Raise a Smarter Kid?

I recently ran across an article in Parenting Magazine titled Raise a Smarter Kid! It suggested five simple steps: have ongoing conversations with your child's teacher(s); don't let technology become a distraction; make time to be involved at your child's school; have family dinners as often as possible; and read out loud as a family. While I'm not sure I buy that any one or all of these would make my kids any smarter, I do think they'd make me a better parent. And that's no small thing.

The Sounds of School

Summer is a lonely time in school. All summer long, I keep my outside office door open. As someone who’s not a fan of air conditioning and who loves hot, humid weather, I appreciate the fact that I can enjoy a little fresh air while I work. But throughout those summer months the only sounds I hear are the occasional train passing on the tracks behind the school and Mr. Ziggy or Mr. Pat on the lawn mower. Once school starts, that all changes. Now I open my door and I hear the excited voices of the fourth grade class next door, their laughter and joy as they explode out of their classroom for recess, and even the sound of focus and concentration as they sit outside, leaning against trees and benches doing their independent reading.

As the weather begins to turn and my door to the outside stays shut for  several months I still get to hear the sounds of school -- of excitement, of friendship, of deep thought, of singing, of questions and answers, of grammar, of squeaking sneakers on the gym floor -- as I walk the halls. Those sounds are a sure sign that we’re back to the business of school and remind me that without students and teachers, a school really isn’t a school at all. 

As always, our students and teachers begin this year with excitement, ready to hard work and eager to learn. I share their sense of anticipation and enthusiasm for a great year.

Welcome back.

Acknowledgement for the Acknowledgers

At today's yearbook assembly, two representatives of the 8th grade class read this year's acknowledgement to the whole school:

We, the yearbook staff, would like to present this acknowledgement to a group of hard-working people. They are an integral part of the school, always putting others before themselves and providing service with a smile. They arrive at EFS early each morning to prepare for the day ahead, and throughout it all, they seem to never stop working. They enjoy their jobs, and it shows in the way they put extra care into everything they do. This year especially, they have offered many new ideas and new choices. They are very special to EFS, and we are all very happy that we have them here. They deserve an extra big helping of appreciation. We, the 8th grade class of 2011, are extremely proud to acknowledge the kitchen staff: Chef Jeff, Mike, and the lunch ladies.

Sometimes an acknowledgement says as much about those who offer it as those who receive it. Congratulations to our kitchen staff for being recognized for their commitment to our students. Congratulations to the 8th grade class for living up to our expectations and recognizing what it means to be leaders in our school community.

What Makes a Great Teacher?

I recently came across an article in Scholastic Administrator magazine that asked several superintendents to opine on the characteristics of great teachers. Their responses are interesting and, in my opinion, right on.

"A great teacher must be resilient." Gregory E. Thornton, Milwaukee Public Schools

"A great teacher invites every child to join a community of learners." Maria Goodloe-Johnson, Seattle Public Schools

"Much of what makes a great teacher today is the same as it has always been. It's a passion for a subject, an inherently caring attitude, the ability to trigger receptiveness to learning in children, and a knack for coaching kids in fun ways...Good teachers are able to sift though a world of information and weave it into new lessons for 21st-century minds, while also teaching children how to do the same." Art Jarvis, Tacoma Public Schools

"Great teachers are instructional leaders and curriculum designers." Suzanne Freeman, Trussville (AL) City Schools

"Great teachers love what they do and perceive teaching as their calling." Neil Pedersen, Chapel Hill - Carrboro (NC) City Schools

"Great teachers are empathetic and engaged...They are also flexible, able to multitask, and willing to collaborate in professional learning communities." Keith Lutz, Millard (NE) Public Schools

"Great teachers seem to capture the artistry and the science of teaching." Jose Torres, Elgin (IL) District U-46

"A great teacher needs to excel in five key areas...comprehensive knowledge of subject matter...good communication skills...demonstrate to students that they care about them...have to be lifelong learners...must have outstanding interpersonal skills." Gene White, Indianapolis Public Schools

I might add that great teachers are infinitely patient, as good with parents as with children, never complacent, and tireless workers.

What's a Teacher Worth?

I've watched the fight in Wisconsin between the governor and the public employees' unions with fascination and without knowing exactly how I feel about the whole thing. Have unions in some cases protected poor performing teachers to the detriment of students? Certainly. Is Wisconsin going broke because teachers are soaking the system and getting rich in the process. Certainly not. While I've always seen teaching as a calling, a path one chooses for its intrinsic value, I can't help but wonder what education would look like if teachers were paid more. What if our best and brightest could envision a comfortable life as a teacher instead of in law, medicine, or investment banking? Nicholas Kristof's recent New York Times op-ed piece , Pay Teachers More, points out that we pay for what we value in this country, and it's clearly not teachers.

Raising Our Children to Leave Us

The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children is a book from which any parent can learn a thing or two. I recently saw author Wendy Mogel speak at the Nation Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference. She's quite entertaining and sensible. Although her talk didn't seem to offer much of a message to teachers, her advice for parents is right on. I was inspired to buy her book (my first e-book purchase on the iPad) and have found it to be filled with good practical keys to raising well-behaved, responsible, and grateful children. The book's "aha" moment for me was a short subsection of chapter four titled, Raising Our Children to Leave Us. While this simple phrase makes perfect sense, I'd never really thought of it before. As the parent of a high school senior, I'm mere months away from this very reality. In truth, though, this is exactly what we've been doing, whether or not we realized it or embraced it. The extent to which our daughter is successful on her own at college will depend on the competencies we've build in her, or more accurately, allowed her to develop over the last seventeen-plus years. Dr. Mogel's advice to parents reminds me of what I always say about  dieting: it's simple, not easy.

Are You a Chinese Mother?

According to the essay in Saturday's Wall St. Journal, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior, by Yale professor Amy Chua, the moniker can be applied to any culture. Her premise, however, is that "Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away." Pretty provocative stuff. While I'm not entirely comfortable with what seem like sweeping generalizations in the piece, there is certainly some truth in Ms. Chua's words as well.