I'm going to start posting some updates to this url, since my old "finefoodorfodder" page from my South Sudan timeline is awkward for posting new information.  Google + has links to both url's.  Maybe I'll get the hang of posting again, after a long hiatus.

I wrote some introductory remarks today in preparation for my upcoming long weekend in Oakland (Jun 22-24, 2018) for the Encorps STEM teacher recruiting program 2018 Summer Institute, to be held at Cal State East Bay.  I'm scheduled to corral and assist 12 attendees in my so-named "Plugged In" Small Group.  I'll attend the newbie orientation program on Friday afternoon, then stick with my Small Group during much of the Saturday and Sunday activities.  Here are some things that I'd like to talk about with the group:

Some random thoughts about teaching:

Does anyone think that class content is more important than classroom management?   Hmmm!  If so, sheer delusion !!!

From a year of volunteering at Tennenbaum Tech High School, my sense is that these kids (mostly freshmen and seniors, with a smattering of sophomores and juniors) are almost all hopelessly lost in the delusional world of teenagers.  Occasionally a few will actually focus on learning and show an interest in doing so, but if that's the case, it's because the teacher was able to grab them with trickery, humor, sarcasm, loud noises, etc.  That's Peter Kim's style (my host teacher through the Encorps program).

I think the biggest challenge for teachers (aside from keeping a lid on noise, posturing, texting, video watching, sleeping, etc) is to determine how to get actual information into the brains of a very diverse group of students - from self-motivated - to eager listeners - to English Learners - to IEP's.  There's no magic bullet, as the phrase goes.  It's about establishing mutual respect between teacher and student, with rules that students know explicitly and are actually glad to have, and ruling with fairness mixed with compassion.

I think it's good to ask students at the beginning of the year to be honest about which ones want to be in your class, which ones would rather not be in class at all, and which ones are willing to follow the rules that you, the Master of the Classroom, set for them.  My view is that there is not currently any such thing as a Benevolent Dictatorship, but your classroom should be the closest thing to that reality.

Many of them can and should be given a chance to show their own leadership abilities in assisting you with class management.  Stella (an Encorps volunteer, with us on many Fridays) and I were part of several Career Tech and Earth Science lab sessions where students were able to see how well or how poorly they worked in groups (peer groups bring out the best and worst in them).  Breaking up and mixing groups is a good tool for the Benevolent Dictator, when used judiciously.

I was not pleased to see how everyday language of teenagers has degenerated to the most coarse level that they can get away with - apparently many of them get little indoctrination into civil discourse at home or in previous schools.   You as a teacher may not be able to curb this behavior, but you owe it to them to impart to them the fact that a higher level of communication is what they'll need to really succeed once they leave high school, regardless of whether they go on to further studies.

There are usually counselors who are trained to deal with behavioral issues, learning impairments, home environment, but teachers do what they can to understand what the kids are dealing with, or in some cases - in.  There were Xanax issues in the past, both middle school and high school.  It's a lot to ask a teacher to try to interpret students' lack of energy, sleep and attention, but that's part of the job.   Follow school protocol and try to stay objective.  Protect yourself with documentation for everything which varies from your plan.

Take the opportunity to help with individual catch-up tutoring after school (a part of typical requirements anyway), communicate with parents, document endlessly, and keep at least one confidant (teacher or counselor) for things which concern you, and things which will keep both of you informed.

There are always social/political issues floating around among teachers - not everyone will be best buds.  Attend Professional Development sessions and study the environment thoroughly, deciding what's best for you as well as for the students.  Decide for yourself how to comply with State metrics for your lessons and for grading.

Your real job is to make your subject matter interesting and attention grabbing for as many students as possible - hence using stunts, props, analogies, videos, etc. is crucial to success.  Don't assume that presenting what's interesting to you will be by default interesting to them.

We had students who were somewhat social misfits, sometimes picking fights, or just needing to be the center of attention.  I only had to put myself between 2 students once in the classroom, but the experience of having the other students thank me for raising my voice and shutting down the "posturing" was worth the frustration in my mind.  That's where your Benevolent Despot role comes into play.  I'm sure you know that it's not just boys who get into these confrontations - we had quite a few girls who made it quite clear that they were not to be messed with, and even a few who got into fights with each other, but not in class.  I've listened to other teachers who worked in much rougher schools than ours.

None of this is news to people who have been teaching for a few years, but it might seem a bit daunting at first to some.  Basically, just have your plans clear in your head, and have backup plans for contingencies.  Remember that the students can be your best assets for making your classes work, if you recruit their skills.  And by the way, put together some fascinating lesson plans !!!