How administrators can stay connected to the classroom

As part of their job description, school administrators are expected to be teacher leaders. Since most leaders are former teachers, it is reasonable to believe that many enjoyed a degree of success in the classroom before moving to their new positions.

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Information about an online PhD is available for people who are interested in becoming administrators. Most school administrators have advanced degrees.

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Yet the complaint heard from many administrators is how their other responsibilities prevent them from spending as much time as they would like in the classroom. Aside from the semi-annual rounds of teacher observations, many school leaders find themselves tending to the problems which emerge within a building on a daily basis. Here are some recommendations for the school leader who wants to stay connected to the classroom.

Be Visible

The first way to stay connected to the classroom is to be visible among the students. Administrators are responsible for setting the academic and cultural tone within the school. The best way to know the classrooms is to be familiar with the students inside of them. Having a presence in the morning and afternoon, greeting students as they walk in the front door, and having informal conversations with students are helpful toward understanding what is happening inside the classrooms and assist the administrator with staying aware of what is being taught. Another method is to set aside 10-15 minutes a day to simply walk around the school, being sure to look in classrooms while interfering as little as possible. The least effective school leader is the invisible one.

Stay Updated with the Latest Technology

As an instructional leader, the school administrator needs to keep up with the technological advances available in the classroom. They can best promote technology use in the classrooms by being proficient themselves. Realizing that some teachers are hesitant about using the latest technology, a competent school leader will lead the way by modeling, whether it’s in the form of delivering PowerPoint presentations to teachers at faculty meetings or utilizing the school website as a mode of communication.

Conduct Professional Development

One way to show knowledge of technology is to take a leading role in teacher training, mainly through professional development sessions. As a proficient administrator is also considered to be a master teacher, by virtue of the instructional leader piece of the job description, leading professional development sessions shows an active interest in what the teachers are doing and helps to advance new techniques and technology for the benefit of the classroom. In short, having the ability to use the software expected of teachers is an expectation of a competent school leader. Modeling effective teaching techniques for other instructors also demonstrates leadership at the classroom level.

Attend Teacher Meetings

The best way to stay abreast of classroom activities is to stay connected to the teachers. One way to accomplish this is to visit grade level, team and department meetings. While it is not necessary to provide input, maintaining a presence and being available as a resource during these meetings can be beneficial for both teacher and administrator. Smaller than the school faculty meetings, these settings also provide an informal forum to share classroom strategies, lesson plans and objectives.

Be Diligent With Observations

Maintaining a rigid and disciplined schedule for formal observations and “drop-ins” will also help the school leader stay attached to the classroom. The tendency to avoid is falling behind on the observation schedule and being forced to cram a large number into a short period of time. This takes away from post-observation communication with teachers as well as reflection time after each meeting. Keeping observation appointments well spaced and adhering to the scheduled times allows for a better experience with each teacher and classroom.

Should Students Be Required to Learn Sign Language?

American Sign Language, also known as ASL, is considered to be a beautiful language because of its hand gestures and fluency, as well as the fact that it opens up the student’s awareness to the non-hearing world. Some school systems have started offering the course as an elective and many students have taken advantage of this opportunity.

However, in the new era of standardized testing at the K-12 level, many elective classes, particularly in fine arts and physical education, have been reduced or cut altogether, to allow schools to reinforce teaching the core curriculum. Because of this paradigm change, it is unlikely that an elective course offering in ASL will ever gain enough momentum among administrators, school board members and legislators to become a graduation requirement.

Yet there is a movement which is gaining popularity in several school systems. The concept involves adding ASL as a foreign language course, thus satisfying an existing graduation requirement. Recently, in Loudoun County, Virginia, a group of students wrote up a bill proposal and sent it to numerous state and national legislators in the hopes of finding a legislative backer. Many responses were negative, but State Senator Patsy Ticer (D-Alexandria) and Del. Richard “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) agreed to support legislation. The bill cleared its first subcommittee and eventually passed the House and Senate with overwhelming margins. The bill awaits Gov. Bob McDonnell’s signature and could become law on July 1, 2011.

There are two strong arguments presented as reasons to learn ASL. The first is that it is a true language, with the features of other languages such as English or Spanish. The second is that learning sign language can help improve behavioral functioning in developmentally delayed children with communication disorders.

ASL is a Real Language

One of the purposes of formally studying a foreign language is to gain an understanding of another culture that is unlike one’s own. From this perspective, ASL fits perfectly under the definition of foreign language. Although it does not use words per se, the hand gestures, structures and processes used in ASL are much like those of any language taught in a secondary school curriculum. In fact, ASL is equipped with its own unique grammar which makes the user capable of explaining even abstract concepts. It is a completely functional language.

Developmentally Delayed Students Can Improve Behavior

In 2000, Deborah Weinstock, a psychologist, investigated the effects of teaching ASL to developmentally disabled children between the ages of 8-13. Specifically, she was focused on the change in negative behaviors after learning ASL signs. Although her quantitative data did not mark a significant change in the behavior of the seven students, qualitative observations showed support for the use of the signing intervention. Since the process has minimal risks, Weinstock concluded that the practice can be implemented properly to improve behavior in developmentally disabled children.

Other Benefits

According to signingtime.com, a website dedicated to the development of ASL ability with children, there may be other benefits for children who learn sign language, including improved motor skills, enhanced use of senses, a higher IQ, better self-expression and increased confidence when interacting with non-hearing children.

Freedom of Choice

While there are benefits to be gained by students who learn sign language, it is unlikely that the skill will become required within any school system because of budgetary concerns, a desire to focus on the core subjects and the political risk of forcing students to study a changed curriculum. However, with the current popularity of ASL courses in high schools and pending legislation which will include it as a foreign language in the school curriculum, the trend aims toward more students choosing to learn American Sign Language.

Understanding the Decisions of Bernie Madoff

I have to confess. For about a month, I have been thinking of an angle to attack the topic of how George W. Bush will be viewed by history. In my mind, I feel he will eventually be viewed as a better president than right now. After all, that's what usually happens. Truman's positive rating went up from the 28% he faced as an outgoing president; Carter gained favorable reviews because of his work as writer and negotiator, and even Nixon, the disgraced crook, was seen later as a more popular elder statesman.

Here's the thing. I know that at least Carter and Nixon worked hard in their post-presidency years, Carter following his heart and Nixon his legacy. Bill Clinton is also doing a lot of work through his library and in person to build up his post-presidency resume. I have no problem with this.

How about G.W. Bush? Well, I saw him almost get hit by a foul ball two weeks ago. Actually, he seems to be at a lot of baseball games. Obama invited him to Ground Zero after the bin Laden killing, but he said 'No."

I have no problem with this either. It is the right of an ex-president to enjoy some time off. There will be time to work on the legacy.

However, this did not help me as I thought about the Bush that will be viewed in the history books. My point is, I have decided that this probably is not a topic that merits value at this time, mainly because the subject isn't too concerned about it, so why should anybody else be? Perhaps this should be filed under "2016 Topics." I'm shelving it for the time being.

For now, I want to look at another figure viewed with great disdain by many right now -- Bernie Madoff. I'm certainly not trying to distinguish a connection between the swindler and ex-president. But, as many families continue to suffer with financial woes, the Madoff story becomes more unbelievable and indicative of the kinds of lowlifes who helped to screw many other hard working Americans. I was interested with the fact that Madoff really wasn't born with a silver spoon and more fascinated to see the high regard his capabilities were held early in his career, perhaps a main reason why so many people were coerced into investing with him later.

The Madoff Story 

It is hard to fathom that one person could swindle thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars over a period believed to be in excess of twenty years. Presumably, in the regulated world of finance, conducting in illegal activities, such as Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, this would not be allowed to happen. But to understand how such a monetary tragedy took place, one must understand the thinking behind its mastermind, Madoff.

 Madoff’s Upbringing

Suffice it to say, Madoff was not the typically groomed, Ivy League, MBA-type. He was raised in Queens and attended college at Hofstra on Long Island. In an interview, the financier revealed to the Financial Times that he “started with $500 in capital, watched his father go bankrupt and felt very driven... he was always outside the club, the club being the New York Stock Exchange and white shoe firms."

Deep down, Madoff longed to be a major player on Wall Street. His drive to succeed was legendary. As explained by psychologist Alden Cass, “There’s a need to prove to the world that I am somebody powerful – I am so intelligent. Cass is the president of Competitive Streak Consulting and has studied and counseled many Wall Street personalities.

Early Wall Street Career

Starting in the early 1960’s, the firm of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities steadily grew into the major force that Madoff had longed for. Most of the credit went to its owner’s knowledge of how the market worked. Because of his knowledge of stocks, coupled with his ability to see the future of trading, Madoff was able to steal volume from the New York Stock Exchange by trading many of its listed stocks. Figuring that trading would soon be done online, he was able to offer competitive prices to clients and his network grew to include larger retail brokers such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity.

Playing the Part

During this robust period, Madoff also honed the persona which allowed him to swindle thousands of investors. Part of this character was developed by Madoff’s relationships with regulators. Although Madoff claims to have been legitimate until the stock market crash of 1987, his work with the SEC goes back before the crash, leading many to believe that he was working with one side to hide the other. Said one individual who remained anonymous because of pending litigation, “He was smart in understanding very early on that the more involved you were with regulators, you could shape regulation. But, if we find out that the Ponzi scheme goes back that far, then he was doing something much smarter. If you’re very close with regulators, they’re not going be looking over your shoulders that much.”

Madoff also became a philanthropist, joining the board of New York’s Yeshiva University, then becoming chairman of its business school. By crafting a public persona which overshadowed his illegal private dealings, Madoff was able to continue cultivating potential new clients in spite of SEC concerns.

Victim of His Greed

Like the Greek tragic figures he has been compared to, Madoff eventually wanted too much. His ego became too great and he began to act more as if he was above the law. Sam Antar, the former chief financial officer of Crazy Eddie in the 1980s, was later convicted of similar offenses and offered his opinion. Says Antar, “he just started the scam and then it built on itself and he couldn’t get out.”

In the end result, it is difficult to know exactly what made Bernie Madoff capable of performing his criminal Ponzi scheme. It could have been his need to accumulate an immense amount of wealth, while others feel it was a need to dominate people and overcome the inferiority complex Madoff felt by the lack of a “blue blood” upbringing.

The role of the classroom teacher when students are working online

Although many school systems are enhancing the use of online learning in the classroom, there is still an important role for the teacher. Even without the daily responsibility of directly instructing the group, there are other obligations which become more important when working with a group of online learners. In fact, the skill set required to be successful is somewhat different than that of the regular classroom teacher. With online learners, it is a necessity for the teacher to be able to communicate clearly, because inflections and non-verbal signs are not seen and heard, so all communication is done through the power of words.

Some of the responsibilities for the classroom teacher include, but are not limited to:

Course Developer

The classroom teacher in an online setting is not oblivious to what the students are trying to learn. Because many school online programs are in their infancy stage, the teacher may be required to assist with writing the syllabus, assignments and pacing guide. Course development can be an expected task for the online classroom teacher.

Moderator

One of the core learning elements for the online community comes through the work done through discussion boards. In a typical course, each student will regularly be required to read an article or view a visual presentation and be expected to post one thought on some part of the material. Also, a student will be expected to respond to two or more postings from classmates.

The online teacher is responsible for leading course discussions. This entails clearly communicating expectations to the students so that the assignment is performed correctly from the beginning. The teacher also acts as the online moderator, which means guiding course discussions, keeping the postings on the necessary track and acting as the voice of reason if there is a strong disagreement.

Teacher

Although many assignments are self-paced and hands-on, the online teacher is still the instructional leader and most knowledgeable of the group. The teacher still needs to be available to answer student questions and address concerns. One expectation for the classroom teacher is to be available to promptly answer questions that cannot be solved through an online option.

Pacesetter

The online classroom teacher is responsible for keeping the coursework moving at an acceptable pace. Part of this role is performed during the writing of the syllabus, as the teacher makes sure to properly space assignments to meet the needs of the group. This is also accomplished with prompt feedback and quick resolution to any disagreements, with the objective being to keep the group moving. If the course is not offered in a traditional quarter or semester system, one role of the teacher may be to modify the course around various school vacation breaks.

Grader

The classroom teacher of an online group is also responsible for grading student work. This includes setting up the grading rubric, assignment rubric, as well as developing and implementing class policies for missed assignments and work which is turned in late.

In short, the role of the teacher working with online students is still relevant. Given that the skill set is different, it is possible for a proficient classroom teacher to have difficulty working with online learners unless one has learned how to clearly communicate without the assistance of non-verbal cues.

Welcome to Jim McGrath's Writing on the Wall: Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track

Welcome to Jim McGrath's Writing on the Wall: Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track: "The Tabb girls combined their natural speed with reinforcement from the field events to claim the Bay Rivers district championship yesterday..."

Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track

The Tabb girls combined their natural speed with reinforcement from the field events to claim the Bay Rivers district championship yesterday at Bailey Field in Yorktown.

Known as a team loaded with sprinters, but lacking in the field events, the Lady Tigers were bolstered by strong performances in the jumps and throws while outpacing second place Jamestown 125-113.

Longtime coach George Coulter was pleased with his team’s all-around effort as his squad heads into the Region I and state meet with a team trophy on their mind.

“We rarely win the district meet,” said Coulter, now in his 38^th year at the helm. “It’s usually somebody like Lafayette or Jamestown. We do well, but never quite put it together.” Looking ahead, Coulter looks forward to more help from the field. Upon being reminded that his girls were fourth in the indoor state meet he added, “Sometimes it doesn’t take a lot of points to win.”

Looking to carry the torch for her team is senior Kiara Porter. Porter, who will be competing for VCU next year, won the open 400 and 200, is one of the few seniors on the Tabb squad. After anchoring the winning 1600-meter relay, Porter sat in the middle of the football field with relay mates Leigh Ann Soistmann (junior), Taylor Omweg (freshman) and Julia Aymonin (junior) and considered the possibilities for the rest of this season.

“We’re really competitive with John Handley (Winchester). They’re kind of our rival. Blacksburg is also really tough.” Reflecting on their previous effort at the Southern Track Classic last weekend, Porter added, “We’re getting used to better competition, we (1600 relay) finally broke four (minutes) and beat our state time from last year. It (Sports Backers Stadium) is going to be my home track next year.” Aymonin added that their 400-meter relay had also recently broken 50 seconds and should be a factor at future meets.

Soistmann and Omweg talked about the bond within their team, which became evident as the quartet was soon surrounded by a dozen teammates. One by one, the Lady Tigers talked of their closeness, proven by the knowledge of each other’s accomplishments, interrupted only by a call to the podium to claim their first place trophy.

A showcase performance by Porter, solid relay placing, continued support from the field events and contributions from younger runners such as Micah Hanks could propel Tabb to the top of the podium in Harrisonburg two weeks from now.

The New Kent boys pulled away to an early team lead, and held on for a comfortable 143-107 win over runner-up Lafayette.

Senior hurdler Matthew Fultz led the way for the Trojans, winning both the 110 high (15.34) and 300 intermediate (39.92) hurdles.

For Fultz, simply breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles isn’t enough. “Individually, I’m going for gold at region and state. Team wise, it’s the same thing. We’ve been working hard since last summer. It’s our last year and we want to end it off right.”

Cody Simmons won the 200 (22.64) and long jump (21-11.75) for New Kent while taking second in the open 100 meters and 110 hurdles. Cory Dunn provided 28 clutch points with second places in both the long and triple jumps and thirds in the 100 and 200.

In the field, Ryan Coles (48-09.75) won the shot put by over three feet while pole-vaulter Jonathan Fowler’s 12-foot leap won the event. The 1600-meter relay also won with a time of 3:27.51.

Not to be overlooked was Grafton’s Kyle King. The U. VA-bound senior cruised to a self-propelled 9:06.72 effort in the 3200-meter run. His time, which bested the next competitor by almost a minute, is the best among Virginia high schoolers this season and sets up King to become only the seventh runner ever in state history to break nine minutes.

York’s Jack Little was a double winner in the 1600 and 800. On the girls side, Tabb’s Brooke Mahan won the 100 hurdles and triple jump, while Bruton’s Sharmaine Baker took first in the shot put and discus.

Team Results

Boys – 1. New Kent 143, 2. Lafayette 107, 3. Grafton 66, 4. Jamestown 63, 5. York 39, 6. Smithfield 37, 7. Tabb 34, 8. Bruton 23, 9. Warhill 13, 10. Poquoson 2.

Girls – 1. Tabb 125, 2. Jamestown 113, 3. Grafton 93, 4. Bruton 48, 5. Lafayette 40, 6. Smithfield 36, 7. New Kent 34, 8. Warhill 21, 9. York 11, 10. Poquoson 6.

Piaget's Views on Middle Childhood

As a rule of thumb, I need to point out that some scholars have argued against many of Piaget's views on childhood development simply because he based many of his results on tests which he conducted with his own children. This certainly opens his findings to questions of bias as well as sampling size. A study of substance should have at least 30 participants and Piaget certainly did not have 30 children. However, his thoughts are worth a look, particularly for those with children between the ages of 6-12, as well as elementary/early middle school teachers

Jean Piaget is a leading theorist in childhood development and his thoughts on the cognitive development stage of middle childhood are worth a closer look.

For Piaget, this stage begins at about the age of seven and lasts for approximately five years, During this third stage of cognitive development, after the preoperational stage, he sees an increase of concrete operations where children begin to solve actual, or concrete, problems.

Piaget lists five examples of tasks that children can do at a higher level during this stage. They involve space, causality, categorization, conservation, as well as number and mathematics.

By space, the meaning is the ability to get from one place to another. The child becomes more familiar of his or her surroundings.

Causality involves cause and effect. The child can better understand how things work, and how an action can affect the end result.

Categorization includes seriation, or the ability to list objects in a series. A second ability is that of transitive inference, which is the ability to recognize a relationship between two objects by being able to tell the difference between the two objects and a third one. Third, the child learns to categorize by class inclusion, also known as the ability to separate the whole from the parts.

These categorical abilities help children to learn to think logically. Inductive and deductive reasoning become realistic capabilities at this stage.

Conservation is the ability to weigh objects in one's head without being deceived by appearances. A child learns that a long slender object can contain the same amount of weight or mass as a smaller, rounder one. Piaget sees an inconsistency with this and reasons it with a term he calls horizontal decalage, stating that children are so focused on their situation that they cannot always transfer what they have learned from one type of conservation to another.

Finally, we come to numbers and mathematics. According to Piaget, children in this stage devise strategies for adding and subtracting, including in story form (i.e. if Joe goes to the market with $10 and spends $4, he has $6 left.) The ability becomes intuitive.

Piaget accounts these changes to neurological growth, as well as culture.

On the topic of moral development, the theorist looks at a two-stage process. The first stage, morality of constraint, has children viewing morality as a one-way street. All issues are seen as totally right or totally wrong, with no in-between. During the second stage, morality of cooperation, the child learns flexibility as they learn new viewpoints. They are able to see other aspects of a situation. Ask a 7th grader if honesty is the best policy and they are capable of telling you it is not always.

Other approaches to cognitive development are introduced in this stage and seem to be based on technology. Piaget introduces the brain as a filing system that encodes, stores, and retrieves. Metamemory and mnemonics, or memory tricks, are introduced (i.e. Every Good Boy Does Fine, headed by words with EGBDF are the same as the keys on the lines of sheet music.)

I see these as relevant points to consider in an educational setting, especially for an elementary school teacher. It is important to understand what a child is capable of doing, and to tailor learning toward these abilities, or lack thereof. My 7th grade question about honesty comes directly from a citywide (Newport News, VA) essay, which I distributed to my own 7th grade English students. To a person, they were able to differentiate telling the truth because it is the right thing to do from not telling the truth because it might harm one's feelings or endanger someone, say in a hostage situation, or as a "snitch."

As a final thought, I do agree with these views of Piaget, but believe that it is also wise to test children by using all of their types of intelligence, using Gardner's learning styles as a base.