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A Tribute to Tony, our School Counselor

heather — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:08:14 +0000

At times, I find myself in awe of some of the dedicated and self-sacrificing individuals that have devoted themselves to our students. These are the diamonds, the people who live this work, who breathe it, who take home the lost battles and get up everyday to battle again. One such person is our school counselor, Tony Phuong.

Tony has been at my school for a while and no matter the cohort of students under his guidance, he serves them with the same support, kindness, tough-love, and wisdom year after year.

He meets the most challenging students with a smile before making them push themselves beyond what they thought possible.

He works with us all, pushing us all, asking for the moon and settling for a star. He asks the students to reach as high as the sky and then celebrates them for just reaching as high as they can. He asks the teachers to look at things from a different point of view, to see things through the student’s eyes, to try different tools, and to rededicate our hearts despite our daily frustrations. For it takes a village to educate our students. No teacher can do it alone, and Tony packs the punch of so many caring teachers combined.

He meets with a cadre of students in the morning, checking their backpacks for assignments due, keeping them accountable the minute they walk into school’s door. He meets with a different gaggle during their lunch, keeping them on track throughout the day. He runs our after school homework club, sitting one-on-one with students, giving them a safe place to work, to ask questions, and to succeed.

He knows every teacher’s expectations and assignments. He knows every student’s tendencies and saga.

In parent meetings, he supports all the stakeholders; he is straightforward with the parents, he is relentless with the students, and he is collaborative with the teachers.

Recently, I was in our front office, meeting with Tony about a student that was in my first period and that was a part of his caseload. A phone call came in as we were talking. It was from a parent whose student wouldn’t get out of bed and refused to go to school. To whom did the mother turn? Tony.

Apparently, there are students who have been awoken by Tony in their very bedrooms. He goes to their homes in the early hours of the morning, and convinces them to come to school. That’s right. He parents.

Yet, as special as our Tony is, I would bet that on every staff there are other Tonys out there: be they teachers, administrators, or counselors. Maybe they are recognized, maybe not, but they are there. The media doesn’t speak about The Tonys of our schools. The Tonys of our schools aren’t highlighted by our politicians. But they are there. These self-sacrificing, generous people can be found in every school and daily walk down every hall.

I don’t mean to diminish what our particular Tony does for our students by saying that his kind abounds in our educational system, but I do question why our media and policy makers hone in on this mythical 10% of “bad” educators and don’t acknowledge the literally millions of educators out there who have the angelic qualities of our Tony.

These Tonys are trying to desperately fill in the gaps created by well-intentioned families and misguided students who struggle to know what to do or how to do it. These Tonys work tirelessly to help students find a voice, find their motivation, find their meaning, and find their future.

So, who is your school’s diamond? Who is your school’s Tony?

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: achievement gap, education, k12, middle school, school counselors

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The Neglected Field Trip & and Bridging the Achievement Gap

heather — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:17:28 +0000

When I think of my advanced students, a key element that sets them apart from their lesser-achieving peers are their life experiences, the education that they are getting in their off-time outside of school.(...)
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Post tags: achievement gap, field trips, inequity in education

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Fictional Crushes

heather — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:37:23 +0000

OK, don’t tell my husband, but I have a fictional crush. That is, I have a crush based on a fictitious character. I think I’ve always had one, but the object of my literary love has always changed with my own chapter in life. (...)
Read the rest of Fictional Crushes (543 words)

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, book review, classroom library, ELA, k-12, k12, middle school, TLN, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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Teaching Secrets: Finding a Job That You Love

heather — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Know a teacher who got a pink slip? Maybe my newest post at Teacher Magazine can help. Click here for the article.

It’s Step 1 of my Top Secret New Teacher Handbook. Hope it creates some shortcuts, a machete even, through the education jungle.

-Tweenteacher

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, classroom library, classroom management, collaboration, common language, critical thinking, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, Ed Tech, education, ELA, employment, free, fundraising, internet literacy, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, life long learners, merit pay, metacognition, middle school, NCLB, new teachers, peer teaching, performance pay, professional development, technology, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, TLN, top 10, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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The “Sweet Spot” in Interactive Whiteboards courtesy of Robert Marzano

heather — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:06:19 +0000

CUE scored Marzano.

As he began his keynote presentation on Friday at the 2009 Computer Using Educators conference, Robert Marzano confessed that he had been slow on the tech bandwagon, only recently researching enough to see what all the fuss was about. But by the end of test study, after test study, after test study, he soon realized that using certain ed tech strategies resulted undeniable successes in student achievement.

There are four strategies, he says, that are irrefutably changing the future of education, that, without proper adoption, would doom us to be “dinosaurs” in our practice.

But he warned us that while there are “no silver bullets,” there are “silver bbs,” and a teacher must decide “which combination of silver bbs is best for [their] classroom.”

And of the four points he talked about, the leading teaching strategy that Robert Marzano felt was a true breakthrough in education (aside from the use of the internet which he is currently studying), was the use of the Interactive Whiteboard and its Voter-Response Technology.

(...)
Read the rest of The “Sweet Spot” in Interactive Whiteboards courtesy of Robert Marzano (404 words)

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Post tags: 100% accountability, achievement gap, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, Ed Tech, education, interactive whiteboards, internet literacy, middle school, robert marzano, voting

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How to be an Ed Tech Advocate

heather — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 01:26:24 +0000

OK, guys. So I got it from the horse’s mouth at CUE. According to the ISTE Director of Governmental Affairs, No Child Left Behind is not going away.

In the weeks leading up to the election, the Obama administration talked the talk, proving that Educational Technology was on their radar, but if you’ve been listening, the silence on Ed Tech has since become deafening. (...)
Read the rest of How to be an Ed Tech Advocate (515 words)

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, budget, CUE, Ed Tech, education policy, EETT, equity, ETAN, fundraising, internet literacy, k-12, k12, learning, lobbyist, middle school, NCLB, obama, online, school accountability, school funding, technology, Title I, tween, UCI, writing

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Top 10: How to Take Control of Your Teaching

heather — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Occasionally, I repost this article so that new readers can find it more easily. Based on some very enthusiastic feedback, it has since morphed into a book proposal called The Top Secret New Teachers Handbook. I’ll share more as it evolves…

I’ve been developing this Top 10 list of ways to take control of your teaching even in the face of, well, teaching. It’s an advice list on how to encourage respect, and, if necessary, how to demand it as a means to make sure you aren’t being taken for granted.

Let’s face it, if you are feeling appreciated, you will be happier in this difficult job. Consequently, your students will be happier, and quite frankly, if they are happier, they will be more successful. After all, an unhappy teacher’s room has the smog of misery in it, and for a student, it hovers like a stench that affects their own victories. And while it benefits a school to keep its teachers happy, it is a teacher’s responsibility to demand those things that make this challenging job better than tolerable.

I think that finding those tricks or strategies to keep in your pocket is important in any career; but in education you need them even more so. Otherwise, the day-to-day duties of the job will eventually grind your enthusiasm to a halt and it won’t just be you who is affected, your students will be affected as well.

I will be expanding on each of these over time, but in a nutshell, here’s my TOP 10:

(...)
Read the rest of Top 10: How to Take Control of Your Teaching (1,396 words)

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The Death of Teacher Conferences or I Can’t Believe I Miss My Canvas Bag

heather — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:43:59 +0000

So, CATE (the California Association of Teachers of English) just came to an end. The hotel was lovely. All ran smoothly. We were greeted with smiles aplenty, and everything ran on time. Sheridan Blau, Kelly Gallagher, Carol Booth Olson, Taylor Mali, Jim Burke. They all presented there.

But despite it all, CATE is clearly a conference (along with others) that is struggling for breath amidst budget cuts.(...)
Read the rest of The Death of Teacher Conferences or I Can’t Believe I Miss My Canvas Bag (479 words)

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, cate, collaboration, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, fundraising, podcasting, professional development, technology, test, test prep, TLN, Writers Project

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Starting from scratch in teacher training

heather — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:49:36 +0000

I recently heard Judy Willis (of “syn-naps” fame) speak at a conference. In her pre-teaching life, she was a neurologist and she brings her knowledge to the classroom and to her lectures. (See my recently published article in Teacher Magazine, “My Brilliant Second-Career”). Willis mentioned that she had just gotten back from Dubai where her charge was to teach new teaching program students about brain development and how it relates to education.

Questions she tackled with these candidates were:

How do children and adolescents learn?

What actually happens in the brain in order to hear and retain information?

What are proven strategies that help information to become embedded into long-term memory?

(...)
Read the rest of Starting from scratch in teacher training (169 words)

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Here’s why test scores shouldn’t be the only criteria…

heather — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:10:37 +0000

OK, so my first period’s “Advanced” group went up 40% between their 1st district assessment and their 2nd. Another period went up 37%. Even my Honors class went from 81% Advanced to 97% Advanced, with only 1 student found in the Proficient category. So why don’t I believe that my metal should be judged on test scores? Because I have one class, my 7th Grade ELA class that went down; and through careful reflection I’ve been analyzing why.

And these whys are the elements of teaching that are beyond my control. (...)
Read the rest of Here’s why test scores shouldn’t be the only criteria… (740 words)

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Test Prep-Bubbling Power

heather — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:23:06 +0000

So I looked at my 8th grade students’ scores after they took the MMA and sighed. Their scores sucked. (...)
Read the rest of Test Prep-Bubbling Power (506 words)

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Post tags: 100% accountability, 2008, achievement gap, assessments, education, k-12, k12, middle school, teaching, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, TLN, tween, UCI, Writers Project, writing

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Is EdTech changing how students think or is it addressing the changes in student thinking?

heather — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:13:02 +0000

Science Daily is reporting that there has been a shift in how students are thinking as a result of their use of technology. They believe it possibly lowers critical thinking skills and analysis. Additionally, they wonder just how much schools should be catering to this change.

The important thing to remember is that when we talk about differentiation, we have to include all forms of teaching, from traditional pencil and paper to the use of technology. But if we were to ignore the evolution that is occurring, that of the transition our brains our making as a result of society’s onslaught of daily technology, we would not be doing our job.

(...)
Read the rest of Is EdTech changing how students think or is it addressing the changes in student thinking? (437 words)

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Post tags: achievement gap, ASCD Brief, assessments, blog, collaboration, critical thinking, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, Ed Tech, education, education policy, internet literacy, k-12, k12, Language Arts, life long learners, metacognition, sesame street, teaching, technology, Title I, TLN, tween, UCI, Writers Project, writing

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Marketing Metacognition

heather — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:42:02 +0000

So I just got the January MindWare catalogue and I realize that here we have a toy catalogue that is solely for metacognitive purchases. So this got me thinking: how can schools market metacognition? I realized, of course, that until our standardized tests become a more critical-thinking assessment, however, is there a point in doing so?(...)
Read the rest of Marketing Metacognition (309 words)

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Recalling your own Metacognition

heather — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:27:06 +0000

I’ve been working on metacognitive lessons with my middle schoolers in an attempt to teach reflection and the act of thinking about thinking. Anyway, one of the most important elements in teaching about thinking is in your own remembering of certain “Eureka!” moments.(...)
Read the rest of Recalling your own Metacognition (502 words)

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NewsHour with Jim Leher: Michelle Rhee

heather — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:31:56 +0000

I recently watched John Merrow’s interview with Michelle Rhee on the NewsHour. Michelle seems like a real mixed blessing for education. On one hand, she’s willing to clean house, and education does seriously need it. On the other hand, however, and much like the sweeping policies of NCLB, she’s a bit of an all-or-nothing authority. (She’s also known as a Chancellor, which gives me a mental picture of a Lilliputian bearing a sash and gold medal, so sometimes it’s hard to shake the image even while listening to her policies.) (...)
Read the rest of NewsHour with Jim Leher: Michelle Rhee (601 words)

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Skills vs. Strategies: UCI Writing Project Challenge

heather — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:45:21 +0000

The UCI Writers Project has monthly meetings for its alumni where we discuss certain topics, bringing our field studies and expertise into the conversation. Last night we tackled an issue related to developing a common language: Skills vs. Strategies.

Many of us use these terms interchangably, yet there are differences. After our meeting last night, the crowd nodded knowingly. I joined them in a brief nod or two as well. I must admit, however, that I faked it.

I have posed the question to my wonderful colleagues at The Teacher Leaders Network and have gotten some great answers, but a blog’s purpose is not only for readers to comment but to also advise; so here I am, asking for your take on this great debate:

What’s the difference between skills and strategies?

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Post tags: achievement gap, blog, common language, curriculum development, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, Language Arts, technology, TLN, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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But what if the child does everything in their power to be “left behind?”

heather — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:43:20 +0000

The Boston Globe is reporting that some students deliberately “shoot themselves in their own foot.” Some of the reason is that trying hard is frightening. Now, don’t get all uppity. Let’s face it; even the most mature of adults may have postponed reaching for their dream out of the effort it might take to reach it or for fear of failure. (...)
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Post tags: 100% accountability, 2008, achievement gap, ASCD Brief, ascd community, k-12, k12, metacognition, middle school, MMA, obama, Title I, TLN, Writers Project, writing

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Hola, soy redesignated…

heather — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:18:08 +0000

So, please, somebody tell me how this scenario is best for the child:

Recently, I received a student, a full quarter into the school year, from our ELD classes. That’s not the problem as much as the fact that she doesn’t speak English. So I asked our counselors what the history was and what they could tell me about the reasoning for the move. (...)
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Post tags: achievement gap, ELA, ELD, ELL, k-12, k12, peer teaching, standardized testing, Title I, TLN, tween, writing

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The Excitement Graph: Plot and Word Choice

heather — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:04:08 +0000

Every year, I do this activity when teaching Narrative Plot. I’ve used it from 3rd grade to 12th grade. I learned a version of it first in 1993 at a UCLA Extension class on “Teaching Reading to Secondary Students” and I’ve adapted it from there. It’s called:

THE EXCITEMENT GRAPH(...)
Read the rest of The Excitement Graph: Plot and Word Choice (443 words)

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Should a free education be unconditional?

heather — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:25:19 +0000

So you know when you get your group of kids on the first day, there are those who immediately set off your alarms? Well, that definitely happened to me on my first day.

I have a student who clearly needs help. His peers are weary of him already and his confrontational style seems not as intentional as inherent. The startling comments and “seething anger”, as his last year’s teacher put it only three weeks into the school year, seem uncontrollable. This same teacher recorded that he asked if her windows were bullet proof. I wasn’t, of course, given this information up front. I had to seek it out.

His first quickwrite of this year centered on cussing out his last teachers and cranking them nightly on the phone. His pride in his violent video games is apparent.

Like children with Asperger’s (of which he has not been tested to date), he seems unaware of cues or the goings on around him: calling out with inappropriate comments, walking in front of me while I talk to the class, handing me items while I’m in the middle of instruction. Annoying, yes, but harmless.

He also will not make eye contact (could be cultural, but this seems different than others of his ethnicity and nationality) and walks robotically, stiffly, without movement in his shoulders. Strangely enough, and I’m clearly not a diagnostician (though I play one on TV), the few students in my career who have had symptoms like this seem to also come with apparent sinus problems. His eyes are puffy with nasal issues, he is sniffy, and I can’t help but wonder if there is a connection.

So I approached the counselors who know me as a real student advocate and as a teacher with a somewhat effective antenna. I don’t send kids to the office. I handle my own discipline issues, which are few. So when I come in, they listen. The afternoon after the first day of school I walked in and said, “So, what’s up with X?” They pretty much flopped the file onto the desk, a file the size of our Language of Literature book.(...)
Read the rest of Should a free education be unconditional? (363 words)

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Post tags: 100% accountability, 2008, achievement gap, aspergers, blog, collaboration, Curriculum, differentiation, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, employment, free, fundraising, Joanne Jacobs, k-12, k12, learning, metacognition, performance pay, special ed, teaching, technology, test, Title I

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