Monday, March 25, 2013

A Hybrid Teacher

Haven't heard of them?  They are all the rage in California and Vermont!  <not really, hoot>

This (click here) series of posts by educator contributors to a periodic and varying blog query, in this case, "Design Your Dream Teaching Job," or something along those lines, prompted me to shout, 'yes!'  Evolve, please, teaching organization systems, think outside the box, look at the private sector for inspiration ----- to incorporate fresh ideas not only to entice but equally, if not more important - RETAIN - talent in the profession.  

The women's movement in our nation is something that not a single one of us would 'take back,' but some studies indicate that's the time when we started bleeding  hemorrhaging talent from education, when women went from facing realistically three or four 'professional' job prospects to a much wider and - kicker - incredibly more lucrative menu of career options historically only attainable by their male counterparts.  

Since the women's movement, our education system has, er, changed.  So, nowadays, not only do talented potential educators become offered a dictionary length set of career options availed to them, they can earn more - lots more - money, have a 'normal' life August - June, and not possibly grapple daily with the most extreme of our system's challenges.  Read:  just watch Blackboard Wars on OWN if you want a taste of what I refer to as "extreme."

I didn't solve the income disparity problem with education in the above two paragraphs, but the idea of hybrid teaching could be an incredible enticement and/or retention feature for teacher talent.  Instead of teachers feeling the itch to leave the classroom after a mere 3-4 years (which, honestly, is like infancy stage in the classroom), give them more growth and learning opportunities, provide job-shares, let teachers officially wear more than one professional hat - and I don't mean implement that by asking teachers to attend yet more off-contract-time meetings.  We already do that, we already do tons of learning and "extras" on our own time, we already serve on endless committees.  

I may have missed it, but I didn't see a post in the linked article that specifically designed a hybrid job of combining teaching part of the day, and training new teachers part of the day.  I'm not talking coaching or professional development initiatives, but 100%, straight-up, shaken not stirred, on the job training for newbie teachers.  Our profession misses the mark on that, if not totally sucks lemons.  If you begin a new job in a factory, someone piggy backs (baby-sits) you for a few weeks, or more, literally walking you through each step of your responsibilities, while your productivity doesn't "count."  I'd say our education product is at least as important as learning how to put the right widget on the correct widget-receiver, so in my "dream" teaching job, I'd have a hybrid opportunity like that, to work half of the day alongside new teachers as we throw them to the lions, and yet still teach my own students the remaining half of the day.  

I have zero desire to leave the classroom.  I'm in my tenth year and can honestly say I'm still improving, and I LOVE that.  Some days are mentally and emotionally harrowing, but most days are unilaterally rewarding.  Additionally, you'll never convince me that in-the-classroom isn't where the real and most meaningful work in the field is performed, even most administrators toast to that.  So, am I ever bored?  Hell, no.  But, give our talent the opportunity to stretch their curious wings.  If we can't pay teachers what they truly 'earn,' let's start with giving those teachers who need some additional adventure the chances to stretch, play, or experience that slightly scary "new job" feeling again.  

Monday, March 11, 2013

Potpourri of Spring Break Zaniness


Yesterday evening we celebrated Charley's birthday at a restaurant named Whiskey Cake.  It's a cool little gem of an addition to suburban Dallas.  They have tons of herbs and vegetables growing right there on property, smack in the middle of a concrete strip shopping center.  They obtain their meats and fish from local sources, as well as their beer and alcohol.  Well, 'local' in Texas means the source could be three or four hundred miles away, but, it's still considered local in these parts.  

I'm preparing today to spend two nights at Texas's only natural lake with my Mom and niece - and possibly the ***insert organ music*** linebacker of her younger brother, my nephew.  Our lodging location is named Gator Lodge, and I'm dearly hoping the name is not prophetic.  It IS, however, a very swampy area (at the border of Louisiana) that alligators and other slithery reptiles call home.  Aye, ya, ya...  I've been obsessing about this for a few weeks.  It must be one of those paranoias that develops with age, from absolutely zero basis, logic, or rationale.  I'm thankful that we're not taking the dogs because I would be doubly worried, even more than I am now about myself or one of the kids happening upon one of those deadly beasts.  I've even gone so far to research methods suggested for outrunning a gator.   The verdict of which method - straight line route or zig-zag escape - is undetermined based on my research.  I'm crossing my fingers (of which I still possess all ten) that we won't be required to test out either method.

And, because everyone can use a little Peanut Butter Jelly Time:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CX7pPVaDUk&feature=player_embedded#

"This girl* is on fire..." (*those girls are)

Did your choir teacher(s) ever demonstrate their dedication to celebrating student achievement through donning sumo wrestler bathing suit regalia and then dance in front of hundreds of 12-14 year olds?  Yeah, I suspected not.  Take a look at the short but priceless video of two of my extraordinary colleagues, illustrating that if it's good for kids, we'll do it!  The choir program rocked it, once again, at UIL. ***there were no vocal chords or actual sumo wrestlers harmed in the making of this event**

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkNxiqVYVGU