Learning: Problems & Solutions
Time Machines and Basic Facts

How one Atlanta school meets the challenge of educating low-income children.

Imagine you have a time-traveling parachute and you're about to land in Africa in the 1600s. What should you pack for the trip? Whom will you meet? What will you do if they confront you?

And what exactly does "confront" mean?

Such are the challenges facing first graders in Antonio Coleman's classroom at Burgess Elementary School in Atlanta. In this journey to the past, Coleman teaches geography, history, and tough vocabulary words like "confront," "territorial," and "culture."

Burgess serves a low-income neighborhood-84 percent of its children get free or reduced-price lunches. Some educators say such children need instruction focused on drill and repetition. The staff here disagrees. They don't take multiplication tables or literacy for granted, but they think the best way to teach the basics is to involve children in learning adventures-like Coleman's mission to the African past.

When Atlanta principals were asked to choose a school reform model, Burgess Principal Gwendolyn Carter chose a Massachusetts-based school improvement organization called Co-nect, which "stresses the things we were already trying to do, teaching higher-order thinking through project-based learning."

Carter believes that this approach, besides being best for the kids, will also boost test scores. That's essential at so many public schools these days, and Burgess is no exception. Signs reminding staff of the never-ending effort to meet the state requirements are all over the building. "QCC LA 1.20: Reads with fluency and expression," says one sign, and another states, "QCC LA 1.35: Writes about self-selected topics."

There's also advice posted for children: "Test tip-When you are asked to draw a conclusion, you must make a good guess. The correct answer is usually not written in the article."

To get his first graders motivated for the learning effort, Antonio Coleman starts the year by asking them to touch the ceiling. That's not easy for six-year-olds, but eventually, someone thinks of standing on a chair. Then they try a table. Finally, standing on a chair on a table (with Coleman spotting to prevent falls), the children discover that a very short person can reach a very high ceiling.

This, Coleman explains to them, is what their year is going to be like: He will set high standards, and they will reach them. "Try everything you can, be creative, and you'll find ways to meet my expectations," he says.

Teaching with imagination takes more than talent. It requires on-going professional development and staff support. Using some of the funds allocated for the Co-nect program, Carter hired LaPaul Shelton, an experienced teacher, to provide that support. He is the Co-nect "facilitator" at the school.

Shelton says his goal is to get children so involved in the lesson that they become the leaders and their teachers can be facilitators.

On a typical day, he observes three or four classes, demonstrates a couple of lessons, meets with teachers to talk over what he saw in their work or what they saw in his, and spends the rest of his time making banners, bulletin boards, or whatever else teachers need him to do. "My job is to make their job easier," he says.

Their job is hard. Both the city and the state have given the schools targets for improving many aspects of student achievement and attendance. Each year, the targets are raised. Carter says her school is doing well, meeting or exceeding 68 percent of the targets in the most recent accounting.

Of course, the faculty know more about their students' successes and failures than scores can reflect. Coleman beams with pride about one little boy. "At the beginning, he was at the bottom of the barrel. He cried every day," Coleman recalls. "But he had potential. I took him out for lunch on a Saturday. I invested time in him. By midyear, he was hiding books inside books-fun books inside textbooks. He had gotten turned on to reading. Then he started pulling away from the pack, and by the end of the year he was in the top six."

Has he succeeded with every child? No, Coleman concedes. Two of his children last year did not go on to second grade.

What makes the difference? "Support at home," he says, without hesitation. The student who soared had a mother who brought him to Burgess' Saturday school and after-school program and sometimes stayed and worked with him there.

What will happen to the two who didn't go on to second grade? Coleman will keep working with them.

"I asked for them back because I know them better than a new teacher would," he says. "I'm hoping that by midyear, they will catch up. They're my responsibility."

--Alain Jehlen

For more: Call Burgess Elementary at 404/371-4850. Learn more about Co-nect at www.co-nect.net.

How I Did It

Jack Skrocky
Physics teacher
Omaha, Nebraska

A technique that gives all students a stake in making sure other students learn

For years, my physics students shied away from challenging problems. Given a choice, they would avoid the tougher problems on tests. But now my students tackle and solve these problems.

The solution was "cooperative learning," which differs from group work in one crucial respect: risk. Often in group work, one person does the work (and the learning) while the others just copy. In cooperative learning, each person's work is essential.

I divide my students randomly into groups of four. All four get problems with the same wording but different numbers. The four answers are combined to produce a "check number," which I give them. If their answers don't add up, they have to work as a team to find the errors.

Then comes the risk. I randomly pick a team member to solve the same kind of problem. That student's score counts for the team.

This is extra credit. Students still take chapter tests individually, but it's rare for students to get anything but a perfect score!

I used to see heads down on the desks, kids tuning out. Now discussions are going on in every group, involving every student.

This approach can be used in many other situations besides physics problems.

Dilemma

How do you get a shy or reluctant student to participate in class activities?

Students must feel it is safe to give a wrong answer. It is tempting to call on children whose hands immediately stab the air when you ask a question. I use sticks with student names so they get the same number of chances to respond. And I work like mad to give a student every chance to give a correct answer. I may give a hint. I tell them it is okay to be wrong. We often learn more from wrong answers than right ones.

Denise Brasile
Fourth-grade teacher
Scottsdale, Arizona

I use team activities to let the shy student work with one other person and gradually increase the number of team members. My students give oral presentations, first in a group, then as individuals. My grading rubric gives students useful feedback and allows me to record positive comments-not praise but specific strengths to build on.

Pamela Galus
High school science teacher
Omaha, Nebraska

In "randomly" calling on students, choose shy students in the middle-not first, not last. Structure questions so you can amplify a whispered one-word answer into a complete response. But don't move on without an answer.

Distinguish between three brands of shyness:

a) fear of talking;
b) lack of ability or confidence;
c) coming from a culture that values shyness.

Ask questions that are not too easy for bright students and not too hard for the less able.

Paula Drew
Middle school language teacher
Parsippany, New Jersey

Being a male third-grade teacher, I sometimes have students, especially girls, who are shy. One would not talk to me at all! First, I ask a previous teacher if this behavior is normal for this child. Then I ask the parents for recommendations.

Talk to the child to find out interests that can be linked to lessons. Joke with the child to see if you can get a smile that might open a door.

Persistence is the key! The student will realize that you genuinely care about him or her.

Jason Bowser
Third-grade teacher
Brunswick, Maryland

I had two shy twins. I discovered that they loved WWF wrestling and soap operas. I began talking with them every day about their interests, and they started to respond. (I had to watch the TV shows.) Eventually, l had the class involved in a daily, five-minute discussion led by the shy students.

Their mother told me this has carried over into their home life as well. She is thrilled.

Deborah Southall
Seventh- and eighth-grade special education teacher
Pine Hill, Alabama

I have spent much of this year trying to get a kindergartner to participate in our class activities. He volunteered frequently, but when called upon, he had nothing to say. No amount of rewards or cajoling helped. He would sit at his table and stare.

I thought about the building block of self-esteem-real work. I made him my official plant waterer and the results were noticeable immediately. Now when he held up his hand, he had a response. He began interacting with the other children and doing his papers. He is coming out of his shell. It will take him another year to be ready for first grade, but we are seeing progress.

Sue Sanders
Kindergarten teacher
Kenton, Ohio

Got an Answer?

How do you keep your lesson plans from getting stale?

E-mail your answer to dilemma2@list.nea.org. Or send by regular mail, or fax to 202/822-7206. Include your name, city, state, and job title. If published, you will receive an NEA Today mug!

Sparking Interest

New members get connected to the profession-and the Association.

Ashley Martinson-Voshell always knew she wanted to become a teacher. Both of her parents were teachers, and she couldn't imagine pursuing a different profession.

But after a year and a half of teaching, the first-grade educator still didn't know much about her Association.

"I knew the people were probably really nice, but I didn't know where to start," says Martinson-Voshell, who teaches at Evergreen Heights Elementary School in Washington. "I wanted to learn more about NEA and our local because I didn't really know what they provided."

That's when Martinson-Voshell discovered Sparks, a Washington Education Association program created four years ago to connect new teachers with their peers and their local Association. After a weekend retreat with Sparks, Martinson-Voshell decided to become an Association representative for her school. She attended the weekend retreat this past spring with 30 other educators.

"I realized we all had the same questions," she says. "The program motivated me a lot. Now I'm going to be a building rep."

Sparks retreats provide a safe environment where new members can share what's on their minds and also build a positive connection with the Association, says Eddie Westerman, a WEA communications field representative and creator of Sparks.

During a retreat, which lasts from a few days to a week, participants don't sit passively in a lecture hall listening to presentations. They're stretched out on the floor and draped over couches in a bed-and-breakfast, discussing everything from classroom management to the role of a building rep.

Teachers and education support professionals with fewer than six years of experience can attend the retreats. Organizers survey the participants beforehand to find out what information the attendees want to learn. Association staff, officers, and former Sparks participants facilitate the sessions, but they always encourage new members to ask questions and share their experiences. The weekends often include outings with former Sparks participants, skits, sessions on stress and wellness, and information about the Association. At the end of the retreat, participants research a topic and present their own session to their colleagues.

"By teaching one another they build this network and they have this confirmation that they are not alone," says UniServ Director Diane Flynn, the program's new coordinator. "They start to find a community within their Association, which I think is an integral part of the union."

More than 600 members have participated in Sparks retreats in Washington, says Westerman. Affiliates in Oregon, Hawaii, Nevada, Idaho, Alaska, California, and Delaware also offer the program.

"Most new teachers are thrown into a building where people already are established, and here there was a group saying 'you are not alone,' so we instantly bonded," says Dee Brastad, a fourth-year teacher at Southridge High School in Kennewick, Washington.

Want to get more involved in your Association? Sparks participants have some advice:

• Ask your building rep or local officers for information;
• Don't be afraid to ask questions;
• Find other young or beginning teachers with common interests;
• Attend your local Association meetings.
• Try not to get discouraged;
• Encourage your local leaders to learn more about Sparks.

"When you're new you spend a lot of time at school just trying to manage your time," says Martinson-Voshell. "The Association has a lot to offer, but to know what it offers you have to get involved."

--Kristen Loschert

Nobody Ever Told Me

Dress Code Red
As every high school teacher knows, when the thermometer soars, girls' necklines plummet.

On a particularly hot day I noticed one of my students wearing a revealing top. I was anxious to begin the day's lesson, so I did not send her to her locker for a jacket. In the middle of class, the young girl's breast escaped from her shirt. As I fought to maintain my composure, I scanned the room. No one had noticed the fashion faux pas, including the unsuspecting girl.

My mind raced - to call her name would surely draw attention, but what else could I do? How long would it take her to realize that she had revealed her undergarments to her classmates? Much to my relief, and her horror, the student soon realized her mistake and quickly and discreetly put herself back together. The student and I never discussed the situation, and I never saw the top again.

Erin Barrett
High school English teacher
Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Dilemma

How do you get your students to ask good questions?

In my seventh- and eighth-grade language arts classes, I challenge my students to ask simple and open-ended questions. I ask questions that require some imagination and often have no set answers.

Christian Milord
Junior high English teacher
Brea, California

On the wall in the front of my classroom, I have a sign that says "ASK QUESTIONS." It stretches two-thirds of the way across the wall. The sign is one of the main things I point out on the first day of school. This way, from the very beginning we have open lines of communication.

Toni Roccia
Elementary science teacher
Warsaw, Virginia

I use a list of "wh" words (who, what, when, where, why, how, which) to help students form questions. I remind the class that when we ask questions, we hope to get more information about the subject. I flip through the "wh" words and read them to help stimulate the beginning of some other types of questions.

Karen V. Adams
Kindergarten teacher
Madras, Oregon

If you really want to show your children how to "think about their own thinking" then you must read at least one of these two books: Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmerman and Strategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis.

Samantha Duffield
Second-grade teacher
Bristow, Virginia

From the beginning of the year I teach students what a good question is and model it in our writing block. I encourage students to ask questions about the class discussion and to think of questions that cannot be answered with a yes or no.

Cathay Qualls
Fifth-grade teacher
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Got an Answer?

How do you deal with a child who comes to school sick?

E-mail your answer to dilemma2@list.nea.org. Or send by regular mail, or fax to 202/822-7206. Include your name, city, state, and job. If published, you will receive an NEA Today mug!

Resources

First-Year Fumbles
The NEA Professional Library has released a new revised edition of Pitfalls and Potholes, part of the NEA Checklist Series. This handy guide includes tips for landing a job, managing student conduct, getting along with administrators, avoiding lawsuits, teaching with confidence, and more. To order a copy or for more information, go to http://home.nea.org/books/.

,b>New Teacher Survival Guide
Check out the U.S. Department of Education's Survival Guide for New Teachers. This publication includes reflections from 53 award-winning first-year teachers who talk candidly about their successes and setbacks. The book includes tips for working with colleagues, administrators, parents, and students. For a free copy, go to www.ed.gov/pubs/survivalguide/.

Teach Like a Pro
Looking for lesson plans or a place to share ideas with other K-6 teachers? Visit www.proteacher.net/. This site includes lesson ideas for reading and language arts, science, math, social studies, and the fine arts. Check out the "Busy Board" message board for other ideas from fellow teachers.

Two Minute Tips

Sink or Float
Here's a classroom management strategy that focuses on holistic and individual accountability. Begin each day by drawing a ship on the board. When a student disrupts the class, ask the disruptive student to erase a portion of the ship. This implies that the ship (the class) is sinking. At the end of the day, if part of the ship remains, the class has floated. As the year progresses, you can draw a smaller ship, indicating higher expectations for class behavior.

Kendra Duncan
Memphis, Tennessee

Writing Tapes
When my fourth graders have completed rough drafts of their writing, I always confer with each student individually.

When I can't meet with students one on one, I read through a student's writing exercise and record my comments on an audio tape.

Students then read their rough drafts as they listen to the tape. The students can replay their tapes if necessary. The tapes also come in handy when a student is absent.

Marsha Taylor
Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Have a great idea? You can pass along your tip to NEA Today's 2.7 million readers in one of five ways:

• By mail: NEA Today, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036
• By phone: 202/822-7201
• By fax: 202/822-7206
• By e-mail: Ideas@neatoday.nea.org
• Through the Web: www.nea.org/neatoday