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July 2007 - Posts

preventative classroom management

Classroom management, to me, is a bit of a misnomer. The term manager conjures up a man clad in a shirt and tie, sitting behind a cubical (sp?) attempting to maintain the status quo. A manager keeps things under control. A leader, however, is proactive Read More...
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2007 07 31

John Spencer

5 Comments

What makes learning meaningful?

After watching the latest Harry Potter movie, I was struck accuracy of what happened at Hogwarts. In a motive of fear, the school shifted from meaningful learning to standardized curriculum. A beauracrat from the State Department of Magic began instituting Read More...
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2007 07 29

John Spencer

1 Comments

white liberal guilt

Like many Americans, I find myself drawn toward the story of Barack Obama. I find his appeal to hope to be refreshingly idealistic. He is young, articulate and charismatic. Besides, the fact that his initials are B.O. is a sign that he can bridge the Read More...
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2007 07 28

John Spencer

17 Comments

Why I Love Teaching

I met with a group of young teachers. They remind me of people who are newly married, in the way they exude a certain idealism and passion. I love being around new teachers, because that energy is contagious. I know that the daily grind of paper work, Read More...
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2007 07 27

John Spencer

6 Comments

if you give a man a fish

Being a social studies teacher, I assume automatically, that people know the difference between political parties. Yet, most of my students have no idea. I grew up in a family where we debated issues at the dinner table. So, for me, it was almost intuitive. Read More...
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2007 07 26

John Spencer

2 Comments

an aspect of teaching that I never learned in college

When Socrates visited the oracle of Delphi, he admitted that he knew nothing. I think there is something to be said about that. In fact, when I think of the world's greatest teachers, the all seem to have a common trait of humility. Even those who do Read More...
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2007 07 24

John Spencer

1 Comments

being a twin

People often ask me, "What was it like being a twin?" which is akin to asking someone, "What was it like being black?" or "What's it like to be tall?" I think people never realized how offensive this question was. I got sick of being asked about the "Twin Read More...
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2007 07 24

John Spencer

4 Comments

Is the U.S. Losing Ground in Education?

I flip through the newspaper and notice an article about a meeting between the CEOs and founders of huge technology firms and governors of various states. The goal was for these corporate leaders to instruct the politicians about how schools need to change. Read More...
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2007 07 23

John Spencer

24 Comments

what I want in a website

I enjoy the Teacher Lingo website. It's small enough that I feel like I am beginning to understand some of the regulars. I know of mystery teacher and betty and so you think you can teach? and some of the others who seem to write and comment on a fairly Read More...
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2007 07 22

John Spencer

8 Comments

fatherhood and teaching

I sit in the living room with Christy and we start singing, "If your happy and you know it." Joel, our two year old, beams as he claps and spins around and stomps his feet. Micah, our five month old giggles and gurgles, smiling at his big brother. A few Read More...
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2007 07 20

John Spencer

10 Comments

Why I Won't Shut Up and Teach

After reading a recent blog, suggesting that teachers should self-censor and stay politically inactive, I feel compelled to write this blog. Telling teachers to shut up and focus on their classrooms is like telling Martin Luther King Jr to shut up and Read More...
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2007 07 19

John Spencer

5 Comments

Do ghetto kids need free school supplies?

I teach in a ghetto. The term has a negative connatation, associated with hip hop music, gangsters and drug addiction. Yet, I use it here more in terms of its original intention. It is an isolated community, a barrio nestled in the shell of a suburb, Read More...
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2007 07 18

John Spencer

10 Comments

Hollywood Teachers

In watching movies, it is interesting to see how teachers are portrayed. Movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off or a more recent A Cinderella Story apply the stereotypes of a bland, dull, geeky teacher. The classic role of Ben Stein fits this notion Read More...
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2007 07 17

John Spencer

8 Comments

recovering what we lost in standardized education

After taking so many theory classes this summer, I am left with a mental overload. I enjoy the dialogue and debates, yet I can't help but feel that none of the "isms" really worked for me. Constructivism was great, but often unrealistic. Behaviorism seemed Read More...
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2007 07 15

John Spencer

5 Comments

Should kids have cell phones?

I am a middle school teacher in a low-income district, yet the vast majority of my students carry cell phones. It can be a battle to fight off the text messaging, but it's no worse than passing notes. What concerns me are the deeper sociological issues Read More...
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2007 07 14

John Spencer

5 Comments

the death of why

When I ask students at summer school what topic they want, I present three choices. The class overwhelmingly chooses "financial planning," which, for me, is a fun unit to teach. When I ask a student why he chose financial planning over the Holocaust, Read More...
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2007 07 13

John Spencer

28 Comments

My Goal Is Not to Make a Difference

Whenever I ask most teachers why they teach, the number one answer is, "to make a difference." I think I once half-heartedly believed that, but not anymore. A few years ago, I spent time after school every day working with a student. I watched as he eagerly Read More...
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2007 07 7

John Spencer

3 Comments

giving gadgets to underdeveloped countries

Lately, the One Laptop Per Child group has recieved a good deal of attention for their plan to give away two hundred dollar laptops to children in developing and underdeveloped countries. Proponents laude the MIT group who pioneered this, claiming that Read More...
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2007 07 6

John Spencer

2 Comments

What do you wish you had learned in school?

When I think back to my educational experience, there were certain things I learned that I never used. For example, I have never taken a negative number of things a negative number of times and created a positive. I've never used imaginary numbers. I've Read More...
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2007 07 5

John Spencer

4 Comments