Teachers in administration roles

From time-to-time teachers get tired and need to get away from the classroom. Administrative roles have provided a haven for teachers, a temporary solution until batteries are recharged. Many positive things can occur when a teacher embraces this opportunity.

Experienced teachers in administrative roles contribute to the school when using their experience to monitor the progress of a whole cohort and use this experience to ensure that courses run are providing the opportunity for students to progress at their optimum rate.

The means mentoring, monitoring and assisting new teachers through their first few years, providing encouragement and new materials to experienced teachers and ensuring that everyone understands the expectations of their role, have clear, workable and achievable outcomes. They also need constant feedback on their progress.

Teachers in administrative roles need to be involved in the delegation of materials and sequences that are workable given their experience at their particular school and of the staff available. This may mean setting specific curricula, assessment, recording frameworks, assessment timetables and monitoring assessment results such as classwork, standardised testing and competition results. Ideas need to be adequately measured for success and they need recognition of the successes of their ideas.

To keep perspective this person must be connected to the classroom and seen as being put in a leadership role. They cannot be doing permanently pastoral roles (for years at a time) as staff in this position quickly become disconnected from students and teacher colleagues when not actively involved in the day-to-day lives of our students. This may mean resuming .6-.8 FTE doing classroom related work and .4-.2 FTE pastoral care work and gently easing back into the classroom as the tiredness wanes and need for teaching a classroom returns.

Unfortunately some now see these 'Level 3' roles as permanent promotional positions as they attract higher wages with little student contact. Good teachers in these positions without the opportunities to do 'good' within the school (such as the tasks listed above) have no positive classroom contact, are only solving pastoral issues and are seen by other teachers as doing administrative trivia are bound to eventually feel isolated and have self esteem/self image problems. Poor teachers without pastoral flair tend to make a mess of the situation, are rewarded for poor classroom performance and cause further issues for genuine classroom teachers.

We need to carefully look at administrative positions, consider how they are used and treat these roles with the care they deserve. Staff in these roles are the glue and grease of a school. With clear goals in mind they can produce wonderful results for teaching staff, students and the school.

Recursion & Arithmetic Sequences

As a programmer a recursive algorithm is something that comes naturally. The idea of defining something as a consequence of a previous action or term is something inherent in most programming languages.

In teaching high school mathematics where actions are typically focussed on an instant in time rather actions over a period of time, this is not always obvious.

When teaching recurring formula for an arithmetic sequence (I lack the ability to subscript properly in Blogger - subscript after T until a space is encountered) we usually discuss:

a, a+d, a+2d, a+3d,..., a+(n-1)d where n is a position in the sequence

Tn+1 = Tn + d or Tn = Tn-1 + d where T1 =a

It is not easy for students to recognise (especially in year 10) the n+1 or n-1 as describing position in a sequence.

eg for the sequence 1,3,5,7
T1=1, T2=3, T3=5, T4=7

when n=1; Tn=1, Tn+1 = 3, Tn-1 is undefined
when n=2; Tn=3, Tn+1 = 5, Tn-1 = 1

I had a think about it and next time I think will try teach it using an investigative introduction.

I will write on the board:

Describe in mathematical/algebriac terms my yearly salary based on "I get $10
000 in my first year and a pay rise of $1 000 each year thereafter."

And then determine the sequence for the first five terms and introduce recursive algorithms to give students more idea where this form of mathematics could lie within their internal schema. I would construct the sequence (10 000, 11 000, 12 000, ...) and have focus students on the concept of thinking of the $1000 as the difference(d) between terms and the $10 000 as the first term(T1 or 'a') - then introduce the following:

Tn = Tn-1 + 1000 ; n>1 and T1 = 10000

This I think would lead well to the introduction of Tn+1 = Tn + d and Tn = Tn-1 + d.

Then write on the board and investigate students answers for:

For the above problem find T100

And then launch into Arithmetic Progressions (AP's) and the formula Tn = T1 + (n-1)d before completing a set of practice examples.

Learning by mistakes and reflecting on my current practices

For those that have read my articles you would see that my first draft is usually full of typing and grammatical mistakes which over a few days and my re-reading become able to be read without cringing. This need for self correction was drummed into me as an adult by a colleague and it has stuck with me through teaching.

All too often I receive work from students that is clearly a first draft. This is clearly not acceptable as first draft work is incomplete - next year I intend on informing students that I will be handing such work back as 'not being finished within the deadline' and thus invoking non-completion of assignment consequences.

In mathematics, the trend to assess outcomes has drawn attention away from mathematical technique - such as one equals sign to a line and recording working such that patterns of thought can be read within answers. I intend on looking at this more closely next term, making clearer my expectations and then ensuring that these expectations are adhered to. I will need to investigate further for my next topic what is commonly accepted as good notation (as my notation may not be perfect) and clearly communicate this to students.

Furthermore, I have noticed a worrying trend of students not using notes and worked examples as the first point of query during classwork, nor are they effectively questioning peers when they have a question. All too often I feel I am being used as an instant repository of information (perhaps as a ready replacement for internet instant answers). I need to discourage to some degree questioning of the teacher, prepare better modelled lessons and encourage independent and collaborative learning.

I have noticed that students are not delaying rounding to the last calculation. In many cases the rounding operation itself is also being completed incorrectly. This is poor technique and I need to address this with many of my top students.

I did a lot of work with my students to ensure that all work was self-checked for accuracy and correctness (eg. self marking from the back of the book). Many thought that looking at answers was "cheating" rather than a necessary indicator that an error was occurring. I had to show students that investigation into the cause of an error was also necessary. I need to further encourage students to investigate their errors and help them feel rewarded when investigating and solving their own issues independently.

Single Sex vs Co-educational schools

Those observant of you may have noticed my little countdown to our first child. This has ignited an old debate at home whether our students should go to a co-educational or single sex school.

I started out in teaching with the intent to teach in an underprivileged school, which I am now doing and very much enjoying. I had the privilege of teaching in a single sex girls school for my first semester of teaching. I can't say it was my greatest achievement in life, I pulled the pin after 6 months as I was unable to sustain the pace required with my limited experience. It did show me something more important though - Girls are more focussed, happier, more effective and achieve at higher levels without the competition and distraction of boys.

When I was seventeen, I spent a lot of time with boys from one of the local independent boys schools and leveraged their connections and knowedge of the Perth marketplace for much of my corporate career. I could not have achieved as I had in corporate life without these connections and attitudes picked up from these lads.

In my experience with both the boys and girls school students, both had clear ideas of their own values and what they expected in those they associated with. I did not see the sheer amount of students clearly lacking workable values systems.

At this time it is my intent that our baby will go to a single sex religious high school regardless of sex of the child for these widely different but equally valid reasons. Perth is a small place and any advantage that I can give my children I will attempt to do.

As I rediscover research supporting or disputing evidence of this position I will post away.

Teacher Pay rise, EBA 3

Well, it's official. Teachers have voted no to EBA3. About 65% voted no. We will not be getting a lower than inflation pay rise.

It will be interesting to see how the public and the new state government (whoever it is) responds.

This was the same pay rise that the union said was great... yet the majority of union members thought otherwise. The union was not representing the wishes of its members and believed negative publicity would change the minds of teachers. I suggest that there are a few members of the executive (re: President and secretary) that are in trouble at the next union election.

Who was the union representing if not the teachers and administration of schools during this negotiation - personal self interest? I would join a union that represented my interests, the interests of my colleagues and clearly researched goals for public education.

Clearly the SSTUWA does not do this and is following its own agenda that is leading to poor morale and teaching standards. It is appalling. Some housekeeping is now necessary.

Reporting in the media (the ABC in particular, though the West and commercial stations are similarly guilty at times) keep stating a 16-21% pay rise. What they fail to mention is that this is 16-21% over three years and the final 2% is applied on the last day of the agreement. For a fair comparison we should take 16-21% subtract 2 and divide by three. Thus for the majority 4% per year which at best is 1% + inflation or perhaps 2.3% + inflation if you are at the lucky end.

This type of reporting by the media actively misleads the public into believing that a 16-21% (in one year) pay rise is being declined by teachers and administrators. Government employees or consultants employed by the government being trotted out in support of the government proposal is not supplying an independent or well researched viewpoint.

The current payrise and activism by teachers is intended to redress the lack of parity in teacher wage claims over the last 15 years, raise awareness over OBE issues and address the constant reduction in conditions in the vocation (a major cause of the current teacher shortage). A 1% + inflation payrise with reduced conditions does not correct this parity issue.

A better solution would have been to bump the entire payscales by say $10,000 this budget and again by $10,000 in three years time and only apply CPI to incremental scales for the life of the EBA. This would have established parity without misleading percentages and recreated an attractive profession to graduates by creating entry and exit points comparable to like 4 year university graduate careers.

Perhaps our new premier Mr Barnett will take note.

Values based education and religion

Determination of the goals of public schooling with respect to values education is a clear issue that needs to be resolved in WA education.

Students are reaching senior school and approaching graduation without considering the questions of 'where am I going' and 'what is the 'purpose of life'. Outside culture promotes the 'me' generation where income, fame and status are the measures of success. As we all learn in later life, family, continuity of generational values and the selfless acts of greatness/goodness are far more important in generating a vibrant and healthy society than current media constructs.

Having a focus outside of the dollar opens students to vocations that may better suit their personalities and provide them with opportunities to find like minded people to work with.

Religious schools have a far stronger grasp on values education than does the public sector. Goals such as 'going to heaven' make sense to a child in a way that hides good actions behind self interest. As children progress through the religious systems, the fear of not going to heaven recedes and for many selfless acts become a part of the nature of students and they are given a strong sense of what is right, wrong and humane through the 'witness' of staff and the community. They seek to understand what is right and develop principles that they believe in to live by.

Public schools lack this selflessness to some degree. Students are protective of each other, but more in a mob sense than in a selfless sense. Students have a sense of what right is, but no real reason to do so other than the rules dictate certain actions. The biggest consequence of not doing right at present in public schools is suspension (seen as holidays by many students). The exceptions are the students with parents guiding them with clear value systems. Unfortunately these parent/student pairings can be few and far between. Forming in our schools is a religious underground, where students know that if they talk about their spirituality they will be subject to teasing and ridicule from staff and students.

Another topic that springs to mind is that if a student has no real goal in life and limited self worth, it reduces their motivation to achieve excellence and seek capabilities in knowledge and skills for when opportunities arise. This lack of focus raises the difficulties of teaching and opens questions of the relevance of education by our youth.

Currently one measure to address the development of values in public schools, is to make students commit to community service hours to receive their graduation certificate. I have always been against compulsory community service for the negative connotation it permanently attaches to voluntary services, students see community service as a chore at best and record a bunch of lies at worst. It takes a special person to develop a community service programme for students, and all too often it is place on someone who is under load teaching and has little interest in the development of values in students. Rarely are the coordinators given the time to create the community connections and develop the support of parents to ensure that promises of service are available and completed. To my mind it is more a community development/youth work role and should not be handled by teachers.

Definitely a topic that requires more thought.

Seating plans and motivation

I remember as a practicum student that it was difficult to arrange a room where students worked well. I always resist seating plans initially as I am not sure how the social groups were aligned.

One strategy that is reasonably effective is to run a test, pair desks in rows and put the high scorers in the t-zone (through the middle and in front) and then put next to each one a student that they don't "hate" but is performing below their ability level. Any students that have lost focus/have situational issues or are behavioural challenges can be isolated to corners until attitudes improve. I put the high performers across the corridors so that they still have contact with each other but are often tempted to discuss with their partner first as it is easier to compare notes. In upper classes it can be good to do this a few weeks before the end of term and tell them that it can go back to free seating at the start of next term.

Like this (in a square room):

UH HU UH HU (U=Underachiever)
BM UH HU BM (H=High Achiever)
MM UH HU MM (B=Behavioural challenge)
BM UH HU MB (M=mid range student)

I then start a new topic and run a paired activity. It takes a bit of encouragement for students to speak to their partners, but quickly enough it stops much of the social chat in the classroom (as they have little socially in common) and promotes chat about the topic at hand. It's not a permanent solution but can raise the 'happiness' quota especially if struggling students need more attention in a big class where teacher time is limited.

This helps the underachievers as they have modelled behaviour from the high performers. It also allows separating chatty students without feelings of being "singled out".

Teaching index laws cont..

Ok, I was with my little challenge group again today. I had the full range of students all with their own idiosyncrasies, the rapper (and his periodic burst of song and then bouts of narcolepsy), farty (with his own special tuba), the two in love (that hate each other passionately), kermit (with his constant slurping noise), the dark cloud and the two year old. Normally when introducing indices I would do it one law at a time. With this group though, I had to do something different as I'd have glazed eyes and riots after the first five minutes. So... I introduced them all at once and focused on helping them generalise what is basically a group of abstract concepts.

I put a range of examples and the laws on the board and asked them to find the law that was most like the equation supplied. They then looked to see which law could be used to simplify the equation. By the end of the class they had a reasonable idea of what could be done - I selected the part of the equation we were simplifying (at this stage they could not decide what to do first) and they chose which law to use to simplify it. All of this was done with algebraic terms, tomorrow we go back to numeric terms and start looking at BIMDAS (order of operation) so they begin to think themselves what order to apply the laws - and evaluating the answer with their calculators.

One difficulty I have found is getting these students to continue working/thinking for the whole lesson. I'm breaking it up by enforcing copying of information from the board into their books (mainly as a break from the interactive work on the whiteboard) to promote engagement when as a group they select the correct law to apply and I model how it is performed/recorded. This way they can participate for a whole working period, not just a play time or a pocket of time where they pay attention between potential rewards.