I had the privilege this week to Skype with two excellent educators about assessments. In the course of the conversation we started talking about grade, and homework and we realized that once you talk about one topic in education and look at reforming it you realize that you have just opened the door to three more areas that you need to change in order to bring about reform in the first area.
Therefore the obvious question is "What is the next Step"
At this point in the conversation I mentioned what the Rabbis said happened right before the Jews crossed the Red Sea on the way out of Egypt. They say that the sea didn't split right away and that it wasn't until Nachshon jumped in showing his faith in G-D and letting the water get up to his nose did the sea actually split.
Therefore to bring about reform it is going to take someone to jump in first. However that is not the end of the commentary given by the Rabbis they say that it did not split all at once but rather each time the Jews would have to first take that leap of faith into the water before it split. It was if you will a slow process. The same is true with any type of change especially educational change or reform.
Whether it is a new take on assessments or grading it is going to take time, at the same time however we need to take that jump and try to make small changes starting at first in our classrooms, or grade level, or school before we take on changing an entire system.
What can I do.
Well on a personal level I do try to conduct my own classroom based on my beliefs and as an administrator I try to get my teachers to buy into what I am preaching.
I blog and tweet about what I believe as well.
To be honest I still want to do more. Which brings me to a new endeavour and that is the launching of Star Educational Services which is a consulting group to provide Educational and Leadership ideas to help students and schools shine. To learn more please direct message me @akevy613
My small steps to help bring about reform.
Akevy (Akevy613)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Defining Success
In all areas of life we want to be successful. As adults we want to be successful in our jobs and with raising a family . We want our children to be successful in school and as educational leaders we want our students and our teachers to be successful.
However who and how do we define success. Is it Wall Street's definition or in the classroom is it getting straight A's or perhaps for our teachers it might raising his /her students test scores. All of these possibilities have one major flaw ( at least) and that is that depend on someone else or the definition of what someone else believes to be success . What cooperate America may define as success may not fit my value system, does that mean that I am not successful. As much as teachers give tests and have other data it has been my experience that the same student can be an A student for Teacher X and a B student for Teacher Y. Is that student not successful. And finally our teachers there has been much debate over test scores so should that define a successful teacher.
Therefore I believe that success is something personal and needs to be measured by each individual. For the C student who pulled himself up a got a B, that student was very successful.
Therefore I happen to like Coach Wooden's definition of success he says the following; "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming".
As many of us are preparing for the new school year and who doesn't want it to be a successful one let us keep this definition in mind in thinking about our own growth as educators and more importantly when looking at our students. If we want our students to be successful then we have to help them maximize their potential and become the best that they are capable of and for some students that might be an A but for others that might be a C.
May we all become the best that we are capable of and have successful school year
However who and how do we define success. Is it Wall Street's definition or in the classroom is it getting straight A's or perhaps for our teachers it might raising his /her students test scores. All of these possibilities have one major flaw ( at least) and that is that depend on someone else or the definition of what someone else believes to be success . What cooperate America may define as success may not fit my value system, does that mean that I am not successful. As much as teachers give tests and have other data it has been my experience that the same student can be an A student for Teacher X and a B student for Teacher Y. Is that student not successful. And finally our teachers there has been much debate over test scores so should that define a successful teacher.
Therefore I believe that success is something personal and needs to be measured by each individual. For the C student who pulled himself up a got a B, that student was very successful.
Therefore I happen to like Coach Wooden's definition of success he says the following; "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming".
As many of us are preparing for the new school year and who doesn't want it to be a successful one let us keep this definition in mind in thinking about our own growth as educators and more importantly when looking at our students. If we want our students to be successful then we have to help them maximize their potential and become the best that they are capable of and for some students that might be an A but for others that might be a C.
May we all become the best that we are capable of and have successful school year
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