Want some real education reform? Stop enabling students!

        A former professor of ours, Barry Jahn, sent us a link to a blog written by David Ginsberg titled Education Reform Key: Stop Enabling Students' Self-Defeating Behavior. This short opinionated post really hit home for me as I have been an educational support specialist for the past two years working for multiple teachers who either knowingly or unknowingly enable student’s self-defeating behavior. Ginsberg talked about having high expectations for his students and when those expectations were not met he continued to lower and lower them in order for the students to be successful. I am a firm believer that this is a major issue in some subject areas today.
        I believe it starts at the district and state level where we will refuse to hold a student back a grade for not meeting expectations. Instead, we choose to push them along into the next grade level and into new material where the scaffolding is obviously not present from the previous year, this then becomes a vicious cycle and often dooms students to drudging through classes and material that they do not understand. Ginsberg brings to light another point that adds to this issue, continually lowering his standards and expectations to tailor to the underperforming students. He talks specifically about giving truant students opportunity after opportunity to turn in make-up work, re-teaching lessons to accommodate students who were absent the day before, allowing students to do extra credit to compensate for poor grades on quizzes and tests, and backing off on assigning homework because most students weren't doing it. All of these things are enabling kids to be mediocre students.
       If we want our future to be better than our past we must change what we are presently doing. Hold kids to higher standards, hold true to due dates, have set standards and guidelines for truancy and extra credit and stick to them. Don't change your curriculum and expectations to make sure that your students LOOK successful, make them successful by requiring things to be done correctly. The sad part about this is that it is not all that difficult and could make for a huge change but it must be done all across the board from all educators at all levels.

Why can't I just get my middle school students to just stop talking and listen!?!

The article this response and summary is tied to is "Cant stop talking:

Social Needs of Students in the Middle" an article from the NEA website, written by Peter Lorain

This article did a great job of addressing the topic of the tendency of middle school students to be extremely social, even in situations when it is not appropriate. What I got from this article was that we as teachers need to understand that this is the period of life when teen-agers truly develop individualized social skills. What does socializing mean and provide for this age group? It is a time in their life that gives them a chance to belong to a group and from new friendships, create an identity and persona for themselves within and among groups, begin to find new adult role models who they can use as confidants and identify with, and also establish their thoughts and beliefs about right and wrong. The author spoke about how socializing is a normal and healthy behavior, especially at this age, because middle school-aged students tend to lead themselves (and others) through these issues that they are experiencing at this time by socializing.

            So what does this mean for our classrooms? We need to let kids at this age do just that. Let them talk! Give them plenty of time and opportunity to be social and discuss moral topics. Allow them to be like others in their group but also promote and permit individual expression. Be there for them as a mentor about life and not just about the specific subject that you are teaching. Middle school is meant to be a transition from Elementary education to High school not just as an introduction to new, specialized material, but also as an opportunity to learn about and establish themselves and who they are as a person. 

TAG Education Funding Verges on Elimination (September 2010)

      This brief article is talking about the possibility that the only remaining federal funding for Talented and Gifted students is in real danger of being eliminated. For the past few years the only federal funding for the TAG programs has come from Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Education Act which has provided about $7.5 million annually. The Government has two different thoughts on where to re-direct the money...to either an Obama backed program making an effort to increase graduation rates and college attendance in high poverty schools or to the Senate's option which would be to roll the money into the federal Institute of Education Sciences fund.
     Now don't get me wrong, both of those programs mentioned to receive the Javits funding are good causes and have great goals in mind for our national education. But if that money is allocated to one of those programs away from funding programs and guidance for Gifted students there won't be ANY funding left at the federal level. Does our government feel that the Gifted students don't need the extra help and challenge? Doesn't it make sense that if we are struggling so badly to compete at the international level that we might want to continue to help guide and improve the gifted students who, along with those who are struggling, are a part of our future as a nation?

Read the Education Weekly article here!!!