Our last math story

You know all about Numeria, and all the friends we’ve met there: Adam Add, Minnie Minus, Marcus Multiply, and Donovan Divide…and Pipkin, and our two Kings.

Well, the castle where the two kings live is enormous.  There are endless rooms to discover, and one day while the two kings were having fun opening doors and finding new places in the castle to play they came upon a room that had one gigantic throne in it.

The throne was covered with the most beautiful carvings, and jewels, and carved upon it were the words: Behold, the Emperor of Numeria!

The Kings looked at each other and thought, “Emperor?  I thought we were the highest officials of Numeria.”  So, they asked their good friend Adam Add who said, “There is an ancient tale that tells us that there is someone who has more control of Numeria than the kings...someone who uses our land like a tool, and controls every adventure, and every creature living in it.”

“Well,” said the kings “we must find this Emperor and bring them to this throne.

They searched high and low all over Numeria.  Can you recall some places and creatures we’ve visited along the way?  (the children then name and recall the adventures and concepts learned this year, and as it turns out, none of the characters they name have any information about the Emperor.  The last character named is the one that knows the secret)

(the final character reveals this) The secret is this: “Oh, yes.  There is an Emperor, and Empress of Numeria.  They have been with us this whole time.  They have watched us when the two friends entered each numbered gate leading to Numeria, and when those two friends became kings they celebrated.  They watched us as Adam Add put things together, and when Minnie Minus started losing things out of the rip in her bag.  They saw everything as the alligator’s enormous appetite allowed him to gobble up all the things in our land that were greater, and saw Pipkin bundle up things endlessly in groups of ten and make new groups of ten.  They watched it all, and are here with us right now.”

The kings looked alarmed.  “What do you mean they are here right now?  Where?”  

“They are sitting and looking at us right there” he said while pointing “…right outside this chalkboard...  It is they who have control of all of Numeria, and can use all the creatures and characters in it like a tool.”

It took a second for them to get it, but I pointed my finger at them and said, “There they are, the Emperors and Empresses of Numeria”….and this is where the kid’s minds were blown, they exclaimed, “No way!”, they applauded, they cheered, and we had to calm down.  

Then I said, “I’m a teacher who teaches through story.  All of the characters that have helped us this year you may not see next year, so I want you to remember them fondly, and keep their adventures close to your heart as you move on to second grade.”  

So, this was our last math story…clearly some of the ideas may or may not have been lifted from the Never Ending Story, but that’s what you come up with when your brain is preoccupied with report cards, and end of year stuff.  

Involvement

 I’ve decided that I love being on committees.  Don’t roll your eyes!  Oh, I know…most teachers will say that it’s a lot of work and time, and you’re often not paid for your dedication…but secretly, whenever I hear that someone who I work with is on some new committee that’s making some important decisions I get interested…and a tiny bit jealous.  No, I’m not a kiss-up, or a control freak.  I want to be involved, and have a say in the decisions made for the children at my school.  Having a leadership role through committees means that I can give my perspective on something that will impact all of us…and there are honestly tons of places in our country that don’t take into account the teacher’s perspective when decisions are made. 

Involvement is power…power to make a difference.  That being said, I’m not on any committees this summer, and wish I were.  I don’t like that certain people get asked to be a part of them, and others aren’t.  A true committee that represents the voice of the district should be voluntary and offered to all.  There should be no exclusive or private invitations, and everyone should know what the committees are about, how their decisions might impact our work environment, and when they are meeting.

And yes, most leadership opportunities that I’ve been involved with I’ve had to ask to be a part of.  …in some cases, I’ve had to ask multiple times to actually get on it.  And of course there’s a part of me that reacts well to this.  When I feel that someone doesn’t really want me there, it only makes me more determined to be there.  

We all offer unique perspectives from our experiences in education, and they should all be represented when decisions are made.  And for the people who never get asked to participate: if you have something to say, then stand up and say it.  Ask to be involved.  

    

Disclaimer: this post is not an endorsement to volunteer myself for any or all committees offered…but I still would like the choice to be involved.          

The Core of it all...

Good learning is in depth, integrated, is explored from all angles over a long period of time, inspires divergent and creative thought, and requires the student to explain their thinking. 

Unfortunately, the Common Core Standards can’t ever be this. 

We’ve been told they are…but honestly, you can’t have all of this…this atmosphere of quality thought in the classroom if you don’t let go of the methods used previously to test and dispense rapid fire unrelated skills into children.  

Hence, the panic and outrage in some states over the Common Core Standardized test, the testing boycotts, the schools that failed, the children who threw up during the exam, and the entire room of educators that I sat with this week in my district who spent forty-five minutes confused and frustrated over how to just read the standards. 

There’s simply no room for the ideal classroom atmosphere to flourish if it’s being pushed under a microscope. 

There is no person that’s ever felt inspired, and thoughtful…while under intense pressure, and critical observation…often based on many things out of their control. 

You cannot make a list of standards that represent the potential for infinite questions, paths of inspiration, and student interest.  Good teaching and learning aren’t prescriptive in nature.  They are based on the individual teacher and student experience. 

   

And you cannot expect teachers to magically provide this open ended learning environment if it’s not really open ended…and after many years of being told that they must read a script, stick to the prepackaged curriculum, and not trust their own professional judgment.     

  

It’s very nice that our country finally aspires to create thinkers, and innovators through education…but the tight grasp on “accountability” (which really means: mistrust) needs to be relaxed to allow this vision to be fully realized…otherwise, it’s like planting seeds, only to choke the water and block the sun…there must be room and nourishment for the seeds to grow, or it’s all just a futile task.