Policy and a Pint, Elements of Education

So on October 8th I went to the current's policy and a pint on education...Here are my notes (below) on the event and the audio.
I hope you enjoy :) It turned out to be a great experience and I would love to do it again (especially with you, Molly!!)--I can't wait to do more things like this with you when we are actually living together and married :)

“Policy and
a Pint” event: Elements of Education. October 8th, 2009 @ Varsity theater

Description:What makes for a good teacher? What changes do we need to see in
teaching to ensure the best futures for our children? How much input
should parents have in their children's education? How much
responsibility should they take?

This is for teachers, parents, and anyone from undergrads to career changers who is thinking "maybe I'd like to teach."

Join
moderator and 89.3 the Current DJ Steve Seel as he discusses the "The
Elements of Education" with Amber Damm, Minnesota's Teacher of the
Year, and Nathan Eklund, former teacher and author of "How Was Your Day
at School?" who now works at the Search Institute.

These are my revised notes from the night...

Amber Damm (6th & 7th grade English teacher), went to UMN post bachelors program in teaching. Teaching for 11 years at Clara Barton Open School in Minneapolis. Her curriculum is with the "Responsive Classroom" idea in mind. A "Goal setting conference" is part of this curriculum, in which the teacher, student and the students parents sit down together and talk about the students' goals for that school year. In doing so, the teacher forms a better relationship with the parent and student, plus the teacher learns more about the students interests and hobbies.

"Why do you teach?" For those moments of brilliance that you get every day that you'd never think of. The little moments of insight from students creates a never-dull day.

Amber's school encourages a "learning walk" for the teachers. In the walk, teachers have an hour to visit about three others classrooms, either the same subject or different subject areas, and even other grade levels. You never know what you may learn from other teachers, students, and classrooms that you could incorporate into your classroom.

Make teaching "human" as in...you're not perfect, you make mistakes, you are flawed, so be OK and accept these things, learn from them. Incorporate this idea into making boundaries in your life. You can't spend 100% of your time on your students. Family should always come first, then you job. Don't grade until 1AM, stay healthy, eat meals together, exercise, etc. "When I get up in the morning I want to honor my family and my community in what I do."

Concerning Teach For America..."What is the overall effect of a teacher that has been 'churned' through this field and their future career?" ...Experience from being a teacher for even a few years is a great thing due to the 'over flow' idea, if I am a Teacher, I will take more of a convictions in my own kids' lives and what they ought to get out of education.

2 intelligences to bring out in the students. Intellectual vs intuitive vs work ethic. A teacher can do more with a student that has good work ethic and puts in effort than the lethargic A student that can always memorize and make the grade. Intuitive and work ethic intelligence (effort) is what will help the student more so than the good grades that simply entitle them.

Teaching comes with a mix of content and human understanding at a deep level...Realizing this and really living it, makes a good teacher.

Communication is Critical...Get students involved in the classroom decisions. When assignments are due and the rubric which they should be graded on. ... "I asked my students for everyone including myself to look at their planners and look at how busy or not busy they were...then I asked them when a reasonable time would be for the Tiger Tiger poem to be due...'Would Monday work?' I asked them...and they all agreed that that's a pretty reasonable time. This whole time my intention was for it to be due on Monday, but when you ask them for their opinion they own the situation and the assignment much more and you get more returned assignments in the short term, they learn to manage time and commitment this way and improve their self-esteem."

Civically educated kids! Education should be democratic civic experience, not a competitive sport--like the standardized testing has become.

"How do you deal with 30+bosses and 150++ parents??"..."I'm always quick to apologize and hard to work...this brings in the whole idea of being "human"" Always being an advocate for the 12 year old to the parent--so that they can be understanding of their child, what they're going through, so that the parents don't stress them out even more so.

"Socialized intelligence"...You're not the smartest in the classroom, the collective intelligence of the classroom is greater than any individual has in their head. (Kids know a lot more than people may think)

The interview process...Interview as a coworker (future colleague, this is forgotten a lot...make a good relationship with the persons interviewing you) and a teacher of youth. When/if you are stumped by a question, rather than fumbling about, just tell the interviewee "that is such a great question" if the question warrants that of course. Also, this is the type of behavior you should bring to the classroom. When a student stumps you or wants to know more, don't be afraid to show your vulnerabilities and humilities. In the interview talk about human stories. Talk about kids you've worked with and the work you did with them whether it be frustrating or exceptional. Let your interviewer know that you like youth (this is what to focus on).