The Daily News
1 Is it fitting that I awakened into the three a.m., clicked on the teevee, and Julius Caesar flickered before my weary eyes?
2 We’re talking THE Julius Caesar, the one with James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, and Marlon Brando as Marc Antony. It also starred Louis Calhern as Caesar, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, Edmund O’ Brien as Casca, and Deborah Kerr as Portia.
3 Sometimes life throws these coincidences at us. Yesterday we had a visit by the WPC, my euphemism for White People with Clipboards.
4 It is much more serious than that, of course, but I think even they would chuckle.
5 In any business, accountability is always stressful. Our entire school has been on edge all year about this visit that seems to be an annual event.
6 With a school of our stature, we should be getting a six-year accreditation.
7 The visit was scheduled on the Monday following our version of FANTASTICS, which is called Battle of the Classes. That happened last week, and THEN we had a Sunday night St. Paddy’s Day.
8 One would have to say that the odds were clearly stacked against us.
9 I was a wreck, but I also knew that I had to be a soldier. Last week I had my students doing skits that they had written. We were getting WAY into the Shakespeare.
10 I had them write skits a few weeks ago, practice them, and just last week I gave a list of 36 essential Shakespearean terms, and told them that they needed to convert their scripts into Shakespearean language, a little thing I invented around four or five years ago, and which is always awesome.
11 A few years ago, I was delighted when a multi-cultural group did their skit. Four students knelt down and looked straight out at the audience.
12 The first student to speak said this: ” ‘Tis cold!” The second student said, “That is because we art ice cream.” They went on to talk about how they were all different flavors, but that they were all experiencing the same world.
13 That skit knocked me out. I originally didn’t want skits being worked on during the visit by what is really called the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), who visit schools to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
14 Last Wednesday I had some personal business that caused me to be sick.
15 Yeah.
16 This changed all the lesson plans, and made it so that I HAD to have the students working on skits this week. I decided to let the students practice yesterday and do the skits today.
17 At the beginning of my first period, a student gave me a handshake on entering the room. He said, “Thank you, Mr. Harrington.” I said, “For what?” He said, “Everything!” That started my morning, and several other students shook my hand as they came in. It was a telling moment in my long career. It set the tone for the entire day. WASC was on campus, and could visit my room at any second.
18 That class began working really well, but later in the period got off task. I was a nervous wreck. They started chatting about everything except their skits, which I quite expected. I’ve done this for a while, and know that an entire period cannot be dedicated to practicing skits. I usually have around three different things for them to do in the hour classes. Three works nicely. Yesterday I had just two: one was to explain who WASC was, and two was to practice their skits.
19 Everything went swell until the last fifteen minutes.
20 I circulated around the room, which is a terrific way to get people LOOKING like they are on task. Proximity can be pretty intimidating, but they were all a bit out of it, so it became the longest fifteen minutes of my career, I swear to you.
21 Still, I had trouble getting upset with them. They came in with so much support, but I think they got a bit bored by the end. I expected it, but was still sweating bullets.
22 My second class of the day is what I call my Disney class. They are this absolutely charming group, spirited, and all things Disney. They are the quintessential ears-and-braces class. They just click. I did the same lesson with them, and they were much more awake and spirited than my first class.
23 I knew that they would run out of gas as the period progressed, because it really wasn’t one of my better plans. I popped on the Curious George soundtrack by Jack Johnson. That is the theme album of my classroom. His Upside Down triggers the group work every time I play it. It pumps them up, but it also slows down when the slower songs hit. My students are used to working in groups while I throw some background music out there. It keeps everything free and breezy. But it won’t last for an entire hour.
24 With fifteen minutes left, they too got a bit off task. One guy had conked out, and he was one of my better students. Really good students often do that because they are up ’til all hours studying. I was nervous, but I could see that if the door opened, these guys could awaken and practice in an instant.
25 That’s exactly what happened.
26 The door opened, and this lady from the visiting team slipped in quietly. I think they were told to do that. I immediately walked across the room to greet her so that the students could visually see that a team member was in the class. Good instincts, if I may say.
27 Interestingly, I wasn’t the least bit intimidated. She had a huge smile on her face the second she came in. She said, “I LOVE your masks on the wall! Are they working on Romeo and Juliet?” I instantly got excited about all we have been working on.
28 “These are sophomores. They’re doing Much Ado. I decided not to do Caesar this year, although I’m going to do a mini-unit on Caesar. Needless to say, they LOVE Much Ado!” She immediately got it.
29 For the layperson out there, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is arguably his most frivolous play, and it is a lark.
30 As for Caesar, I gave a mini-mini unit on Friday, which was the Ides of March. Again for the layperson, the Ides of March is simply March 15, the day Caesar was assassinated. I fully intend in my mini-unit to bring back the assassination of JFK and show my students the parallels. We studied the assassination in November.
31 But I digress.
32 I always digress.
33 AnywayZ
34 This lady was really smiling and supportive. I might have been a bit overzealous, but I wanted to share what we were doing, and what a fun unit it is. I pointed to the board, which had my substitute’s lesson plans written in much better handwriting than mine.
35 I said, “I had a substitute last week, so he wrote these lesson plans on the board. I left them up there so you could get an idea of what we are doing in here. This isn’t a show on your behalf, by the way; it’s just the way I work.”
36 I then instinctively pointed to my handwriting so she would know the difference. “Those standards on the board are my handwriting. Notice how they slant downward.”
37 I enjoyed the visit.
38 I then said something that was perhaps ageist. I said, “You know, a lot of our younger teachers are intimidated by WASC. I think it’s great. It causes us to use formative assessments, music, technology and Socratic Seminars. I think the entire concept of students teaching each other is awesome.”
39 She agreed, and I told her about my own. “I have this old skeleton key to open my Socratic Seminars. I play music from Ancient Mesopotatoes, and tell them that I need four quotes for them to open the doors of wisdom. I keep thinking of putting dry ice in a vase and having it steaming to the music. I also have a running joke each time they hit three quotes. I will say, ‘Okay, we have three quotes. One more quote and we have a gallon! Who’s got another quote?’ ” Her eyes twinkled.
40 A few of my students always get that joke. She did. So suddenly Jack Johnson’s Upside Down came around a second time; the students were all working, and I found myself enjoying everything around me.
41 After around ten minutes she slipped out with a smile. I looked at my students and we had this silent moment.
42 I then said, “Well, don’t you think I deserve a standing ovation?”
43 It broke the tension and the class broke into applause, and half the class began standing when the door opened. The lady from WASC broke into a yet another huge smile and said, “I’m an English teacher too!”
44 Laughter everywhere. Applause for WASC. Good vibes.
45 In the afternoon we met with the visiting team. It was a bit tense at first, but soon our younger teachers started to step up, proud of what they have brought to our school.
46 They not only fielded each question professionally, but somewhere in their tone came a maturing that was unfolding before my eyes. I saw that happen years ago at YB. They knew that they had grown and matured as teachers. I actually blew a question. They asked if we used data to measure our students’ progress, and I was the only English teacher in the room. I said, “Yes, we have both a district benchmark test and a Degrees of Reading power test, all of it put into Data Director.”
47 I was proud to hear that I could represent my department. She then said, “And what do you do with that data?” Well, we measure the progress of each student, and we use some of the data for placement. My mind went blank though. “I’m not really sure. I’m not really a data guy. I majored in English. We majored in pondering.” Laughter, but I really dropped the ball on that one. Fortunately, other departments chimed in on how our benchmarks work and all.
48 Amazing thing. The entire school delivering the goods. The enthusiasm and good vibes in the room were palpable.
49 The committee is going to be here for two more days, and I’m really excited to have them.
50 And I have already been visited, which takes a lot of the pressure off.
51 I’m proud of my school. I always saw the potential, but watching my staff’s eyes open to all the good things they do was rewarding. The younger teachers in particular stepped it up.
52 Awesome Monday, against all odds.
53 I gottago. It is deep into the four a.m. and I must needs get a little more sleep.
54 Thanks for listening; it was a wonderful day. Hope you enjoyed this inside look at education. I can’t say it enough: it was a wonderful day.
55 I hope you have a wonderful day too.
56 See you again.
57 Peace.
~H~
www.xanga.com/bharrington
The Daily News1 Is it fitting that I awakened into the three a.m., clicked on the teevee, and Julius Caesar flickered before my weary eyes?2 We’re talking THE Julius Caesar, the one with James Mason as Brutus, John Gielgud as Cassius, and Marlon Brando as Marc Antony. It also starred Louis Calhern as Caesar, Greer Garson as Calpurnia, Edmund O’ Brien as Casca, and Deborah Kerr as Portia.3 Sometimes life throws these coincidences at us. Yesterday we had a visit by the WPC, my euphemism for White People with Clipboards.4 It is much more serious than that, of course, but I think even they would chuckle.5 In any business, accountability is always stressful. Our entire school has been on edge all year about this visit that seems to be an annual event.6 With a school of our stature, we should be getting a six-year accreditation.7 The visit was scheduled on the Monday following our version of FANTASTICS, which is called Battle of the Classes. That happened last week, and THEN we had a Sunday night St. Paddy’s Day.8 One would have to say that the odds were clearly stacked against us.9 I was a wreck, but I also knew that I had to be a soldier. Last week I had my students doing skits that they had written. We were getting WAY into the Shakespeare.10 I had them write skits a few weeks ago, practice them, and just last week I gave a list of 36 essential Shakespearean terms, and told them that they needed to convert their scripts into Shakespearean language, a little thing I invented around four or five years ago, and which is always awesome.11 A few years ago, I was delighted when a multi-cultural group did their skit. Four students knelt down and looked straight out at the audience.12 The first student to speak said this: ” ‘Tis cold!” The second student said, “That is because we art ice cream.” They went on to talk about how they were all different flavors, but that they were all experiencing the same world.13 That skit knocked me out. I originally didn’t want skits being worked on during the visit by what is really called the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), who visit schools to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.14 Last Wednesday I had some personal business that caused me to be sick.15 Yeah.16 This changed all the lesson plans, and made it so that I HAD to have the students working on skits this week. I decided to let the students practice yesterday and do the skits today.17 At the beginning of my first period, a student gave me a handshake on entering the room. He said, “Thank you, Mr. Harrington.” I said, “For what?” He said, “Everything!” That started my morning, and several other students shook my hand as they came in. It was a telling moment in my long career. It set the tone for the entire day. WASC was on campus, and could visit my room at any second.18 That class began working really well, but later in the period got off task. I was a nervous wreck. They started chatting about everything except their skits, which I quite expected. I’ve done this for a while, and know that an entire period cannot be dedicated to practicing skits. I usually have around three different things for them to do in the hour classes. Three works nicely. Yesterday I had just two: one was to explain who WASC was, and two was to practice their skits.19 Everything went swell until the last fifteen minutes.20 I circulated around the room, which is a terrific way to get people LOOKING like they are on task. Proximity can be pretty intimidating, but they were all a bit out of it, so it became the longest fifteen minutes of my career, I swear to you.21 Still, I had trouble getting upset with them. They came in with so much support, but I think they got a bit bored by the end. I expected it, but was still sweating bullets.22 My second class of the day is what I call my Disney class. They are this absolutely charming group, spirited, and all things Disney. They are the quintessential ears-and-braces class. They just click. I did the same lesson with them, and they were much more awake and spirited than my first class.23 I knew that they would run out of gas as the period progressed, because it really wasn’t one of my better plans. I popped on the Curious George soundtrack by Jack Johnson. That is the theme album of my classroom. His Upside Down triggers the group work every time I play it. It pumps them up, but it also slows down when the slower songs hit. My students are used to working in groups while I throw some background music out there. It keeps everything free and breezy. But it won’t last for an entire hour.24 With fifteen minutes left, they too got a bit off task. One guy had conked out, and he was one of my better students. Really good students often do that because they are up ’til all hours studying. I was nervous, but I could see that if the door opened, these guys could awaken and practice in an instant.25 That’s exactly what happened.26 The door opened, and this lady from the visiting team slipped in quietly. I think they were told to do that. I immediately walked across the room to greet her so that the students could visually see that a team member was in the class. Good instincts, if I may say.27 Interestingly, I wasn’t the least bit intimidated. She had a huge smile on her face the second she came in. She said, “I LOVE your masks on the wall! Are they working on Romeo and Juliet?” I instantly got excited about all we have been working on.28 “These are sophomores. They’re doing Much Ado. I decided not to do Caesar this year, although I’m going to do a mini-unit on Caesar. Needless to say, they LOVE Much Ado!” She immediately got it.29 For the layperson out there, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is arguably his most frivolous play, and it is a lark.30 As for Caesar, I gave a mini-mini unit on Friday, which was the Ides of March. Again for the layperson, the Ides of March is simply March 15, the day Caesar was assassinated. I fully intend in my mini-unit to bring back the assassination of JFK and show my students the parallels. We studied the assassination in November.31 But I digress.32 I always digress.33 AnywayZ34 This lady was really smiling and supportive. I might have been a bit overzealous, but I wanted to share what we were doing, and what a fun unit it is. I pointed to the board, which had my substitute’s lesson plans written in much better handwriting than mine.35 I said, “I had a substitute last week, so he wrote these lesson plans on the board. I left them up there so you could get an idea of what we are doing in here. This isn’t a show on your behalf, by the way; it’s just the way I work.”36 I then instinctively pointed to my handwriting so she would know the difference. “Those standards on the board are my handwriting. Notice how they slant downward.”37 I enjoyed the visit.38 I then said something that was perhaps ageist. I said, “You know, a lot of our younger teachers are intimidated by WASC. I think it’s great. It causes us to use formative assessments, music, technology and Socratic Seminars. I think the entire concept of students teaching each other is awesome.”39 She agreed, and I told her about my own. “I have this old skeleton key to open my Socratic Seminars. I play music from Ancient Mesopotatoes, and tell them that I need four quotes for them to open the doors of wisdom. I keep thinking of putting dry ice in a vase and having it steaming to the music. I also have a running joke each time they hit three quotes. I will say, ‘Okay, we have three quotes. One more quote and we have a gallon! Who’s got another quote?’ ” Her eyes twinkled.40 A few of my students always get that joke. She did. So suddenly Jack Johnson’s Upside Down came around a second time; the students were all working, and I found myself enjoying everything around me.41 After around ten minutes she slipped out with a smile. I looked at my students and we had this silent moment.42 I then said, “Well, don’t you think I deserve a standing ovation?”43 It broke the tension and the class broke into applause, and half the class began standing when the door opened. The lady from WASC broke into a yet another huge smile and said, “I’m an English teacher too!”44 Laughter everywhere. Applause for WASC. Good vibes.45 In the afternoon we met with the visiting team. It was a bit tense at first, but soon our younger teachers started to step up, proud of what they have brought to our school.46 They not only fielded each question professionally, but somewhere in their tone came a maturing that was unfolding before my eyes. I saw that happen years ago at YB. They knew that they had grown and matured as teachers. I actually blew a question. They asked if we used data to measure our students’ progress, and I was the only English teacher in the room. I said, “Yes, we have both a district benchmark test and a Degrees of Reading power test, all of it put into Data Director.”47 I was proud to hear that I could represent my department. She then said, “And what do you do with that data?” Well, we measure the progress of each student, and we use some of the data for placement. My mind went blank though. “I’m not really sure. I’m not really a data guy. I majored in English. We majored in pondering.” Laughter, but I really dropped the ball on that one. Fortunately, other departments chimed in on how our benchmarks work and all.48 Amazing thing. The entire school delivering the goods. The enthusiasm and good vibes in the room were palpable.49 The committee is going to be here for two more days, and I’m really excited to have them.50 And I have already been visited, which takes a lot of the pressure off.51 I’m proud of my school. I always saw the potential, but watching my staff’s eyes open to all the good things they do was rewarding. The younger teachers in particular stepped it up.52 Awesome Monday, against all odds.53 I gottago. It is deep into the four a.m. and I must needs get a little more sleep.54 Thanks for listening; it was a wonderful day. Hope you enjoyed this inside look at education. I can’t say it enough: it was a wonderful day.55 I hope you have a wonderful day too.56 See you again.57 Peace.~H~www.xanga.com/bharrington
