Category: advisory

advisory, PodcastBy Shawn McGirr,

Advisory Research & Support

Looking for a reason to keep Advisory around?  Check out the dissertation and its findings here with the abstract listed below.  You can also find this on the NASSP’s podcast in iTunes.
Abstract:  “This study examines the characteristics of advisors and advisory programs that foster student connectedness and the ways in which students and their advisors perceive the impact of advisory programs on academic achievement. Student connectedness, a concept that refers to a school culture in which students have meaningful relationships with adults within the school, are engaged in the school, and feel a sense of belonging to the school, correlates directly with low instances of student dropout and high academic achievement.  While improving school connectedness is critical at all educational levels, it is particularly urgent in middle school because the roots of alienation take hold during young adolescence.  The sample was comprised of 501 students and 31 advisors in three California middle schools.  I used student and teacher questionnaires to identify advisories producing high levels of student connectedness, and then used student focus groups, teacher interviews, and advisory observations to further analyze my quantitative findings. My findings show that both students and advisors report that advisories improve students’ academic performance. In the nine strongest advisories, the perception that the advisory improves students’ academic performance is significantly stronger than in the other 22 advisories in the sample. The nine advisories with the highest connectedness scores engender students’ and teachers’ positive associations with the advisory program, address topical community issues, and foster open communication amongst all members of the advisory.  The common characteristics of these nine advisors is that they all know and care about their students as individuals, monitor their academic progress, and help them to solve academic and social problems. Comparing the advisory programs at the three sites indicates the importance of the developmental stage, structure, and role of the advisory program in determining school connectedness.”

advisory, NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson,

Podcast #49 NMSA08: The Conference!

Items & Events

  1. NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. (4 days …)
  2. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
  3. Michigan Internet Technology Chief Bruce Umpstead talks about using technology in education in a podcast here at Inside Michigan Education that proposes some ways to incorporate technology in your classroom and get the community to support it.  (Interesting how he admits IT people in districts are actively blocking the iTunes U software.)
  4. Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  5. The Michigan Department of Education has posted new proposed Tech Standards for K-12 and opened a Zoomerang survey page for posting comments and replies.  You can get to the proposed standards directly here and you can go to the survey page here.  No one will stop you at the front door of the survey if you’re not in the Great State of Michigan, so have at.
  6. PBS has turned the Media Infusion board to a middle school teacher for the month of October!  You can read her insights and postings to the world about middle school at the Media Infusion website.  Rebecca Lawson is a frequent contributor to the MiddleTalk listserv hosted by NMSA.  Membership in the listserv is open to NMSA membership and you can get more detailed information here at the webpage.
  7. The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here.
  8. ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket.
  9. Are you a member of the National Middle School Association?  You are eligible to join MiddleTalk, a listserv for middle school teachers that engages in middle level “shop talk.”  Sign up here.
  10. Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.
  11. Join the gang going to NMSA’s Annual Conference by signing up at the Ning site and connecting with other Conference goers:  NMSA08 Please do sign up and connect with other conference attendees.  Of course, you’re always welcome to post here too . . .
  12. There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives.  The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted.  In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor.  Check it out here.
  13. If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  This Tuesday’s topic is Open Sim as Prototyping (TBA).  It begins at 6:00 pm Pacific and is scheduled to end at 7:00 pm pst.
  14. Denver Weather Watch is now on patrol!  Get your National Weather Service information before you go.

NMSA08

  1. Bring a laptop, or if into weightlifting, a desktop to create an e-conference experience.
  2. Entertainment:  Mutton Busting

Advisory Idea:

  1. Sum up your week in 3 words.  Get creative with a camera and video tape your three words for a montage.  Air it in house, on the team, or just in your own advisory.  Good Morning America might be interested in it for their weekend edition.  Could be a way to blow off some steam after state testing.
  2. Depending on your comfort level in dealing with election politics (Canadian politics can be ruthless) you could have the kids list a number of issues they find important (they don’t have to share) and then have them take the ABC News political identifier quiz.  Reference these:  Harlem voters, Rick Mercer, Kids in Parliament, Voter turnout discussion,

Tech Sandboxes

Come play in the Tech Sandboxes located throughout the Convention Center. Each Tech Sandbox will be a place to get your hands on and learn about a particular digital or Web tool for teaching and learning.

Tech Sandboxes are hosted by practitioners and experts who can talk about and show you how they have used the tool for teaching and learning. These practitioners and experts are also eager to give you a chance to get your hands on the technology to learn and ask questions.

Look for these Tech Sandboxes:

Topics

The 35th Annual Conference (NMSA08) features more than 400 sessions in 40 topic areas, including:

  • Achievement
  • Adolescent Development
  • Advisory/Advocacy
  • Assessment
  • At-Risk Students
  • Brain-Based Learning and Teaching
  • Classroom Management
  • Differentiated Instruction
  • Diversity
  • Experiential Learning
  • Health Education and Programming
  • Integrated/Interdisciplinary Curriculum
  • Language Arts
  • Leadership
  • Learning Communities
  • Library/Media
  • Literacy
  • Math
  • Parent/Family Involvement
  • Prevention Programming
  • Professional/Staff Development
  • Reform/Restructuring
  • Research
  • School Climate and Safety
  • School Improvement
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Standards
  • Student Motivation
  • Student Support
  • Teacher Preparation/Quality
  • Teaching Strategies
  • Teaming
  • Technology
  • Transitions to and from Middle School
  • and more!

Concurrent Sessions Strands List

Choose a strand to see the list of related sessions.

< Return to concurrent sessions main page

Assessment and Evaluation to Ensure Student Achievement
Components of the Curriculum
Courageous, Collaborative Leadership
Integrating the Curriculum
Professional Preparation Advisory Board
Relationships that Foster Learning and Social Growth
Research
Research Advisory Board
Safe and Healthy Learning Communities
Structures that Support Student Learning
Teacher Quality
Teaching and Learning for Student Success
Technology
Understanding Our Students and Ourselves

Sessions:
There seems to be no way to print out a list of sessions with descriptions. Bummer.

Thoughts:
How many people will microblog?
Ning= 30 members. What is their definition of success?
FaceBook – can’t see it unless you are a member.
BetaMax issue

advisory, NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson,

Podcast #48 Field Tripping, NMSA08, & Student Research

Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/sinking.asp
A Sinking Video

Items & Events
1.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. (12 days …) 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  Michigan Internet Technology Chief Bruce Umpstead talks about using technology in education in a podcast here at Inside Michigan Education that proposes some ways to incorporate technology in your classroom and get the community to support it.  (Interesting how he admits IT people in districts are actively blocking the iTunes U software.) 
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  The Michigan Department of Education has posted new proposed Tech Standards for K-12 and opened a Zoomerang survey page for posting comments and replies.  You can get to the proposed standards directly here and you can go to the survey page here.  No one will stop you at the front door of the survey if you’re not in the Great State of Michigan, so have at. 
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  PBS has turned the Media Infusion board to a middle school teacher for the month of October!  You can read her insights and postings to the world about middle school at the Media Infusion website.  Rebecca Lawson is a frequent contributor to the MiddleTalk listserv hosted by NMSA.  Membership in the listserv is open to NMSA membership and you can get more detailed information here at the webpage. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  Are you a member of the National Middle School Association?  You are eligible to join MiddleTalk, a listserv for middle school teachers that engages in middle level “shop talk.”  Sign up here. 
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  Join the gang going to NMSA’s Annual Conference by signing up at the Ning site and connecting with other Conference goers:  NMSA08 Please do sign up and connect with other conference attendees.  Of course, you’re always welcome to post here too . . .
13.  There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives.  The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted.  In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor.  Check it out here.
14.  If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  This Tuesday’s speaker is TBA.  It begins at 6:00 pm Pacific and is scheduled to end at 7:00 pm pst.
15.  Denver Weather Watch is now on patrol!  Get your National Weather Service information before you go.


(Photo courtesy of the Weather Channel)

NMSA08 Travel Prep:

Reading Material:  Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins.
iPod Material:  Ruby Payne has some free downloads you can listen to in advance.
Snacks:  Nut mix.
Jim Collins Information:  Good to Great for Social Sectors has a section in the Jim Collins podcasting section.  Give it a look and put it on your favorite iPod for the trip to Denver!
Take a coat.

Advisory Resources:

  1. There’s a great archived discussion on Advisory over at MiddleWeb.  For those of you looking for some insights in running an Advisory/Enrichment program it is worth the read.
  2. The Secret Knowledge of Grownups is a children’s book explaining the “real” reasons adults have for telling kids to do things they may not like.  There are “official” reasons that every adult has to give each child and each adult must know each official reason so that no matter whom the child asks, they get the same reason.  Sound like a conspiracy?  Sound like what the kids do at school?  “I’ll ask this teacher what the reason for the rule is and then I’ll check it with this teacher in my next hour and then .  . . ,” as they look for the inconsistencies in each answer or the consistencies to prove conspiracy.  Something worth trying is the Secret Knowledge of Grownups and cutting the different “Grownup Rules” in to sections.  Each group works through the story (I love the killer vegetables one!) and then using their Code of Conduct pulls a rule to apply the pattern to:  State the rule, state the “official” reason, then the “real” reason.  Students can be creative with the “real” reasons and put pictures to their explanations.  Probably a better activity for early in the year, but ideas don’t always come when you need them.

NMSA08 Annual Conference Information:
Tech Sandboxes (from NMSA):

“Come play in the Tech Sandboxes located throughout the Convention Center. Each Tech Sandbox will be a place to get your hands on and learn about a particular digital or Web tool for teaching and learning.

Tech Sandboxes are hosted by practitioners and experts who can talk about and show you how they have used the tool for teaching and learning.  These practitioners and experts are also eager to give you a chance to get your hands on the technology to learn and ask questions.

Look for these Tech Sandboxes:

*******************************************
From Middle EConnections:
Plan a Trip Outside the Classroom
Philip Brown

After returning from a productive field trip to the North Georgia Mountains, I began to reflect back on the benefits of the trip and the reasons why the trip was successful. There are numerous reasons why field trips are helpful to young adolescents and their learning experiences, but the relationship-building between teachers and students is the most positive function. The opportunity to be outside the classroom presents itself as a chance to connect with students in a unique way. Many times after field trips, teachers and students will have a new appreciation for each other.

Also, the more that our team discussed the trip, the more we realized that the success of our trip rested in the prior planning we had done as a team. The following tips were ways in which we worked to make the trip as smooth as possible.

Match the trip with the curriculum. Before you and your students can go on any field trip, prior approval must be granted by the administration or the local board of education. The best selling point is explaining how the trip will enhance the curriculum and enrich student learning and understanding. Be prepared to explain to your administration why this trip will provide students with an opportunity to learn in a way that the classroom may not allow.

It’s better to over-plan, but stay flexible. Sit down as a team and discuss all aspects of the trip from bus departure to sleeping arrangements. Every detail of the trip needs to be addressed, but also realize that some things that happen on trips cannot be planned or addressed before the trip. In these cases, be flexible and work as a team to solve these issues.

Put students in positions to be successful. If there happens to be a teacher who works well with a certain student, then try to place the student with the teacher for a majority of the trip. This will help out with student discipline and participation. Also, make students aware and knowledgeable of the expectations and the procedures before the actual trip. This helps minimize confusion with students as well as parents.

Promote and sell the trip. Many students who are disinterested in the everyday classroom will find excitement and interest in learning outside of the school building and everyday routines and procedures. It helps to sit down with these students and explain that you are excited they are attending the trip and participating in the learning activities. Also, stress to these students that they will be able to contribute to the trip and the learning experience.

Select chaperones carefully. Some adults can cause more heartache than help. Also, remember that some students act differently, positive and negative, in the presence of a parent or guardian. It may be helpful to use parents only in situations where you do not have enough certified teachers. Check with your administration about their preferences.

Debrief as a group. Find out what worked, what went well, and what failed. Whose actions surprised you and why? Did we as a team put these students and chaperones in a position to be successful? What could we do better next time? Did our students learn? How do we know?

Best wishes on your future trips, and don’t forget to plan early.

Philip Brown is a middle school assistant principal in Oconee County, Georgia. He is also a doctoral student in middle school education at the University of Georgia.

*********************************
Rethinking Research in the Google Era:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55598
As the internet replaces library databases as students’ primary research option, a new discussion is emerging in academic circles: Is the vast amount of information at students’ fingertips changing the way they gather and process information for the better–or for worse?

Like Carr, the study says people who use the internet for research have very specific and identifiable habits. For example, they tend to seek information horizontally–meaning they skim, or bounce from page to page, without reading in depth and rarely return to a previous source. About 60 percent of electronic journal users view no more than three pages, the study found, and 65 percent never return.

For instance, 89 percent of college students use search engines to begin an information search, the study found–while only 2 percent start from a library web site.
Wade said she asked her daughter, Kelly, how she researches online.

Kelly explained that she starts with Wikipedia–a resource students typically aren’t allowed to cite, because it might not be a reliable source–and looks at the resources listed to identify other sources that might be reliable and valid. She then goes to those sites and compares them. After skimming and comparing, she uses her knowledge of how to identify a valid source to choose those sources that she would be able to use for her project. Then, she reads those articles in depth.

Kelly compares her process to the “old” way of researching her mom had to use: “When you went to the library, mom, you had to look through encyclopedias, books, and magazines to find what they might have at your schools. Today, I can look at those things, but by using the internet, I can find a lot more information. One source leads me to another, and that article leads me to three others. If the articles or sources are not linked, I just Google them. I can learn because I have access to tons more information than you had available in your library–back in your day.”

Jim Bosco, professor emeritus at Western Michigan University, says there has “always been the concern that with new technology comes hell. It began with Socrates being concerned that writing had a horrible effect on learning, because up until that point all learning was done through oral tradition. It’s continued with printing and then television. It’s a reoccurring trend throughout history.”

“If people think it’s only the students now, [who] have access to the internet, who skim over information and write papers that are just a collage of quotes and material pulled from other articles, they’re wrong,” he said. “As a teacher who’s old enough to have reviewed papers both before and after the internet, let me tell you: Students in the past used to write papers in the same way. There will always be students who write papers where it’s obvious they have no deep understanding of the material. It’s not a new phenomenon–it’s just better automated now.”

According to the British Library’s report, a common misconception of the “Google generation” is that they are naturally information literate.

Says the study: “The information literacy of young people has not improved with the widening access to technology. … Young people sometimes have a poor understanding of their information needs and thus find it difficult to develop effective search strategies. Faced with a long list of search hits, young people find it hard to assess the relevance of the materials presented and often print off pages with no more than a perfunctory glance.”

To help students learn how to search the internet successfully, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has developed “Standards for the 21st Century Learner.” (See “School libraries try to do more with less.”) The State Educational Technology Directors Association also has a media literacy toolkit that aligns with state standards.

But to help students learn not only how to navigate the internet successfully, but also to know how to read in depth, educators says it’s up to them to design helpful homework assignments and projects.

Bosco added that educators also need to know how not to skim when reading–otherwise they won’t be able to discern good papers from bad ones. “They need to focus on quality, not on quantity, of assignments, and they need to take their time during assessments,” he concluded.

****************************

Schools soon required to teach web safety:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55557
Schools receiving e-Rate discounts on their telecommunications services and internet access soon will have to educate their students about online safety, sexual predators, and cyber bullying, thanks to federal legislation passed in both the Senate and the House.

The bill reflects the concerns of parents, teachers, and others that children might meet sexual predators while on social networking sites or talking online in chat rooms.  Increased media attention on online harassment and cyber bullying, including several cases where students have suffered severe emotional problems or have committed suicide after online taunts, also have influenced the bill.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

advisory, NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson, , ,

Middle School Matters #45 – Next, More Substitute Adventures!

From an actual test (at least according to the Internet):

The 3 day breast cancer walk:
http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer

News & Events: 

1.  October’s Month of the Young Adolescent is here! 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. 
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using wikis in the classroom to promote learning.  
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?

The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference (NMSA08) is coming up soon (yes, 27 days or so, I know, but I’m excited already).
Preparations:

  1. Housing:  Use the NMSA housing form.  It goes through the local city’s convention bureau so if you are the type to check if your reservation is in the books, you won’t be able to contact the hotel and find out if you have a room.  You’ll have to wait until the convention bureau has taken their compiled lists and sent them to the individual participating hotels.  Do use the form on the website.  You’ll save a tidy sum.
  2. Registration:  If you were able to talk a group into going, use the individual/team registration form.  The reduction in price for getting a team to go is worth selling one’s firstborn to the gypsies . . . well ok, maybe not worth that, but do try to take a team of teachers to get the discount.  Mongo-sized groups have a different form.  Mention you saw the registration information here at Middle School Matters.  It won’t get you anything, but the puzzled looks on the poor NMSA staff will probably be worth it.  😉
  3. Transportation:  NMSA has worked out some transportation discounts with United Airlines (promotion code:  584CM), but do check other airlines for their airfares.  Don’t necessarily take the first choice.  One teacher’s experience has shown checking multiple days could yield a better price.  Hertz has a rental car agreement worked out (promotion code:  CV#022Q3931), but do consider public transportation as a viable alternative.  One of the neat things about the conference is walking a bit and seeing part of the city.  In Philadelphia, I would have missed the really cool stuff at Reading Station and some other places had I not taken a stroll from the hotel to the conference center.
  4. Transport from/to Airport:  FlyDenver.com has a host of transportation options to/from the airport for you to choose from.  My group that went last year used the SuperShuttle service.  If you use them, plan on multiple groups traveling to multiple destinations.  It wasn’t a bad experience.  The only downside is that the scheduled return is set by the dispatcher at the airport, not according to your flight schedule.  We had to be at the airport several hours before we had to be there the regular several hours before departure.  Do chat up the driver.  Ours was allowed to use the vans on the off hours to make some cash on their own and they have a good handle on locations in the area to pick up a flavor of the local culture.  Check out the Colorado Convention Center’s directions to the center from all points on the compass rose and the airport.
  5. Colorado Convention Center:  Use the virtual tour of the Convention Center to find your way around before the conference in October.
  6. Luggage (promo code: 9601):  Find a way to make your luggage distinguishable.  Scarves are not recommended since they catch in the conveyor belt.  Unique tags and stickers, are useful.  If you’re really into luggage tags…   World Richman is an Official NMSA Exhibitor of luggage, but not necessarily for the long distance traveler.
  7. Comfort:  Socks, Shoes, Shoes for Administrators, Chair (wait for it …), Parrot, iPod, coffee, computer, fudge, Middle School Matters, tech podcast, alternate middle school podcast, cherries (what happens to the pits?), in-flight book,

Substitutes:

Hey guys

Who is the least appreciated person in the building and yet critical to the success of a middle school? The substitute teacher of course. Without them, forget IEP meetings, professional development, sick days, personal time or even special events. They are the ninja workforce who appear and seemingly disappear without leaving an obvious trail.

Good substitutes are worth their weight in gold, but many teachers either have never subbed or forgot how tough a job it is. Having been a sub teacher for three years in a middle school environment, I know all too well its pitfalls and rewards. When I became a full-time teacher, I knew how my temporary replacement wanted to be respected professionally through good preparation for their day with my kids.

Therefore, perhaps you can give some tips to teachers and remind them of how they can either make or break the day of a sub teacher in their classroom through planning or lack thereof.
I have had teachers who truly understood how to create a seamless transition from being absent one day and returning to class the next to find significant student progress. Good sub teachers are not babysitters, and they have an obligation to the school district and the teacher to keep kids safe and on-task.

Let me make a few suggestions of my own and perhaps you can elaborate:

-Lesson plans that provide more work than can be accomplished in the alloted time
-Necessary photo copies of worksheets, study guides, or reference material; subs do not have passcodes for copiers, nor do they know where to find them
-Directions for finding any materials or supplies needed; subs do not know your room or your desk
-Guide for standard operating procedures in your classroom; kids take too much liberty when asked to share the rules
-Teacher schedule that clearly indicates room numbers and times as well as lunch time, duty times and locations
-Class rosters and Seating charts that are up-to-date and reflect the latest changes made as students are moved for various reasons
-Emergency procedures for Fire Drills, lockdowns, etc. that are clear and easy to understand at a moments notice
-List of contact teachers (with room numbers) who can provide assistance and guidance
-Telephone extension list and clear indication of main office number
-Behavior referral slips and procedure for using them

Most schools require a sub folder to be kept in place for each classroom. But these get buried and forgotten until the teacher needs to be out. Therefore, nothing gets updated and the sub is working with inaccuracies that can, at best, totally change the delicate balance of a classroom and at worst, create a dangerous situation in an emergency.  When a teacher provides everything they would have wanted themselves in the same situation, things go smoothly and everyone wins.

Thanks

Ron
New Jersey

1.  National Substitute Teachers’ Alliance offers benefits to members and an annual conference.
2.  Substitute Teachers are taking personal and professional advancement in their own hands.  Edweek article articulates their position.
3.  Substitute teachers have tried to organize.  This is not legal in all states.
4.  The National Education Association has a Substitute Teacher division with resources and advice on their website.
5.  Looking for some training material for your substitute teachers?  Check this out.
6.  Some districts have language in their contracts that address substitute teacher issues.
7.  NEA position on substitute teachers:

  • The National Education Association believes in the importance of employing professional educators to fulfill the critical role of substitute teachers.
  • The Association also believes that substitute teachers perform a vital function in the maintenance and continuity of daily education. In order to achieve and maintain the highest standards of student learning and professional practice, and to ensure quality instruction in every classroom every day, the Association further believes that substitute teachers must —
    • a. Meet the same standards as other licensed teachers within the state
    • b. Receive professional compensation and benefits
    • c. Receive continuous professional development
    • d. Be provided with materials and information appropriate to the position in which they are substituting
    • e. Be entitled to and supported by state and national affiliates in collective bargaining.
  • The Association condemns the practice of assigning substitute teachers to regular positions for an extended duration of time. Positions created by extended absence should be filled by available licensed teachers who are eligible to be placed on contractual status by the school district.
  • The Association opposes the practice of replacing absent teachers by dispersing students to other classrooms
  • The Association also opposes the use of individuals such as educational support professionals, part-time employees, or employees hired through private agencies to cover classes.
  • The Association further opposes requiring teachers to substitute during their preparation time.
  • The Association believes that school districts must provide full compensation for licensed teachers who substitute for personnel on extended leave. (1975, 2000)

8.  Recommendations from Education Minnesota on preparing for a substitute teacher:

  • Leave detailed information about the daily schedule, the names of your colleagues, specialists who work with your students, and any special procedures or concerns regarding individual students.
  • Provide the name of a colleague the substitute can contact for information or assistance.
  • When writing down assignments, include titles and authors of texts and laboratory manuals, as well as numbers of pages, problems and experiments. Also be sure to leave copies of texts, answer books, and lab manuals for the substitute. Don’t just say, “The kids know where everything is.”
  • Try to include meaningful assignments in your plan book. Busywork often results in wasted time for both students and the substitute. Behavior problems can occur.
  • Keep an up-to-date seating chart that gives the full name of each student. Insist that students always occupy their assigned seats.
  • Prepare your students for a substitute by instilling good work habits and a code of conduct that is conducive to order and accomplishment.
  • Post the names of students who assist you in the classroom, such as monitors and the clean-up crew.
  • Leave working keys for your desk, doors and cabinets.
  • Ask the substitute to leave you a note about how the day went. Also ask him or her for feedback on your preparation and how you might improve.
  • Thank your substitute.  Substitutes work hard and, in many cases, for inadequate compensation. They play a valuable role and deserve lots of appreciation. Strive to ensure a good experience so that your substitute will want to return to your classroom.

9.  Some districts provide some professional development for substitute teachers prior to their first day in the classroom.
10.
Resources:

  1. United States Substitute Teacher’s Association
  2. Transcript of a conversation with substitute teachers.  Some of the themes are worth pulling out and discussing at the local level.
  3. Lesson Plans for substitutes in the English classroom.
  4. Sub humor.
  5. Utah State University has a substitute teacher training institute with resources available for both the sub and the regular teacher.  USU offers substitute teacher training and a certificate at the end with successful completion.  Check out the forums and the substitute teacher resources page.
  6. A framework for classroom discipline:  Ed Ford’s Responsible Thinking Process.  Obviously you will work within your administration’s guidelines, but when you want to work out those situations where you feel you can resolve it in the classroom with the student, the Responsible Thinking Process can be a good way to resolve the situation.  If you get a chance, pick up the training offered by RTP, Inc.  The key questions to the process can be found here, but do read the books to understand the process.
  7. Kathy Schrock has a resource page for substitute teachers.

Ideas for Teachers:

  1. Make contact with a building level guest teacher.
  2. Term them “guest teachers” versus subs.
  3. Talk to “guest teachers” at your school. Get to know them.
  4. Have team support the “guest teacher”.
  5. Get the absence in early.
  6. Know your district rules about getting subs.
  7. Prepare Emergency lesson plans.
    1. Include seating charts.
    2. Include class rosters.
    3. Include classroom rules.
    4. Include school rules.
    5. Include the name of a contact (teacher buddy) for the guest teacher.

Ideas for Guest Teachers:

  1. Get there early.
  2. Read through everything.
  3. Look around the room.
  4. Talk to a neighbor teacher.
  5. Have some “tricks” in your bag.
    (One of my favorites: write the following on the board: (8,5,4,9,1,7,6,3,2,0) Then discuss where this came from – a 16 year in New York City, rides the bus for an hour a day. He starts a class in the back of the bus. In order to get into the “class” students have to present a logic problem. This is one. The question is why do these numbers belong in this order. (Want the answer? Post a comment and we’ll see what we can do).
  6. Network (talk to the principal).
  7. Leave a note of the day.
advisoryBy Shawn McGirr

Advisory Idea: “Wreck This Journal”

Take up journaling with a twist.  Keri Smith has created a journal that fits in nicely with advisory.  Wreck This Journal is designed to create something new and unique through destroying part of the journal in the process.  Pages like “Chew this page” and “Draw with glue” approach journaling from a much different angle than students are used to.  It takes the student into another way of looking at an everyday task.  The final project in the journal is to tape it shut and mail it to yourself, a sealed time capsule of the year.  I’m told that some Language Arts teachers use it in their classes so asking around the building first might be a good idea.  Any of you used it with your students?

advisoryBy Shawn McGirr

Economics

Math and Language Arts have taken center stage since NCLB and mandated state testing.  With the recent economic events and news, there’s a good opportunity to integrate both with Social Studies in the next 40 or so days.

The National Council on Economic Education provides resources on economics that can be purchased, however there are a number of online printable resources you can get for free. Relevant topics include:

Real Estate – Home buying

Supply/Demand/Cartels – Gasoline

Risk vs. Return on Investment: I, II, III

Banking – Credit

There are many more and they have the correlation to the National Economic Education standards listed either in the lesson plan or on the site itself.  Some of these could be used in an advisory as a lead in to a discussion about local jobs and microeconomic principles.

advisory, Podcast, UncategorizedBy Troy Patterson,

MSM #37 Advisory Resources and Tape

News & Events

1.  Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2.  Innovative Practices Across the Curriculum, June 24 in Minnesota. 
3.  Institute for Middle Level Leadership.  July 13-16 & 20-23
4.  Best Practices for Student Success.  July 28 & August 6 
5.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 
6.  Summer Teacher-to-Teacher professional development program registration is open. (free)

MiddleTalk question:  Where can I find some resources on teambuilding to incorporate into Advisory on a teacher’s paycheck? 

There are a number of stock resources that can be used for advisory.  Some of the best are strategies that you can apply to content. 


Video Taping of Teacher called to question:
District Superintendent Carol Whitehead revealed Friday in a two-page letter to district employees that the district used a video camera to record Powers’ classroom between May 10 and June 11 last year. A district lawyer just last month denied a surveillance camera was used.
It was done to determine who was entering and leaving the classroom on weekends, she said, adding that it is the 18,500-student district’s “paramount duty to protect students,” Whitehead said.
Powers was placed on leave in June and fired in November for helping students publish an underground newspaper despite a warning not to do so. She was reinstated in April to a teaching post at Henry M. Jackson High School after reaching a settlement with the district.
http://heraldnet.com/article/20080528/NEWS01/396823946

Internet2
With an average speed of 100 gigabits per second, Internet2 supports even the most bandwidth-heavy research projects and group collaborations, such as high-definition video conferencing, telemedicine, and tele-immersion, or shared virtual reality.
Participation in the Internet2 network was expanded to include K-12 schools a decade ago. As of last year, nearly 4,300 K-12 school districts were connected to the network, and this number has been climbing slowly but steadily each year, said Greg Wood, director of communications for the Internet2 initiative.
 http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53893;_hbguid=f6e3cf57-d645-46ee-8e62-f0c89d8551a2

Arizona Presses e-Learning
Backers of “e-learning” in Arizona are trying to maintain their state government’s momentum in helping provide digital curricula to schools across the state, even as the state’s economic headwinds stiffen.
Although advocates of e-learning in Arizona—including state officials and groups representing school boards, technology, and e-learning businesses—say the state needs to make heavy investments in helping its rural schools have robust access to the Internet, they have instead focused on crafting policies and on limited experiments that will keep the initiative advancing during the expected lean years ahead.

One, an amendment tacked on to a bill on student bullying would would have given school districts greater flexibility in issuing bonds for the purchase of instructional technology, rather than funding it only through state allocations for curriculum materials, including printed textbooks, as is now done.

The amendment also would have required school districts to forego textbooks if they invest state money in digital curricula and laptops for every student, unless the digital curricula failed to meet state standards. But the Senate narrowly rejected that amendment last week.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/11/41digital.html


Hurdles Remain for ELL students
Ong Vue’s very first day of school came when she was 15 and was enrolled in 9th grade at Luther Burbank High School after arriving here as a refugee from Thailand.

The Hmong teenager says her family couldn’t afford to send her to school in Thailand. When she started at Luther Burbank, she spoke Thai and Hmong, but no English.

Four years later, Ms. Vue is a senior at the 1,970-student school and has passed the math section of California’s high school exit exam. She plans to attend community college in the fall, and hopes to become an elementary school teacher.

Despite her clear academic progress, Ms. Vue’s showing on standardized tests has been a handicap in her school’s quest to meet the yardstick for adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/06/04/39sacramento_ep.h27.html