Career Education

New Teachers…. What do you REALLY need to know?

Posted on by ski626

The School of Education at Manhattanville College is holding a special seminar for new teachers. As one of several administrators who will be giving advice, I have outlined a few key points worth noting for new teachers. As we know, the art of teaching is something that one learns over time with experience. However, there are a few ground rules that lead to success

You are a professional. Dress like one! Google and Facebook may have a climate that allows for casual Fridays with t-shirts and shorts, but your school does not! Unless it is a field day, showing up to school in flip flops, a tank top or shorts is not acceptable. Regardless of how other teachers dress, you need to remind yourself that how you dress sends a message to students, your peers and your administrators about how you see yourself and your role. You need to communicate through your dress that you care about yourself and your job.Your administrator should never have the passing thought, “is that appropriate?”

Be value added and be authentic!  1) Come prepared to all meetings showing interest and enthusiasm. Be prepared with documentation such as grades, sample work, attendance, or any other pertinent data. 2) And… don’t be that teacher who asks a question or speaks at every faculty meeting. It won’t bother your administrator, but it will your peers! If you have an important question email your principal or ask your mentor! 3) And finally, you don’t need to “kiss up” to the principal or Superintendent. Be passionate about what you do and do your job to the best of your ability. That is enough.

Use Good Judgment. The students are not your friends or your own children. Love what you do,  love them, support them, learn from them, but keep a professional boundary. Here are some simple examples: 1) You purchase wine to give out as gifts at the holidays. Don’t let students deliver the wine!  2) Communicate! Don’t leave Back to School Night because you think your conferences are finished. Parents can show up at any time, and if you haven’t told your principal, there’s a good chance that sneaking out for the day or night, will come back to bite you! Also, don’t leave your classroom at any time without another adult being present. You would be amazed at what can happen when you are gone… A good example, in one school, when a teacher left the room unattended, two boys started roughhousing, and one put his hand through the window! Don’t ever forget that those children are YOUR responsibility!

Use Social Media! This may sound contrary to what you have been told. No, you should not post pictures of you drinking wine at Happy Hour. But, you should Join Twitter,  Instagram, etc. as a professional to connect with fellow teachers from across the country and across the world who are sharing new ideas. Social media is also a great way to communicate the good things going on in your classroom and get new ideas to keep you fresh and current!

Hard days happen! There are going to be hard days. Days in which you feel like you entered into the wrong profession. That’s okay. Working with children can be unpredictable at times. What works with one student, doesn’t always work with another. Just take it day by day, take care of yourself and do one other thing… Make sure that every card, every kind note, and letter that you receive from a student, a parent or a peer is tucked away in a special folder for safe keeping.  On those hard days, go back and read them. This should give you the motivation to keep going when things get rough.

Teaching is the best profession in the world. Savor every moment of fun and hard work. You are making a difference, even when you think you are not!

It’s Not Always About STEM

Posted on by ski626

Imagine being the new student to a small suburban school where everyone has known each other since Kindergarten. It can be difficult for new students to fit in and even more challenging to find their way. To help our new students adjust, we have started a new tradition, the “NewComers Breakfast”. All new students are invited to a special breakfast at the beginning of the year of eggs, bacon, and sausage, hash browns, and crumb cake, all cooked by students in our self-contained special education program.

In our second year of the breakfast, everyone left feeling incredibly upbeat about the experience. New students were introduced to several key adults in the building and learned valuable information about their new school community. The administrators gave a welcome, and teachers gave overviews of school programs while students ate their meal. The adults mingled and ate with students to build meaningful student-teacher connections. The event was a heartwarming way to build a positive and supportive school climate.

For our special education students who cooked the meal, this was an authentic learning experience that engaged students in real life problem-based learning. Students experienced the entire process of cooking for a large group. Initially, students met with me to decide on a menu and food costs. We collaborated together on all aspects of the breakfast such as, the cost of store bought vs. bakery bagels, as well as other authentic issues that might arise when cooking for a large group. Teachers in the program worked with students on sorting out all details from napkins to condiments to ensure that all aspects of the meal were prepared and completed with quality. Students received an abundance of compliments on their cooking, which increased their confidence and enthusiasm for school and learning. These students learned necessary job skills that can guide them into future careers.

But, most of all, this event was a success because it was focused on building a sense of community within our school. All students need personal attention, and this event enabled new students to feel special and make connections with students and adults alike. These new students now have names to go with faces, and people in the school that they can seek out in case they need support. Everything is less overwhelming than it was before the breakfast. Furthermore, both groups of students feel more comfortable and more confident about their school experience, which is our ultimate goal recognized.

In the past ten years, STEM has become the avenue for success in 21st-century schools. However, educators cannot diminish the role of community building in schools or the role that authentic hand on experiences such as, cooking and catering, can do to prepare our students for the future.  We need to spend more time training students who are challenged by advanced science and math, to have the interpersonal and job skills necessary to find careers in a very technology focused culture.  Our NewComers Breakfast was a model activity to do just that! Our students created a useful and appreciated product that was valued by our entire school community. There is no better authentic learning!  Our schools are full of creative opportunities where students can gain satisfaction and learn real life skills without having to take a paper and pencil test or design a STEM project. Most importantly, these experiences can leave everyone feeling more gratified and uplifted about their school community.

Ask the Teachers!

Posted on by ski626

Every year students graduate and move on. Teachers remain. Teachers are the one steady, and the one constant over time in a school building. Teachers are the school as much as the brick, mortar, books and pencil sharpeners. The key to bringing positive change to any building is to listen to the teachers and get their input.

1. Teachers KNOW the history of the building. They have survived administrations, programs, and students. They know what programs worked and why. They know what programs failed and why. Administrators should not be shy about asking teachers to talk about the past to gain insight into how to move forward.
2. Teachers KNOW the students. Teachers are the closest contact with students. They know what is “in” and they know what is “out.” They know how to relate to students. Administrators need to keep an open door with teachers to hear what is happening on “the ground” and to understand how to proceed on important issues.
3. Teachers KNOW how to make initiatives work effectively. Teachers often tire of not being consulted and often become frustrated with changes where there is no follow through or forethought into the outcome. Administrators need to communicate their ideas and gain teacher input that will foster success.

I am fortunate enough to work in a building where the teachers are 100% supportive. Over the past year, there were many situations involving students that required me to respond in a firm manner. As any new principal knows, it can be a challenge to win over a new student body, in particular, the senior class. Thankfully, teachers at PVHS worked behind the scenes to help students understand the reasons behind each action and to make sense of each event. Without the teacher’s support, students would have been much more reticent to accept how we were moving forward as a school community.

The teachers also helped me to understand the “why” behind programs that existed and structures that had been in place. As a former history teacher, it’s important for me to understand the historical context of a building. Through listening to teachers, I gained a better understanding of the moods and conditions that existed and the significance of previous events. This knowledge helped to guide me in all areas from creating a duty schedule, to planning professional development.

In summary, the old cliché is true.. “those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.” Regardless of administrative experience, principals need to learn about their building, the history of their faculty and all of the “ins and outs” that came before. This work can be accomplished through building the best relationships with teachers. Teachers are a valuable resource that can provide the keys for moving the whole building forward. Their historical knowledge and professional insights can lead everyone to success.

A Spirit of Innovation: Get your stomp rocket ready!

Posted on by ski626

One of the questions that we consistently reflect on at MHS is how to motivate students who feel disconnected from school and learning. This year, one group of teachers expressed the idea that our school needs a place for students to experiment and create with their own hands. We have many students who are eager for this type of learning, but with increased academic requirements and limited budgets, our wood shops and consumer arts courses disappeared a long time ago. Other than Project Lead the Way, which is not available for everyone, there is very little opportunity for students to have the “hands-on” learning experiences that they are craving.

After great consideration, I hit upon the idea of a “MakersSpace.” MakersSpaces have become wildly popular in the past few years. According to MakersSpaces.Com, a Makers Space is a “community center of tools” and is a wonderful way to democratize engineering education. (http://spaces.makerspace.com) Makers Spaces can encompass all sorts of materials, from computers, sewing machines, hammers, etc. The design is up to the creator. Through the task of plain old tinkering, MakerSpaces help to build student confidence, foster deeper student understanding and teach collaboration.

Fortunately for our school, I was given the opportunity to write a grant through our local BOCES to help provide students with the chance to create, design and build. Under the leadership of my Earth Science teacher, Trace Keller, we decided to incorporate the idea of a Maker Space through a new club next year entitled “Robot Wars.” The club will be a place where we can encourage playfulness and inspire curiosity among students. Students will have the chance to create robots, small machines or just “tinker” if they choose. The club will be our “laboratory of inquiry” where students can work with the questions in mind, “how do things work? And why do things work that way?”

The teacher ran an introductory activity to attract students to the club, and it was a huge hit. From just a soda bottle, some tubing and a marshmallow, students were able to create stomp rockets that flew thirty feet off the ground. It was so much fun and drew the attraction of students who don’t normally stay after school. The success of the activity solidified our thinking, and we enthusiastically moved forward to create our MakersSpace Club.

To get started, we ordered $5,000 worth of materials, including everything from glue guns, and goggles to Lego robot kits. Although we were fortunate to receive our funding from a state grant, Edutopia wrote a very helpful post that lists several other possibilities for schools to get needed resources.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/6-strategies-funding-makerspace-paloma-garcia-lopez

At MHS, we hope to create an inspirational and innovative lab where through inquiry, play, and collaboration, students’ curiosity and understanding deepens. Although we are starting small with an after-school club, the possibilities for further growth are endless. Hopefully, one day we can find space for a full-time playroom where students can just stop by to experiment.

Information on this topic is readily available for anyone who wants to start their own MakerSpace. The following link is a helpful place to begin. http://oedb.org/ilibrarian/a-librarians-guide-to-makerspaces/

 

Stomp Rocket!
Stomp Rocket!

 

 

 

 

Why Explore?

Posted on by ski626

“The world is their oyster. They believe they’re destined for great things, just like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable?”

This speech by Robin Williams in the famous movie, Dead Poet’s Society inspires youth everywhere to “carpe diem.” But, why do we make students wait until they have left high school before they can seize the day? Why can’t high schools do more to help students see what they are capable of while they are in school?

The Department of Education cites that by high school, “at least half of students feel disconnected and disengaged from their studies.” http://www.ed.gov/highschool This is exactly why this past school year, Millbrook High School embarked on a new journey to implement a Senior Internship Program. MHS introduced the EXPLORE Program for students to experience a more meaningful twelfth grade year with less “senioritis” and more authentic real life experiences in a career area of interest. Through the hard work of our Senior Internship Directors, Carolyn Hotaling (@chotaling61) and Frank Fiorenza, along with our teacher mentors, our students were offered amazing opportunities at local businesses, presidential libraries, radio networks and more. Additionally, Mrs. Hotaling and Mr. Fiorenza provided a majority of our students with individualized internship meetings where each child was given the time to self reflect on his or her goals and interests. This was a time for students to identify a true area of passion that could be turned into an internship. Our Directors used questioning as a way to coach our students towards their greatest potential and discourage students from settling for anything. This important stage of self-reflection before setting up the internship, provided students with individualized career counseling that they normally would not get in a traditional year of high school and was a huge positive for the students and the overall program.

However, even with this coaching, there were some students who were ready to embrace the program and those who were still hesitant. For students who found the traditional school environment restricting, they could not wait to hit the ground running. These students eagerly went out to find their own internships, while others who had been very comfortable in the safe school environment, were less than enthusiastic about leaving the nest for the last six weeks of school. However, each student came to the idea that the benefits of the internship far outweighed their fears about leaving the high school experience behind. Students learned traditional guidance about appropriate dress for work, being prompt, advocating for themselves and how to communicate effectively. However, more importantly, they learned that if they truly follow their passion, the world is full of opportunities for them to explore.

Moreover, the school benefited from building stronger community partnerships where our students were highlighted in a positive way. Our Internship Supervisors were fantastic and we were thrilled with the opportunities that they gave our students. The range and variety of work was exceptional. We had students who worked with patients in physical therapy, students who did important research and those that provided invaluable help to organizations and businesses. Students that fully embraced the internship had an enriching and worthwhile time. This experience helped each child make important self discoveries. Whether this meant learning that he/she could never sit in an office all day, or that a long train commute is not desirable, students now had a greater idea of what they wanted to do for a living while also learning how to balance the responsibilities of work, school, sports and other activities to prepare them for their soon to be independence.

As we all know, the industrial workforce of the 19th and 20th century has changed dramatically. In order to best prepare students for the new era that we are in, secondary schools need to change profoundly, especially in the senior year. As Tony Wagner states in the Global Achievement Gap, “all students need new skills for work, citizenship and college readiness.” Based on the positive experiences and growth that our students encountered, career exploration is an excellent avenue to help redesign our high schools and move in a more rigorous direction.  From internships to shadowing programs to general career inquiry, there are many possibilities for schools to explore in this area.

  • “Career Centers” located in our high schools is one place to begin. Besides, the traditional Guidance Office, a true “Career Counseling Center” that guides students in various career opportunities along with resume building and career coaching would be an outstanding addition for any high school especially schools in urban areas.
  • A “Career Development Coordinator” position to help develop and design career programs within the school should be a new requirement for secondary schools. This person would be responsible for facilitating the connections between students, school and community to best set up students for success beyond high school. Robert Hans (@NMHS_JobCoach) at New Milford High School is an excellent example of the quality work this position can accomplish to help students bridge to the workforce.
  • Well developed career objectives and standards should be written for each school to focus on. Some states are farther ahead then others. New Jersey has an extremely helpful website for their career standards: http://www.nj.gov/education/cccs/standards/9/9-1.htm The site also has links and resources, including interest surveys for students and teachers to utilize.

Taking steps towards developing job coaching, internships and career training is one of the best ways to redesign our high schools with a more meaningful and rigorous experience for students. MHS made great strides this year working towards this goal. We want to provide our students with the skills and opportunities necessary for a bright and successful future. Please send us any of your career ideas!