South Toward Home

My success, like it took us all a little while to learn, turns up most in the small victories.  This success, the one I think has most changed me as a teacher, is a very recent and very small victory, but one I take with me every moment of the day. 

It ought to surprise no one that classroom management was my greatest challenge throughout the training process.  Though we all had our moments, I'm not sure anyone else had to schedule an actual meeting to "practice" his or her "teacher face" or "teacher voice."  While it often works to my benefit, my lack of sternness in the classroom proved problematic on more than one occasion over the summer.  I thought surely my "cheerleader" personality would win my students to behave like angels, requiring little "classroom management" practice.  Boy, was I wrong.  

Ruby Payne should have reassessed her photo and biographical
facts on the back cover of “A Framework for Understanding
Poverty.”  While I realize she is “an expert on the
mindsets of economic classes,” and there is no doubt she
speaks to many a “sold-out seminar,” this portrait
presents her as one slightly disconnected from her subject
(poverty). Similarly, I found her voice through the first
several chapters to read similar to this displayed lack of
transparency.  Although this superficiality was bothersome
to me at times, I did (eventually) move through it to find
much of her discourse revealing, accurate, and appropriate.

“A Framework for Understanding Poverty” is a powerful
tool for a teacher who belongs to a class dissimilar to that
of all her students.  While I have had countless experiences
with the repercussions of lower-middle class struggles that
my family experienced a generation ago, I’m not sure the
realizations of poverty have ever been revealed so
effectively to me.  The concept of leaving poverty as only
begin associated as "too painful to stay, a vision, a key
relationship, or a special talent/skill" spoke to me.  So much of what we study about teaching in critical needs areas leads us to prescribe to concepts of "helping them leave" poverty.  How are we to assist this transition with a gentle understanding of circumstances?  Payne reveals these keys, perhaps leaving us to reflect on our constant discouragement of all those NBA and NFL wanna-be students of ours...  How else might we cultivate such skills?  Or can we be that 'key relationship'?  What does staying in Tunica, Mississippi mean to my students?  How will this place effect who and what they become?  But most urgently, how can I effect who and what they become?...

Like many, watching myself do anything is less than ideal, however, watching myself do something that I have no idea how to do is downright painful.  The concept of observing things that you don't normally see, allows awkwardness and countless other flaws to be all the more apparent.  Needless to say, my self-evaluation for June elicited infinitely more winces, but I think a good deal of self-reflection has helped me to sort out why this was the case, along with my rationale toward steady improvement.

Firstly, my ongoing trouble lies within the "Classroom Management" category.  While I recognize that this has the potential to be an awfully troubling downfall in the coming months, I also believe that my summer school classroom provided a more realistic setting for classroom management issues (therefore scoring) than most.  English I/II at Holly Springs this summer was home to 14-16 students daily; 98% of these students were African American, 98% of these students were male, 75% of these students were 16 years old (or older), and several students were "auditing" the class, simply as a SATP review course.  While this does not excuse (if anything, highlights) my classroom management conflicts, I believe that the summer (at very least) provided a realistic basis from which to plan my strategies for the fall.  In my June self-evaluation, I recognized my flaws immediately. It was obviously painful for me to give warnings and issue consequences, even when they were most deserved.  In July, though improvement was not monumental, it was obvious that my voice, tone and general demeanor offered a much less "cheerleader" persona, one of someone in charge. It was comical to me to watch my "teacher face" as those quick, disapproving glances aren't ones I view in the mirror every morning, but I was amazed at the effectiveness therein. Even to a child who, while not breaking a particular rule, is crumpling paper, shaking his desk, dropping things, coughing loudly... June showed only a slight frustration and my ability to ignore such things, while July offered a "teacher face" and immediate change in classroom behavior.  My TEAM teacher practiced these skills with me, and I feel though this category still yearns for more of my attention, I believe it has seen great strides.

Along those lines, I saw my poise and body language improve dramatically from the beginning of the summer to the end. I exuded much more confidence and allowed myself to "be in charge" with a little practice under my belt.  It was encouraging to see that students do respond better to someone in front of the classroom who seems as if he/she knows what he/she is doing... This was a great achievement. Confidence is vital to the classroom environment; the more you act in command, the more the students treat you as such.

I also feel as if my general instruction improved.  While I may have been more "creative" in the beginning stages, I seemed unsure of my content knowledge and hesitant to take risks in academic topics.  While I believe that working diligently with the July schedule aided me in this, I also think that forcing myself to be more comfortable with the material allowed me to teach in a more dynamic fashion (i.e. with notes that were useful, lessons that translated, material that was on the correct knowledge level, etc.).  I particularly enjoyed the units we created: The Tell-Tale Heart and a persuasive project, where students created billboards and radio ads for a product. It was exciting for me to see the students enjoy a lesson as much as I enjoyed creating it.  I found this to be more apparent in my evaluations as well. While all lessons are equally important, I believe that teaching gerund phrases in June versus personification within Poe stories in July really provided a backdrop to evaluate my ability to teach in a manner that is both interesting and enjoyable...and this is one area I hope to continue to mold to fit my classroom and my teaching style. (Particularly since I'm not teaching a state tested subject/grade level at this time, I hope to use my diverse background in English/creative writing/literature to expose students to material that they can manipulate and learn with genuine interest...)

Basically, improvement through this training period was obvious and encouraging, but like most others, I still have much to learn. I cross my fingers that the folks at Rosa Fort will give me that extra push I need to be prepared come August 6th...

When I face the facts, like many others have admitted, there are far more than three changes I should attempt in the next three weeks of teaching.  Though the first week of summer school was an entirely new version of terrible, I feel that I have gained significant knowledge in these few introductory weeks. However, I have volumes more to acquire.  It is difficult, I have found, to immediately adjust to a world where your diligent attempt to master a new career is viewed and critiqued under a microscope on a daily/hourly/minute-by-minute basis.  Once I became accustomed to the constructive criticism, and fully realized its raw benefit, I think I became a more active listener, which has translated well to improvement.  While this is one simple challenge I have worked to overcome already, greater challenges are still all too apparent in my classroom every day.

- Classroom Management presents a real challenge to me, my nature, my personality...  I am a thinker, according to the ENTJ personality type assessment, and it seems to become more apparent when I have trouble enforcing rules like hand-raising.  It is my opinion that the classroom should be an active and dynamic place, and by enforcing rules that silence ideas, I believe that students are not allowed to perform actively or efficiently.  The time it takes me to call on a student, to repeat a question, to prompt a response, could be wholly avoided by an organized system that would allow for students to answer questions as a class.  But I do recognize the lack of feasibility this plan presents upon arrival to an actual classroom with thirty or more students and a single teacher.  I plan to work on my classroom management by staying very focused on the necessity of maintain consistency in rules and consequences.  In July, I hope that my personality will work more fluidly with the rules of the classroom, allowing my classroom management to be more structured. I would also like to see myself take more advantage of my personality traits that do provide stability to an unruly group; my rational and logical nature should be more apparent in my consistency and toughness in the classroom, and I hope to tap into my own resources to allow these to show.

- Personality often leads the way for me in my lessons, and often this is a criticism in my evaluations.  While I believe that it is helpful to be lively and energetic in the classroom, it is more important to teach something to students.  We can all be fooled into believe that a happy classroom is a productive one.  In reality, a productive classroom...is a productive classroom, and the only way to reach a peak of productivity is to teach lessons that are full of organized, concise, digestable information.  On occassions when I have given pages upon pages of notes, students cannot grasp the material, but they don't complain because I go out of my way to be friendly and active.  This is not beneficial to anyone involved.  Eventually, it will exhaust me, and eventually, the students will not respond to material that they don't understand, even if I am cordial with them. It is wonderful if the students are having fun and staying on task, but it is far more vital that the lesson is of material substance and allows for widespread comprehension.  I hope that I will continue to tailor my lessons toward independent practice, which does not particularly lend itself to "fun" in the classroom, but it has shown to be the most efficient way for students to actually LEARN.  Isn't that the goal, after all?

I have explored this method of personality assessment before, and while I often feel that my personality and beliefs have changed over time, I have been an ENTJ consistently for many years.  I find great strengths under this label, but I also find that this type presents many challenges when leading a classroom. 

I do find it beneficial that rational/logical is a focus of my assessment, as I feel this will allow me to be fair and consistent in the classroom, leaving little room for emotional leeway within classroom management.  While I have had great difficulty with classroom management thus far in summer school, I recognize that upon spearheading my own classroom in the fall, the conceptualization of ownership will provide a blank canvas for my rational nature.

I am slightly concerned with my assessment informing me of lack of patience.  It is true that I do not work well with inefficiency, and from the talks it seems that administration will likely be highly inefficient.  How will I manage to stay sane when my personality thrives on the idea of "never making the same mistake twice"?  I am also concerned with the intensity with which I focus my career.  I know I will have to continually remind myself that though school is my priority, it is not my life.  I will have to work hard to not lose sight of my personal relationships and private life.

I feel that an ENTJ personality is an excellent basis from which teaching can accompany a dynamic and entergetic personality. I plan to take advantage of my traits to "take charge" and run my classroom efficiently and intuitively, but I must remind myself to stay focused on my weaker points, always evaluating personal feelings, though it may not be natural for me to do so.

As an ENTJ, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is internal, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

ENTJs are natural born leaders. They live in a world of possibilities where they see all sorts challenges to be surmounted, and they want to be the ones responsible for surmounting them. They have a drive for leadership, which is well-served by their quickness to grasp complexities, their ability to absorb a large amount of impersonal information, and their quick and decisive judgments. They are "take charge" people.

ENTJs are very career-focused, and fit into the corporate world quite naturally. They are constantly scanning their environment for potential problems which they can turn into solutions. They generally see things from a long-range perspective, and are usually successful at identifying plans to turn problems around - especially problems of a corporate nature. ENTJs are usually successful in the business world, because they are so driven to leadership. They're tireless in their efforts on the job, and driven to visualize where an organization is headed. For these reasons, they are natural corporate leaders.

There is not much room for error in the world of the ENTJ. They dislike to see mistakes repeated, and have no patience with inefficiency. They may become quite harsh when their patience is tried in these respects, because they are not naturally tuned in to people's feelings, and more than likely don't believe that they should tailor their judgments in consideration for people's feelings. ENTJs, like many types, have difficulty seeing things from outside their own perspective. Unlike other types, ENTJs naturally have little patience with people who do not see things the same way as the ENTJ. The ENTJ needs to consciously work on recognizing the value of other people's opinions, as well as the value of being sensitive towards people's feelings. In the absence of this awareness, the ENTJ will be a forceful, intimidating and overbearing individual. This may be a real problem for the ENTJ, who may be deprived of important information and collaboration from others. In their personal world, it can make some ENTJs overbearing as spouses or parents.

The ENTJ has a tremendous amount of personal power and presence which will work for them as a force towards achieving their goals. However, this personal power is also an agent of alienation and self-aggrandizement, which the ENTJ would do well to avoid.

ENTJs are very forceful, decisive individuals. They make decisions quickly, and are quick to verbalize their opinions and decisions to the rest of the world. The ENTJ who has not developed their Intuition will make decisions too hastily, without understanding all of the issues and possible solutions. On the other hand, an ENTJ who has not developed their Thinking side will have difficulty applying logic to their insights, and will often make poor decisions. In that case, they may have brilliant ideas and insight into situations, but they may have little skill at determining how to act upon their understanding, or their actions may be inconsistent. An ENTJ who has developed in a generally less than ideal way may become dictatorial and abrasive - intrusively giving orders and direction without a sound reason for doing so, and without consideration for the people involved.

Although ENTJs are not naturally tuned into other people's feelings, these individuals frequently have very strong sentimental streaks. Often these sentiments are very powerful to the ENTJ, although they will likely hide it from general knowledge, believing the feelings to be a weakness. Because the world of feelings and values is not where the ENTJ naturally functions, they may sometimes make value judgments and hold onto submerged emotions which are ill-founded and inappropriate, and will cause them problems - sometimes rather serious problems.

ENTJs love to interact with people. As Extroverts, they're energized and stimulated primarily externally. There's nothing more enjoyable and satisfying to the ENTJ than having a lively, challenging conversation. They especially respect people who are able to stand up to the ENTJ, and argue persuasively for their point of view. There aren't too many people who will do so, however, because the ENTJ is a very forceful and dynamic presence who has a tremendous amount of self-confidence and excellent verbal communication skills. Even the most confident individuals may experience moments of self-doubt when debating a point with an ENTJ.

ENTJs want their home to be beautiful, well-furnished, and efficiently run. They're likely to place much emphasis on their children being well-educated and structured, to desire a congenial and devoted relationship with their spouse. At home, the ENTJ needs to be in charge as much as he or she does in their career. The ENTJ is likely best paired with someone who has a strong self-image, who is also a Thinking type. Because the ENTJ is primarily focused on their careers, some ENTJs have a problem with being constantly absent from home, physically or mentally.

The ENTJ has many gifts which make it possible for them to have a great deal of personal power, if they don't forget to remain balanced in their lives. The are assertive, innovative, long-range thinkers with an excellent ability to translate theories and possibilities into solid plans of action. They are usually tremendously forceful personalities, and have the tools to accomplish whatever goals they set out for.

Jungian functional preference ordering:

Dominant: Extraverted Thinking
Auxiliary: Introverted Intuition
Tertiary: Extraverted Sensing
Inferior: Introverted Feeling

I honestly felt as if I needed to read this selection.  Since school began, I have experienced difficulties in disciplining students.  While I wonder if the lack of behavior trouble during summer school makes it less necessary to enforce rules and consequences like the actual school year will require, I do understand that maintaining consistent and fair punishment is imperative to a healthy classroom environment.

While reading The Reluctant Disciplinarian, I genuinely felt as if I was Gary Rubinstein beginning my teaching career.  Thus far, I have had low evaluation scores on "classroom management" though my students are always working diligently and quietly, and I have very little trouble out of them through the day.  Sometimes I have a difficult time understanding why "classroom management" is so important, when you win the respect of students, they are sure to follow your lead.  But in this example, I do feel as if summer school might not be the most appropriate place to learn such management skills.  If my students are ever to speak out of turn, it is because they are excited to offer a correct answer-- and I have difficult time repremanding such behavior.  I am interested to see how my current philosophy might transfer over into a classroom this fall where I am the lone teacher with 30+ students.

I feel as if this selection has brought to light the unrational nature of uber idealism come August, and I am thankful to understand that you can be a fun, energetic, supportive teacher while also being firm and fair.  And though I do believe that it will be difficult to lose that sense of ultra positivity, I believe that Rubinstein's The Reluctant Disciplinarian offers an awakening to me that is better received in written form than in the version of paper wads and detention slips that I may meet in the fall...

Use one of the questioning techniques discussed in class with your summer school students.  How well did it work?  What happened?  Would you use it again in your own classroom?

"Socrates is generally credited with pioneering the technique of teaching through questions."

I have found that while particular questioning strategies have provided an excellent framework to asses student knowledge, I have more consistently found that questions, in general, are the basis for a successful lesson.  I also believe that combining several questioning strategies is likely the most efficient mode of gauging student comprehension.

As my experience has shown, techniques like "plan ahead" and "keep the questions simple, short, and easy to understand" should be a common thread through any lesson.  When I outline any particular lesson plan, my first revision is always to include script-like questions.  I have found that questions that are planned in advance provide more coherent student involvement.  For example, in the midst of a "Set" gone awry, it might be difficult to recall the focus of your lesson from the student perspective, but if your questions are not only outlined but specific ("TTW ask...") it simplifies the decision-making mid-lesson.  I also find that simple and short questions are most effective.  Sometimes I catch myself asking many compound questions using technical language, only to receive blank stares in return.  The fact is, regardless of how complicated a particular lesson may be, all skills can be broken down into digestible parts.

I also find the technique of "randomly calling on ALL students" to be effective, particularly when working in a classroom setting with one or two outspoken students who are quick to answer every question. When you are consistent in calling on every student at some point during the lesson, all students seem to be more inclined to pay attention.  Similarly, with the situation of students who enjoy versus students who do not enjoy speaking up in class, "wait time" is very important.  This is a trick, I believe, that one learns with time, but it is important to remember not to call on the first student who quickly raises his/her hand, as this does not allow the others time to think of the answer too.

Again, I find all questioning strategies important, but I believe the most important technique of all is simply to keep questioning...

Delta Autumn: "A guide for First-Year Teachers in the Mississippi Delta" really allowed me to evaluate the countless facets of our upcoming jobs.  As an Ole Miss graduate, I have studied much of the historical data presented in the beginning of Delta Autumn, but it was refreshing to revisit these facts, particularly as they have become more applicable to my future.  I think it is especially important for those teachers who are not from the state or the region to be knowledgeable about the historical progression of race and public education in Mississippi.

"Getting Ready for the First Week of School" was a section of Delta Autumn that I found particularly helpful.  The checklists for the first day of school and the wide range of information covered in this chapter seemed logical and insightful.  As we all imagine our first day of school, I think mild panic sets in as we realize that we aren't even sure how to begin.  Reading over this chapter before school begins in the fall will provide us with a list of questions to ask administrators or other teachers, which will hopefully leave us more prepared for the first day/week of school.

As many other suggestions in Delta Autumn forced me to begin thinking of the countless logistical situations that will be so difficult in my school and classroom, I found the subject-specific suggestions of greatest value.  While discussions of teaching English in the Delta are often referenced in conversation due to the assumed difficulty of the subject matter, there are typically few concrete suggestions for improvement.  Here, the suggestions are interesting and worthwhile.  I appreciated the diversity of idea, from using quill pens to inviting guest speakers to class.  I know that there is a large public library just a few blocks from the school, but I had not thought about allowing students to access material on their own.  I also have heard very little about the enforced curriculum at many of these schools, whereas Delta Autumn encourages the wide-open curriculum, where your own creativity is often the greatest factor in what students learn.

I found the recommendations for communication with parents and guardians useful, as we are told the relationships that students find at home (and your reception therein) are sometimes the most challenging barriers.  Overall, I found Delta Autumn to be an insightful and helpful guide.  While I do believe that many of these lessons will be those most effectively learned on our own, I am grateful for the mental preparation provided here.

While watching poignant documentary film pieces throughout my educational career, I often find fault in an exploitative portrayal of poverty-stricken characters, namely in the South.  One piece I distinctly remember called Hands on a Hard Body depicted honest desperation from citizens in a rural Texas town, and at the time of my viewing, I remember being frustrated by the representation.  The combination of Mr. Reggie Barnes and LaLee’s Kin rearranged my perspective.  Though I could sense Mr. Barnes’ disapproval of LaLee’s abuse of the film’s post-production benefits, much of what he discussed about the larger system and complexity of Southern poverty and rural landscapes provided insightful foreshadowing to the life of LaLee and her family in West Tallahatchie.

As a former superintendent, Mr. Barnes had endless, legitimate practical knowledge to share.  “Don’t get caught up in local politics,” he warned.  “You are just a teacher,” he reminded.  “Don’t stereotype your kids, and don’t listen to the gossip.”  I was thankful for his introductory suggestions about researching your school district and knowing as much as possible about the region, town, area, and demographic.  Luckily, Oxford lies only an hour from Tunica, and I was able to visit, interview, and meet with those at Tunica County Schools several weeks ago.  I was glad to hear reports that Mr. Collins, the principal at Rosa Fort High School, is a positive and productive leader.  After meeting Mr. Collins, I am even surer of his capabilities.  As Mr. Barnes relayed, the greatest complaints from MTC teachers are of the individual school administrations, school districts and general lack of efficiency, making it very difficult to be fruitful as a singular instructor. 

LaLee’s Kin provided a spectrum to display Mr. Barnes’ descriptions.  Though we were made aware of the serious nature of disarray within the school systems in Mississippi prior to our commitment to the program, I’m not sure the depth of challenges of personal lives of those impoverished Delta citizens was completely apparent prior to our viewing.  In other context, I’m not sure I could follow Mr. Barnes’ suggestions of grading policies and extra work and always offering the utmost understanding, but to know that some of your students may not (literally) have enough money to buy even a pencil offers more perspective.

Through the viewing of LaLee’s Kin and the suggestions and recommendations from professionals and experienced alumni, one particular statement from Mr. Barnes continues to resonate:  “You’re not doing ALL you can.”  So, my plan is to do exactly that...