch up on a lot of personal tasks that have been put off as a result of being in school. I despise cold weather, so during this most recent snow day I was an absolute bear, and hibernated the entire time indoors, and didn't accomplish much of anything. I am also frustrated with the cold weather because I had a fun outdoor activity planned for my class this week, and now we have to move it indoors. Plus, if the proposal for "no make-up days" does not pass, I don't want to be in the classroom when it is nice outside.

Snow Days.....very beneficial

The snow days have been very beneficial for me. I've put on my teacher hat to catch up on assignments and I'm eventually going to grade some papers that I've been procrastinating on finishing. When my teachers hat is off, one thing that I love to do when I have the chance to do it, is simply relax. One thing I love to do is take naps which is definitely out of the question during the school day. Something else that I do is watch football. Football is one of my passions and I love to simply scribble plays on paper and diagram them on my computer (Don't judge me haha). That is one of the most therapeutic activities that I love to do and I can't get enough of it!! One thing that I've been watching that I enjoy is the winter olympics. During years past that's something I haven't been able to focus on since we all work during the day. It's good to watch them without doing anything rather than grading papers or doing homework. Overall the snow days are not bad and I enjoy any time when I can "recharge" my batteries (Even though we will probably have to make them up at the end of the school year). I would rather the state be more safe than sorry!!!

Snow Days and Hats

The decision to close school on Tuesday was a little upsetting because nothing happened weather wise. I guess everyone was "snow shy" because of the previous disaster that caused students, administrators, and teachers to be stuck in school and parents to be stuck out on the roads. On the bright side of things, the time off has allowed me the opportunity to take off my teacher hat and put on my reading cap. I love to read and sadly I haven't had the opportunity since I started teaching. Over the past two days I read a 468 page novel. It was so nice to cuddle up on the couch with my dog and my fuzzy blanket and get lost in the pages. While the unscheduled time off from school brings its own set of issues, I put those worries aside and just READ. Today I am refreshed and ready to tackle lesson plans, blogs, and webpage assignments!

Prosser Theorem 5

I do not agree with Prosser on Theorem 5--"Vocational education is not for everyone, but for those individuals who need it, want it, and are able to profit from it." Plain and simple, every student one day is going to have a job. Almost every job requires knowing some type of skill or skills. In today’s society, it is those with skills that are in high demand. So knowing all that, how could anyone really agree with this statement? I think the school systems that require students to complete a career pathway as a part of their graduation requirements have the right idea. All students need to explore career options while they can and many of them can learn the foundational skills needed to pursue whatever field they desire. But again, I want to emphasize that all students will have to seek employment one day, so why would all students not need some type of CTE/vocational instruction? In my opinion, they all do!

Strongly Disagree with Prosser

If I read Prosser's theory prior to becoming a teacher, I would probably agree with the theorum. However, after experiencing teaching students who first had no interest in graphic design then suddenly obtain a skill with interest proves this theory wrong. Not every student knows what they want out of life and vocational skills can help give direction. I have some students now telling me of their interest of pursuing a career in graphic design, whereas months ago they had no clue of any desired major. Students need the opportunity of experimenting and getting involved in hands-on projects. Technical classes are clearly the pathway to help give students the option of exploring a new career and thus gain a skill for life.

Prosser Theorem 3

I do agree with Prosser’s Theorem 3—it is essential that students be taught critical thinking skills and problem solving skills. It is also important that students be taught the hands-on skills needed to perform a particular job. In my area of public safety, students are taught the basics, such as the laws and procedures that they are to follow. However, they need to be able to think critically and work quickly to solve problems when they are in a law enforcement setting. The earlier a student can begin to learn these types of skills, the more successful they will ultimately be on the job. Thus, CTE programs are critical in our high schools to begin exposing students to the workplace and its demands prior to graduation. 

Prosser Theorem 5

I would have to disagree with the statement made in theorem 5. I believe there is a strong need for for vocational education in the development of a student regardless of their background or their goal. Without the vocational classes students do not get the same exposure to a work like environment, nor do they have the opportunity to experience or expound upon a number of psycho-motor skills not available in common core class. Further more Vocational Education offers students the ability to relate the things taught in a common core class to real world application. Another great purpose for vocation in high school is that it gives the opportunity for students to earn the ability to learn enough of a trade to come right out of high school making enough money to support themselves through college or support a family. Vocational employment may not be suitable for everyone but the experience that a student receives in a vocational classes. Lastly the value of safety, students in vocational class are exposed to an extensive course in safety in a number of areas. In my experience alone I have come across one hundred or more students that had never received a full course in fire safety, what to do if caught in a fire, how to handle a grease fire, and how to operate a fire extinguisher. All of which being extremely important, no mater what your choice in career.

Theorem 5

Let's continue to comment on the work of Prosser. Do you agree or disagree with theorem 5, "Vocational education is not for everyone, but for those individuals who need it, want it, and are able to profit from it." Justify your response. I agree with theorem 5 because the idea behind this theorem can be applied to any type of education, college prep or vocational. As it pertains to vocational education, I feel we all need a vocational educational skill. Some look down upon vocational education and the skills that come with the vocational educational system. In my personal opinion, because bachelor degrees are becoming the norm, vocational educational skills are very important in today's workforce. This is an example of how theorem 5 proves to be true; vocational education is not for everyone, it is for those who need it, want it, and are able to profit from it. Some individuals need vocational education to be productive citizens and make a living. Certifications such as CDL, CNA, and EMT are vital to our workforce. This is another example of how theorem 5 proves to be true.

Prosser got it wrong this time

“Vocational education is not for everyone, but for those individuals who need it, want it, and are able to profit from it.” – Prosser I completely disagree with Prosser’s Theorem 5 because I believe vocational education can benefit every student, in at least one way. I can attest that the majority of my students in Broadcast Video Production do not want necessarily want to go into the broadcast field upon graduation, but I guarantee they learn a skill in my class that will help them. No matter what path they decide on for their future, they will utilize the skills learned in Broadcast Video Production. By taking my classes, students will become a better writer, build confidence with public speaking, enhance their conversation skills, and they will get hands-on experience with basic technology that could help them in a wide array of career paths. I also disagree with the statement because I don’t think vocational education should be geared towards just the topic at hand. I think it is our responsibility as educators to add to the curriculum standards with real-life content and information that will benefit the student as they get older.

We need it, We want it, and YES we're able to profit from it.

"Vocational education is not for everyone, but for those individuals who need it, want it, and are able to profit from it." I definitely agree with Prosser's theorem 5. Vocational education is not for everyone. Some students have no desire to learn a vocational trade or skill while others can't seem to get enough. Typically hands on learners thrive when it comes to vocational education. In the work force vocational careers are mostly hands on careers. Not everyone is up for that kind of task. But those students who are interested give it their all, they work hard to become the best they can be, and they are proud of the career ready skills they've learned. They then take those skills and dive head first into the work force, some may go to technical college to pursue higher education but regardless they profit from vocational education. I am a product of vocational education and I have definitely profited from my experience.

I disagree with Theorem 5

I disagree with theorem 5, "Vocational Education is not for everyone but for those individuals who need it, want it, and able to perform it." If you really break down what vocational education is, it's essentially everything but sports, however, to a certain extent it is used in sports as well. If someone is a businessman, salesman, in the field of law, education, or medicine, vocational education covers all of that and more. The one factor that I believe that vocational education covers that a lot of people don't realize is it prepares people for the working world. Skills such as interview preparation, planning, and people skills all are learned in vocational education. In some Division I colleges there are professionals who are brought in to help athletes prepare for business interviews, how to dress, talk, and the basic do's and don't of the business world. Even with with sports, vocational education is a big part of collegiate athletics. When I think about the statement that vocational education is not important, I know for a fact that is not true because again every course that is taught in high school relates somehow to vocational education. How much of it us used after high school? I would say, "A lot."

Theorem 5

I do agree with theorem 5, vocational education is not for everyone and in the past two years I have seen it. There are quite a few students that are placed in my class that do not want to be in there and unfortunately they are not removed from the class either. These students know they were not “built” for this class and they show it. They do not want to get dirty and it seems they don’t have the motor skills needed for the tasks given. The subject itself does not interest these students so they end up failing the class because they do not work and instead just stand there, sad. So as I stated, I do with agree with theorem 5, not everyone is “built” to be a Doctor, Lawyer, Clerk, Automotive Technician, Dentist, etc. We all have different skills and it’s up to us to find them. Apparently we as educators have found ours and it’s up to the counselors and us both to help the students find theirs.

I disagree with Theorem 5

I always like to use the analogy of, "When are we EVER going to use trigonometry in our everyday lives?" The idea that you weigh a program based on if you are going to choose it because it suits all your given paths or goals such as healthcare or construction fields is a tough pill to swallow.

In following with my above comment, I feel like ANYONE can get SOMETHING from any CTAE/Vocational class if they are ever enrolled in one. I learned this year at the GACTE conference that all of our pathways teach the fundamentals of employability skills. If you look at the standard 1, it is broken down in to all sorts of meaningful chunks like communication, teamwork, problem solving skills, etc.

In thought of this I can tell you that I do believe that everyone can get at least something from a vocational/CTAE class so I do not agree with number 5.

Mixed Emotions

I have mixed emotions about this theorem. I do agree that Vocational education is not for everyone. There are some folks that are not hands on learners and/or performers. They would rather sit in an office behind a computer working with numbers instead of people or their hands. The portion of the theorem I am struggling with states that individuals "are able to profit from it". While the goal of Vocational education is to produce a highly trained workforce, not every student that goes through the Vocational education process will wind up in the field that they studied. If that is the case, does it mean that the student who received a Vocational education is not a success because they are not earning a living via that education? I believe that vocational education produces well rounded individuals that can succeed in a vocational or cerebral environment. Anyone that chooses Vocational education will learn soft skills, customer service skills, and money management skills in addition to the specialty tied to their degree. The experience of Vocational education is a profitable one even if you choose not to enter the field of your study.

disagree with 5

I would have to disagree. Not every class is something that every student needs, but Vocational education as a whole offers something that is useful to everyone. When I first read this I was reminded of a demo we did this summer at N.T.I. Terry did his on writing a check. When he began to talk about teaching this in his class, I remember thinking “this is something every student should learn”. I was impressed that they had to write down their transaction in their register, and keep a balance. I have also heard this theory from some students, that state “I’m not gonna be a construction worker”. I answer them with this question “are you going to live in a house?” Usually they say yes and I explain to them that if they need a carpenter to come to their house that it will usually cost a minimum of $150.00. I continue with “if you can nail on a shingle, or unclog your drain, or put on a door knob yourself, you have saved lots of your hard earned money. Every student that Cabrera teaches isn’t going to be a technician, but they will all need their oil changed at some time. Career Tech or Vocational Education, whatever you call it has lifelong benefits that everyone needs in one way or another.

Rewards and Challenges

Truly guidance counselors have a lot to handle to make sure students stay on top of their classes and responsibilities in school. When students first enter high school, it could be a bit intimidating from leaving a nuturing environment to a new atmosphere set to train students to become responsible on their own. I believe it would be rewarding for guidance counselors to see shy freshmens blossom from the ninth grade to become scholarly seniors ready to pursue their career. At the same time, I believe it could be challenging as a guidance counselor to counselor students who show no desire to be in school and yet prove that it has nothing to do with a guidance counselor's imcompetence to guide. Since guidance counselors have to account for so many students, the challenge would be to simply prove that each student is different and that you can't save everyone. I believe it's also challenging for guidance counselors to work with students who may have the desire to excel in school but yet have no support from parents.

Changed Impressions

The impression I perceived towards guidance counselors have changed due to realizing the amount of work that goes into this profession. Guidance counselors not only cater towards the benefits of students, but they are also accountable to administrators and have to communicate with teachers including CTE teachers. After reading the history of guidance counselors, I also realize they too have to abide by the code of ethics. A guidance counselor also shares similarities of a CTE teacher that have to report to more than one administrator. I also learned that a guidance counselor may have prior years of teaching experience whereas I was under the impression that they just studied about kids. Guidance Counselors also are one of the first ones to be approached by students who may be going through hard times, versus the teacher who feels that they too carry that load.

Perceived Roles

My personal impression of the roles and responsibilities of guidance counselors are basically to ensure students are placed in the right courses required for graduation, and to assist students in finding colleges suitable to their career goals. I find that many students rely on guidance counselors to have their best interest at heart when placing them in classes, especially in CTE courses. Most students don't heavily rely on guidance counselors as much in the first two years versus their junior and senior years. At the same time, I perceive guidance counselors to spend more time with junior and seniors ensuring that they take the proper classes, pass their courses and constantly prepare them to gain scholarships and other financial gains. I also get the impression that guidance counselors continually seek out the best colleges and universities for students. Guidance counselors also prepare college field trips for students to gain the experience of what it's like to choose a college that will be the pathway to their career.

Reward and Challenges

I think that one of the most rewarding things for a counselor is to see that you made a difference in a person’s life. You may be the reason they made it to college instead of dropping out, or maybe you are the reason they come to school at all. A counselor has a limitless amount of students to pore into and make a difference in. One the hardest things to me would be getting involved in problems at home or a child being mistreated, sexually, physically, or emotionally. Sometimes to make a difference you have to, what the kids call “get in their business”. I think that there would be many rewarding aspect of being a counselor.

Changed impression

The counselor’s role is a hard one today. I do believe in prevention over remediation, but for a counselor to be a real impact on a child they must first know the student. It is so important for the counselors of today to really get to know these kids. Today’s student have so many distractions, and can very easily get off track. The students we teach on a daily basis have the pressures from every direction. Some are pulled by friends, drugs, sex, and even trying to live up to someone else’s ideas of who they should be. The counselors have to know the student before they know what they are dealing with. The counselor’s role has changed, because the students and their needs have changed. My view of what counselor’s jobs are may have changed, but my perception of my counselors has not.

Rewards and Challenges

Well, the only way for me to imagine the most rewarding and most difficult part of being a counselor is to imagine myself as a counselor (a role I do play in class from time to time). The most rewarding part for me would be similar to that of mine as a teacher, the success of the student. That success could only be measured by the student of course, whether it be success in a career, college, or life. The most difficult part of the job would be giving the students guidance that are troubled with abusiveness in the home, students without a home or family, and the students that are dealing with a loss of a family member. I could not even begin to know the weight the counselors took on in the schools that have endeavored during these atrocities that have taken place in recent years. In all I do believe the counselors do carry a heavy load and are a vital part of a healthy school. Without the aid of the counseling dept. the tasks of a teacher would be even more cumbersome and stressful.

Theorem 3: "Vocational education should provide students with thinking habits - technical knowledge and scientific problem solving skills - and the manipulative skills required in the occupation itself."

Theorem 3: "Vocational education should provide students with thinking habits - technical knowledge and scientific problem solving skills - and the manipulative skills required in the occupation itself."

 

Yes I agree with theorem 3.  My knowledge and training did not come from vocational education but on the job training. However, my training encompasses theorem 3. Coming from the pharmacy industry, I didn’t always have someone looking over my shoulder, time was of essence, the ability to think and problem solve was crucial. When patients dropped off prescriptions, I had to think, and give an estimate on wait time. Having an idea on how long it will take comes with assessing the situation at hand. If there were difficulties with insurance cards, I had to troubleshoot the claim by getting the necessary information from the patient or calling the insurance company to determine whether a claim is going to be paid or is in need of a preauthorization. Completing mental calculation to draw an IV for a patient awaiting medication to prevent paralysis is another example of how manipulative skills are required.

 

Rewards and Challenges

Rewards and Challenges

I think the most rewarding for guidance counselors would be to see their hard work come to full manifestation. This can come in terms of acceptance letters to colleges, successful completion of classes scheduled, students overcoming obstacles, graduation ceremony, seeing students after they graduate and they are doing something productive, and even a thank you. I think the most challenging will be to know a student will have to learn by experience. To know the talks, the shielding from harm, keeping them from falling will not be enough at that moment for success.

 

Changed Impressions

Changed Impressions

My prior knowledge of a guidance counselor I thought was detailed. I've never doubted that guidance counselors had their share of responsibilities and have always felt they were a vital part of a student's success. However, after the readings I am now more certain than ever that counselors have their fair share of administrative duties, strict deadlines to adhere to. Within this semester, I see some of the actions taking place by our counselors that were noted on their calendar activity reading. Some duties that were mentioned in the reading I would have never contributed to the counselors seeing that I see others present the information. Now looking back, the data had to come from somewhere, the counselors.

I will even go as far to say, guidance counselors are teachers in their own right. They wear multiple hats as we do. Their dealings with the student body are the same as ours in the classroom, serving as counselor, cheerleader, ATM, Marta, the list goes on.

 

Advice: Unleash Your Alter Ego

Unleash your alter ego.

 I will tell my neighboring teacher to unleash their alter ego. The alter ego is that person inside that is just as crazy as the students and isn’t afraid to think outside the box.  Worried about behaviors, being overwhelmed, filled classrooms, inadequate supplies, lesson plans? Yes some students will try you but your alter ego is just as crazy as them.  The classrooms are filled with students staring at you to see if you know what you are doing.  Share your interesting career stories to keep them engaged. They don’t know more than you. Use that information in your teachings. No, you don’t have the necessary supplies, but borrow or make do. It’s like having Bio-Rad equipment desire but only Wal-Mart’s money to spend. It’s not the same quality but the goal was accomplished, hands-on still occurred.  Meetings and workshops take them in stride. You’ll be surprised how much information you learn not form the meetings but from your colleagues sitting next to you. When it comes to lesson plans, don’t try to reinvent the wheel, Google. Eventually you and your alter ego will merge into one person to make a brilliant educator.  

Perceived Roles

Perceived Roles

I believe the roles and responsibilities of a guidance counselor is a vital instrument in the success of our students. Guidance counselors assist students and their parents with creating the best four year plan or choosing the best diploma choice based upon the student’s career interest. Their role in this matter can be quite hectic as students may not adhere to appointment times by either being late or not coming at all. Schedule changes, failing classes also become obstacles in trying to keep students on the right track.

Testing is another responsibility of guidance counselors. Counselors do their best to ensure that students preferably 10-12 grade have taken either the PSAT, SAT or ACT. Equipping the students with the knowledge needed to successfully register for these exams. I am still surprised at how many students still do not take their IDs to take their tests.

As an instructor, if I have a student that may be pregnant, come to school with defying odor, or may have issues that need to be addressed, the guidance counselor is usually the first point of contact before other school’s personnel is involved.

Guidance counselors also provide exposure to the students by having representatives from not only local colleges but out of state colleges to come to campus for the students to gather information, field trips to colleges giving students an opportunity to apply on the spot, financial workshops to assist with FAFSA forms, and apply to college day to assist seniors with an opportunity to apply to one school of their choice.

And most importantly, guidance counselors are an important part of CTAE. I’m sure we can all attest to having students who have no desire to be in our pathway however they are scheduled in our classes. The communication between CTAE and the counselors and information and knowledge of our programs is mandatory so they may schedule the “interested” student into the appropriate program.

 

Changed Impressions

My impression of the guidance counselor’s role has not changed much. The role they serve is one that I still find to be very important, possibly even more so. I was very interested in the history and origin of counseling in the U.S. I found it intriguing that teachers held the role of counselor in the beginning and that it was mostly to do with the vocational direction of the students. I was surprised to learn that it is the counselors’ role to give more individual direction for the students’ future and that the counselors are trying to be a preventative to the irresponsible decisions that a young person can at times be persuaded into making. I believe that, just as the teachers, the main responsibility for the counselor can be watered down and diverted away from the students by all of the outside requirements placed on them by the administrations and districts. These very informative articles have opened my eyes more so to their role in the school and even sparked my interest in the possibility of take on one of these types of positions in the future.

Rewards and Challenges

I feel as if school counseling is a very rewarding career. It would be most rewarding to see that scared freshman entering the realm of high school transform into the proud and educated senior walking across the stage at graduation. School counselors have a hand in their high school career every step of the way. I know they must feel accomplished to see their dedication and hard work finally pay off. I think the most challenging aspect would be just trying to stay on top of things. I can’t imagine keeping up with all of the responsibilities they have. Not to mention the communication aspect, they are responsible with keeping faculty, administration, students and parents in the know. That alone must be overwhelming. After these readings I have a lot more respect for our school counselors.

Changed Impressions

I definitely have a changed impression of school counselors. I didn’t realize the level of education required of school counselors. Previously, I felt like counselors had an easy job but I wasn’t at aware of all the responsibilities that they have. I almost feel bad for them, as a teacher I am all over the place trying to complete all of my tasks. Often times, I feel completely overwhelmed but after my readings I realize my job has NOTHING on a counselor. I don’t know how there is enough time in the day to accomplish the tasks they are responsible for. I know how tough it is to individualize for a classroom but I can’t imagine being responsible for individualizing for an entire grade level or even school wide. I always wondered why I never saw the counselors very often, now I know. They are probably in their offices scheduling the SAT, communicating with parents, teachers, and administration, helping a special needs student reach their goals, counseling a pregnant teen, meeting the requirements of the state, and trying to survive doing all of these things at once.

Perceived Roles

In my opinion the role of a guidance counselor is to assist students with personal, academic, and social problems. They are to keep track of students academic accomplishments as well as failures to keep students on the right track. They are the ones who the student should feel the most comfortable speaking to about personal problems they may be experiencing at home or in school. I personally have had very little contact in my life dealing with guidance counselors. Even as a teacher, I do not typically work with them. One time in high school I can remember having to speak with a counselor to make sure I was aligned to graduate. Other than that I knew they were available but never needed them so to speak. As a teacher, I send students to guidance when they are angered, upset, or have some type of scheduling problem. Other than that I don't really know what they do. I am looking forward to learning more.

Changed Impressions

The one thing that I read from the material that I really didn't think about was that secondary counselors are preparing the students into adult life. The quote which really made me thing about that is, "High school is the final transition into adulthood and the world of work as students begin separating from parents and exploring and defining their independence." With all the issues that teens have to deal with it, it really sunk in that yes, this is the final source of guidance outside of their families to prepare them for adult life. If they don't have the family support at home, I can see how much more of a challenge a counselors job can be. One thing that I mentioned in my post about what do I believe counselors do on a daily basis, a quote sums up everything that I thought believed they do. "This mission is accomplished through the design, development, implementation, and evaluation, of a comprehensive, developmental and systematic, school-counseling program." When I look at that quote, I immediately thought, that's a lot to deal with one student, however if you have the students with the last name of A-D, that is a lot of students to deal with! Even though I don't come into contact with a lot of counselors during the day, I know now that they definitely have a lot on their plate to deal with. I just wish that a lot more people knew the information that we know about them, as well as the workload for teachers.