Don't Let Them Forget

Teach For America has 5 core values. They are as follows:


* Relentless pursuit of results: We assume personal responsibility for achieving ambitious, measurable results in pursuit of our vision. We persevere in the face of challenges, seek resources to ensure the best outcomes, and work toward our goals with a sense of purpose and urgency.

* Sense of possibility: We approach our work with optimism, think boldly, and greet new ideas openly.

* Disciplined thought: We think critically and strategically in search of the best answers and approaches, reflect on past experiences and data to draw lessons for the future, and make choices that are deeply rooted in our mission.

* Respect and humility: We value all who are engaged in this challenging work. We keep in mind the limitations of our own experiences and actively seek out diverse perspectives.

* Integrity: We ensure alignment between our actions and our beliefs, engage in honest self-scrutiny, and do what is right for the broader good.


I would say that most people that work for Teach For America concentrate on the very first one. As teachers in desperate situations, we work our little fingers to the bone trying to achieve our "sense of possibility" that our students can succeed. I feel as though I embody all these values. If I didn't then I don't think I would have been chosen to work for this organization. I work so hard. I am strict. I am determined.

If you want to know how determined and hard working I am you can just simply look into the eyes of my students. I think they understand what I am. The problem is my students forgot how I FEEL. They know I expect nothing less than their very best and they know I constantly want their heads down in determination to be perfect students; although, I felt as though it was time for a fire side of sorts with my students. They seemed frustrated and disconnected. Was it the long break? Is this a January swoon? No, I let them forget something very important.

On Thursday, with about ten minutes left in the school day, I had my students pack up their stuff. I then wheeled out my office chair and sat in front of them. They desperately needed a reminder of how much I cared about them...so...I spilled my guts to them. I told them the truth. They needed to know that they're the first thing I think about when I wake up and they're the last thing I think about when my head hits the pillow. I just blatantly told them that I care about each one of them. By the looks on their faces you would have thought that I was giving them the answers to ISTEP+. They were focused and engaged on what I had to say. That's because they needed to hear it just as much as I needed to say it.

They needed to know why I am so strict. They needed to know why I'm so hard on all of them. Why do I demand perfection? Why am I different from other teachers they've had? I care so damn much. This is what love looks like. They all agreed that I was the most strict teacher they've ever had. I don't apologize for how I do things and how hard I make them work and sure didn't apologize to them. They just needed to understand why a 23 year old man is spending all of his time wondering if Trinidy is going to get kicked out of my class. Or if Rodney is going to understand math standard 5.5.4 okay. Or if Cheyanne will be able to focus even though her cousin was shot dead last night.

I'm not here for my health and I'm definitely not here for my hairline because that's fading quicker than the polar icecaps. I'm here because I care about each and every one of my students. I don't want them to go a day without realizing that.

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth."
~Dan Rather

Music in 2009

I saw a friend give an interesting editorial about his favorite albums and songs of 2009 so I decided that I would do something similar. I'm going to throw a kink into what you think I'm going to do. Instead of just listing my favorite albums of 2009 (which I will) I will also be listing musicians/bands that I got into this year regardless of when their material was released. So here we go...

Best Albums of 2009:
-Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King by Dave Matthews Band
-Ocean Eyes by Owl City
-The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
-Battle Studies by John Mayer
-Be One of Us and Hear No Noise by Metavari
(Some close calls are The Fray and Kings of Leon. They are close calls because their cd's came out late in 2008)

Bands or Musicians that I started listening to a lot in 2009:
-Colin Hay
-Dispatch
-Elmwood
-Guster
-Augustana
-Phish

That is all. Not every interesting but it was interesting going back and sifting through all the music I bought and listened to through the year.

Focus

I never knew that Christmas break would come this quickly and that it would be this necessary. It feels good to be on break. There's just one problem. How does one go from 100mph to 0mph? If you know the answer to that question please let me know. In college it was always just a sprint at the end of the semester. Not only was it a sprint but it was a short sprint. Being a school teacher is like running a very long marathon. Let's hope you don't pull a hamstring in the first mile of the marathon because you have 25.2 miles left and you HAVE to finish. After teaching for close to five months I have so much respect for most teachers everywhere. Side note: I said I respect "most" teachers. That is because there are teachers out there (this should come as no surprise) that don't give a damn about their jobs.

Well, I'm trying to slow down to 0mph but it's difficult. What does a first year elementary teacher do over Christmas break? I think I have a lot of various goals for myself over break just like most people. One of my goals is to plan a lot! I know that only a few hours over break can save multiple hours during the second semester. Teach For America has appropriately taught me that vision precedes action and I'm trying to realize that vision now. What is it my students need most? What is going to be the best use of my time in the short time I have left with my students? Thus far, I have sketched out a schedule (I like to call it a roadmap) for what I'm teaching and when for next semester. I have mapped out key points for every single math lesson I'll teach second semester. I still have a few more things to figure out but will do them in the coming days. Getting ahead invigorates me. Anybody that knew me in college knew that I was that nerd writing a paper months in advance. Well, my personality hasn't changed. If I can work ahead (without hurting my students) I will. There are obviously some things one cannot plan right now. That's okay though. I'll control right now what I can control.

Another goal is to revitalize myself spiritually. Things aren't negative in my spiritual walk but faith and working out ones salvation can always be strengthened. I want to spend time reflecting on what my relationship with God looked like the past semester and setting goals for what I want it to look like next semester. Identifying the pro's and con's of my spirituality and focusing on what really matters. Hopefully this break can show me a glimpse of a better spirituality. I hope to learn more about myself and how to lose more of myself.

I apologize, that last paragraph was really vague and sounded uber spiritual. What I want to do over break is to pray more, read more, and think critically about what I want to accomplish spiritually over the coming months. I want to critically look back and see what God taught me and what he is continuing to teach me about where I am in this stage of life. For example, God has been showing me a lot about what it means to become completely reliant upon him and abide in him FULLY throughout my day. I want to examine that more and not only figure out why God is teaching me this but figure out how to make it more of a reality in my life. Sorry, still kind of a vague paragraph.

Lastly, I want rest. I want to feel fresh going into the last 5 months. I want my kids to get the best Mr. Schaefer possible. If anybody reading has talked to me about education and Teach For America you can tell that I'm passionate about what I'm doing and I want to keep it that way. If I refocus myself spiritually and have a great game plan going into the second semester it's no doubt that I'll be able to have a better and more healthy rest.

Life in November

They say the longest and hardest months that first year teachers experience are October and November. In my mind October and November were not what I anticipated. Both months flew by very quickly. October was a lot like August and September but November has been extremely difficult.

An average week I work anywhere from 60 to 85 hours a week. Sounds like a lot but I promise I'm not stressed. This is what I signed up for and I could probably work more than I do now if I wanted to. November has been crazy. I am the first one at my school every day. I get to school anywhere from 5:30 to 6:00 in the morning. Some teachers go in that early because they feel as though they "have" to go in and work but I just prefer getting an early start and I enjoy working in the morning. I appreciate the little things like coffee, an empty school, and loud music in my classroom. Because I go in so early I usually don't stick around after school that long. November has shown me new challenges and I find myself leaving school later and later each day.

Each week I teach at least one Math core standard and at least one English core standard. Monday through Thursday I give lessons on these specific core standards and, depending on the standard, I test my students on the standards. I then put the student data into my computer-based trackers. The past few weeks I have been teaching my kids some really tough standards. Due to the difficulty of the standards I have had longer days than usual because kids have a hard time understanding these elaborate learning goals.

There is nothing more frustrating than doing dozens of problems on the board, countless one-on-one sessions with struggling students, and constant reteaching just to continue to see blank faces and confused eyes. I believe being a good teacher means constantly being in reflection. What did my students learn today? What worked? What were my actions as a teacher that led students to success? What activities led to understanding and excitement for learning? I believe that asking these key questions will lead to better results in the classroom. And, after all, that's why I'm here.

I've been working my butt off. The last few Saturdays I've pulled close to 8 hour days. Things are hard. There's always hope. The long days, early mornings, and frustrating lunch breaks will be worth it if my kids grow. I feel as though I always say that but it's truly the case. I can't imagine the look on my kids faces if I am able to tell them that they grew two years in reading or that they finally passed the ISTEP. But, for that to happen there has to be work in the trenches. Bring a flashlight, a spade, and some will power because we'll be there for a long time!

Why I Don't Give Homework

I think I just heard a few people gasp! How can you not give kids homework? How can students learn and get educational practice without homework? Let's first decide on a definition for homework: "Homework, or homework assignment, refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed mostly outside of class, and derives its name from the fact that most students do the majority of such work at home." Okay, homework are specified tasks in which students are supposed to complete outside of class. What is homework really? It's just extra practice that aids the student in learning and firming up specified learning goals.

I gave homework the first month and a half or so. It was okay. I just assumed that teachers had to give homework, after all, I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't get homework. Homework is just something you have to give as a teacher and something you have to do as a student. Although, after a month or so of giving homework here is what I found to be true:
• The kids who need homework least (A and B students) will do it.
• The kids who need it most (D and F students), won't, or else they'll do it halfassedly, gaining as much credit with the least effort possible.

If homework is just schoolwork done at home, then what makes it more valuable than schoolwork done at school? I've just kind of redefined homework. With all of this being said, I still give homework to my students; however, I give them plenty of time to get it done in class. The process for giving homework and students finishing homework is a management issue. For example,if your class is slow to start and quick to finish, if your transitions are labored, or if you waste time disciplining your class, then you won't have the time to get through forty problems or my students wont have time to do the necessary practice that will lead to no work outside of the classroom.

So, my students get homework. As a matter of fact my students probably get more homework then anybody else in my school. They usually have 3 to 4 things for homework every day. They usually have 2 ELA (English Language Arts) assignments: one out of our ELA book and the other I designed based upon the English state standard we are working on. They usually have 2 mathematics assignments as well. They usually have 15-30 problems out of our math curriculum and I have another assignment I have designed based on the particular math state standard we're working on.

My students are starting to understand two things about me: I don't waste any time throughout the day and I expect them to work like their hair is on fire. If I don't waste time and if they work hard that means they've gotten in the necessary educational practice (homework) and they've got no homework because they worked hard to finish it. Plus, studies and research show that teachers that take advantage of every educational minute throughout their day tend to move their students where they need to be.

So, I kind of give homework. Hypothetically, my students should not have work to do at home. They should work their butts of in class to finish it all. Every day, done or not, my students are required to put their homework in their homework folder. They are required to take it home and bring it back every day. This fulfills two needs for me; this instills the responsibility aspect that homework teachers and fulfills parents needs to see their childrens homework (finished or not).

Every day is a learning experience. I'm just glad I have others in my life to bounce ideas off of. The most amazing part about this "no giving homework" thing is that parents seemed to respond positively to it. Either they like it or they don't have the guts to tell me how they really feel. Some students don't like it because it requires them to work their butt off during the day. In that respect, I'm teaching them life skills. WORK HARD! I would say the most common word I say to my students is "WORK". If someone appears to be daydreaming or screwing around I just give them a really disappointed look and say, "WORK!" They need to work. They need someone to tell them to work. They need someone to tell them how to work. They need to learn that hard work pays off. This year is the year they learn all of that.

VLog

I decided I wanted to start putting videos on here. So many things happen in my life that are just hilarious so I thought it'd be funny to have videos of me and friends telling stories. Here's the first one...