Hello everyone,
Yesterday's email generated a response that I would like to consider publicly. The email is in normal case; my comments are in CAPS:
I was wondering what thoughts you had on preparing [students] for college.
THE BODY OF THE EMAIL DEALS WITH THIS, BUT I WANT TO COMMENT ON IT SEPARATELY.
WHEN I FIRST BEGAN TEACHING, A COLLEAGUE SAID TO ME, ONE DAY, SOTO VOCE, "OF COURSE YOU KNOW THAT MOST OF THESE KIDS WON'T GO TO COLLEGE. THEY JUST AREN'T COLLEGE MATERIAL!" WHEN I PROTESTED, THE TEACHER SAID SOMETHING LIKE, "GET REAL. WHEN YOU'VE BEEN TEACHING LONG ENOUGH, YOU'LL SEE."
ALL RIGHT. I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR ALMOST 23 YEARS. I OBSERVE THAT THE LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC POTENTIAL AMONG THE STUDENTS OF EAST LA IS EXACTLY EQUIVALENT TO THE LEVELS OF INTELLIGENCE AND ACADEMIC POTENTIAL AMONG STUDENTS FROM IDAHO (WHERE I'M FROM), FROM UTAH (WHERE I DID MY UNDERGRADUATE WORK), FROM CANADA (WHERE I LIVED FOR TWO YEARS), FROM TEMPLE CITY (WHERE I LIVE NOW).
I KNOW THE STATISTICS OF DROP OUT RATES AND COLLEGE SUCCESS, AND I THINK THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH INTELLIGENCE AND POTENTIAL.
I THINK THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FORCES AT WORK IN OUR STUDENTS' LIVES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE HIGH DROP-OUT RATE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE, THE LOWER RATES OF COLLEGE ATTENDANCE, AND THE HIGH RATES OF THE NEED FOR REMEDIATION IN COLLEGE. WE HAVE CONTROL OVER A SMALL AMOUNT OF THOSE FORCES, AND THE REST ARE OUT OF OUR ABILITY.
GIVEN ALL THAT, I START EVERY YEAR BY ANNOUNCING TO STUDENTS WHO DON'T KNOW ME THAT I'M WORKING FROM THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WILL ALL BE GOING TO COLLEGE. SOME OBJECT; WE HAVE A DISCUSSION; THEN WE ALL GO ON FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY ARE GOING TO COLLEGE--OR AT LEAST THAT I WILL NOT TAKE THAT CHOICE AWAY FROM THEM BY GIVING THEM AN EDUCATION THAT WON'T PREPARE THEM FOR IT.
While you want to make their learning experience enlightening and informative, there is also some rigor involved.
THERE IS MORE RIGOR INVOLVED THAN WE LIKE TO ADMIT, I THINK. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFICULTIES THAT ARISE WHEN WE CONFRONT THAT RIGOR. WE MUST MOTIVATE THE STUDENTS TO RISE TO IT WITHOUT DISCOURAGING THEM (A DIFFICULT PROPOSITION THAT I HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO MASTER); THEY MUST HAVE A REALISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT COLLEGE REQUIRES WITHOUT BEING FRIGHTENED OF IT; THEY MUST HAVE A REALISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THEY ARE WITHOUT BEING DISCOURAGED. IT'S TRUE WE HAVE TO HOLD THEIR HANDS, BUT I THINK WE SOMETIMES HOLD THEIR HANDS IN EASY TERRAIN, THEN FORSAKE THEM IN THE TOUGH PLACES, WHEN IT SHOULD BE THE OPPOSITE.
It concerns me when I see so many students who are not prepared for college and are unable to do simple tasks. While I want to attend to them, I also want to make sure students who will be attending college have the ability to write a five page essay and know how to cite properly.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY IS TO TEACH TO THE MOTIVATED ONES AND DEVISE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE THE OTHERS TO GET ON THE TRAIN. MANY OF THEM WILL WHEN THEY SEE THAT THE CLASS IS HEADED SOMEWHERE.
A FIVE PAGE ESSAY WITH CITATIONS IS NOT A COLLEGE STANDARD, AND THEY OUGHT TO KNOW THAT. IT'S AN INTRODUCTORY STANDARD THAT WILL PREPARE THEM FOR THE TEN PAGE ESSAY THAT IS MORE STANDARD IN COLLEGE. IT NEED NOT BE FRIGHTENING, THOUGH, IF YOU TEACH THEM TO BREAK THEIR FIVE PAGE ESSAY INTO BITE-SIZED CHUNKS AND WORK ON IT A PIECE AT A TIME. AS WITH ALL THE GOALS AND STANDARDS THAT THEY NEED, YOU TELL THEM THE END, THEN WORK THEM THROUGH A SERIES OF MANAGEABLE SHORT-TERM GOALS UNTIL THE END IS IN SIGHT.
IF YOU ARE NOT AN ENGLISH TEACHER, YOU MIGHT WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ENGLISH TEACHERS IN YOUR SLC ON TEACHING THE ESSAY. YOU MIGHT DECIDE THAT YOU TEACH CONTENT, AND THEY TEACH FORM, FOR EXAMPLE. (AS AN ENGLISH TEACHER, I WANTED MY STUDENTS TO LEARN HOW TO DO THE LONG ESSAY, SO I WAS VERY LIBERAL ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD WRITE ABOUT. I SELDOM NARROWED THEIR POSSIBILITIES UNTIL LATE IN THEIR SENIOR YEARS, AND ONLY IF THEY WERE AP STUDENTS.)
I have made an effort in my classes this semester to be more rigorous and disciplined. (They will be reading [a non-fiction text] and writing a five page essay, complete with citations and a bibliography.
IF THE NON-FICTION TEXT IS ONLY A JUMPING OFF POINT, IT WILL BE EASIER FOR FIRST-TIME WRITERS. IF YOU ARE REQUIRING THEM TO ANALYZE THE TEXT AND WRITE A FIVE-PAGE TEXT ANALYSIS, YOU MIGHT FRIGHTEN THEM.
IF THE TEXT ANALYSIS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU, YOU MIGHT OFFER EXTRA CREDIT TO ANYONE WITH THE GUTS TO DO IT, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT YOUR GOAL IS TO INTRODUCE THEM TO THE STANDARD COLLEGE IDEA OF WRITING A CITED PAPER, NOT NECESSARILY ANALYZING THAT SPECIFIC TEXT.
YOU CAN KEEP THE SUBJECT NARROWER, IF YOU WANT, BY REQUIRING THEM TO WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING CONNECTED TO THE TEXT IN SOME WAY, BUT IT WON'T TAKE MUCH DISCUSSION FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT THEY STILL HAVE WIDE LATITUDE. I TAUGHT "I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS," AND STUDENTS COULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT ANYTHING FROM TUPAC SHAKUR TO THE HISTORY OF RURAL ARKANSAS.
Because of this I have had a bit of an exodus to other classes.
IT'S HAPPENED TO ME, TOO. IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN UNTIL THE ENTIRE SCHOOL GETS A VISION OF WHAT THE KIDS NEED TO GET INTO COLLEGE, AND STICKS TO IT.
While I try not to take it personally I do a bit, but I do feel what I am doing now is academic and how it should be. It may not be entertaining for them all of the time and I am OK with that now. What are your thoughts on this?
RIGOR IS NOT THE AMOUNT OF WORK. NOR IS RIGOR NECESSARILY BORING. AT THE SAME TIME, WE MUSTN'T LET TEENAGERS DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF WORK WE'LL GIVE THEM. AND WE MUSTN'T BE AFRAID OF THAT TEENAGE BOGIE MAN, "BOREDOM." IT TAKES TIME, BUT WE CAN TEACH THEM TO BE INTERESTED IN DIFFICULT, ABSTRACT CONCEPTS EXTRACTED FROM COMPLEX TEXTS. MAYBE BY SECOND SEMESTER OF THEIR SENIOR YEARS, BUT WE CAN DO IT.
JEFF COMBE
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
College vs, secondary teaching
Hello everyone,
For most of us the transition from high school to college or university is a revelation. It is one of the most profound experiences of our lives.
Certainly, it is usually coupled with a new-found freedom that is--in and of itself--intoxicating, but the transition most often comes accompanied by the shattering realization that we didn't really know as much as we thought, and that the universe is much broader than our narrow teenage lives have been.
I think that it is partly because of the epiphanic events that surround college that we tend to think of our college professors and their style of teaching to be somehow superior to the teachers of our our childhoods.
Personally, I think the reverse is more often true.
I had terrific teachers throughout my education, from elementary school to graduate school. I have come to realize, however, that the tendency of professors--especially in the great research universities--is to lecture in class and teach only in private conferences or joint research projects.
Teachers in primary and secondary education learn early that that model is not usually effective in teaching children and adolescents.
Why then are our educational experiences so meaningful in college? The answer is obvious: We're ready for them. Our brains have developed more fully (they're finished at about the age of 25; our ability to grasp abstractions really begins to solidify in high school). We know that success in college usually means financial success in life. We are eager for the skills and knowledge necessary for that financial success. And I think we're impressed by the difficulty of the coursework--impressed and motivated.
The developmental stages we are going through in middle and high school require a different approach, however.
You might see where this is going.
As fresh, new teachers, we burst out of college eager to give our students the same life-changing experience we just went through, and we want to give it to them in the way we received it, and so we lecture them.
That, my friends, is not teaching. It works in college, sometimes, but it is not teaching.
Teaching is a give and take with the students; it is guiding them toward discovery; it is motivating them when they are not motivated and giving them what they don't want to receive; it is making the difficult easy (college, you may remember, is more of making the easy difficult); it is making do with what you have, which is much less than they have in the university; it is prestige deferred, and work often unrecognized (the best teaching happens, often, when the pupil thinks that he or she has discovered something alone, with little consciousness of having been led to it).
Teaching is not, and has never been, not even in the days of Socrates or Buddha or Jesus--it is not giving speeches. It is not lecturing. Lecturing is preaching. Lecturing is reading aloud. Lecturing is introducing material, not mastering it.
By all means, honor your college professors. Just be careful about how much of their teaching style you ought to emulate.
How much is really teaching?
Jeff Combe
Ethics and standardized tests
Hello everyone,
Another ethical issue will be coming into focus this week as C-track takes the CSTs.
I know teachers that are morally opposed to standardized tests. They honestly believe that the tests prescribed by the State of California are evil, are evil intended, and ought to be opposed.
I have thought about this for a long time, and I have even attempted to approach it several times in writing.
I have decided that my best course is speak as directly as possible.
When it comes right down to it, the State has every right to prescribe tests, and we have no right to undermine, oppose, or cheat on those tests. Not, at least, while we are public employees.
I cannot speak for the intention of all the legislators who support standardized testing; I cannot personally endorse the wisdom of how all the tests are set up; I have frequently objected to the silly sorts of preparations for taking state tests that focus more on test-taking skills than on teaching content.
But at my most rebellious, I have still recognized the State's right to require those tests, and I have always honestly administered them. I have aligned my curriculum to the standards on the tests, and I have--when they were available to me--used test results to guide my teaching. I have often taken it as a great compliment when my students have said that they felt a test was easy, and I have felt very concerned when my students told me there were things on the test they had never heard of.
I have had mixed results over the years, and the last few years of my teaching, I didn't have students in academic classes that took tests. My AP classes were all seniors, and my elective classes were wildly mixed in their test scores.
That means that I don't have much but some half-baked personal theories about what will raise test scores.
But I still believe that it is good to raise test scores. While I object to trying to raise them by superficial means ("teach the kids to mark the letter 'B' when in doubt, because statistically, 'B' recurs more often" we were taught some years ago in a particularly objectionable attempt at raising test scores), I also object to ignoring them or trying to avoid my share of the responsibility for them.
I may argue and give strong opinions about how curriculum and practice can and should affect the CSTs. I believe, for example, that research supports music's role in increasing math and verbal ability; I believe that learning a foreign language improves English ability; and I acknowledge that a wide variety of reading and writing strategies need to be accessed. I may be annoyed by the amount of my class time that was taken up with giving somebody else's test (who isn't?). I wish we could spend more time teaching to the test, and less time selling the test to students. And I wonder if there are ways in which the inherent motivational factors of the CAHSEE can't be transferred some way to the CSTs.
I may exercise whatever power and influence I have in the community outside my classroom to effect improvements on standardized testing in California.
But in my classroom, I have legal obligations to the CSTs that I will fulfill: I will ensure that they are administered properly, and I will ensure that my students are prepared and motivated to take them.
Most of you are ensuring the same thing. I wish you and your students the best of luck on this high stakes motivational game. May they all be "proficient" at least.
Jeff Combe
Below is Article 25 of the UTLA contract on "Academic Freedom and Responsibility." I only include the first section. It covers much of what I have written about the last week or so.
ARTICLE XXV
ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
1.0 Lesson Content: In the investigation, presentation and interpretation of facts and ideas within the prescribed course of study, teachers shall be free to examine, present and responsibly discuss various points of view in an atmosphere of open inquiry, provided that the instruction, material, or discussion:
a. is appropriate to the age and maturity level of the students;
b. is related to and consistent with the prescribed curriculum, course of study, and textbook/materials for the class in question; and
c. is a fair and balanced academic presentation of various points of view consistent with accepted standards of professional responsibility, rather than advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Ehtical dilemmas: religion
Hello everyone,
A few days ago, in an email about ethics in the classroom, I included a list of possible scenarios that might raise ethical dilemmas for teachers. Some of the scenarios were religious, and I think it's appropriate to consider the difficulties that teachers face with religion in the classroom, especially in light of today's observance of Good Friday.
There are federal guidelines for the treatment of religion in the classroom, and I would like to approach those in as practical a way as I may.
"Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles" was first sent to every public school superintendent in August of 1995 by then-Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley at the direction of President Clinton. The guidelines were updated and re-issued in May of 1998 and re-released without change in December of 1999. They remain in force today.You may access the full texts that I will be referencing at http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandscools/secletter.html (A letter of summary from Secretary Riley), and
http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandschools/index-archive.html (Archived information on religion in the public schools, including the full text of "Religious Expression in Public Schools").
I include the portions of two documents that deal directly with teacher and school responsibility after this email.
Broadly speaking, teachers may teach about religion, but they may not advocate for or against religion in general, or any religion in particular.
What should teachers do then, when a student asks the teacher personal questions about the teacher's religion or religious views? The simple answer is to teach about religion, but never ever encourage or discourage a student from the student's personal views.
Here are some examples.
A student asks a teacher, in anticipation of Good Friday, what church the teacher belongs to. The teacher may properly answer the question. If the teacher attends a synagogue, a mosque, or a temple, or if the teacher is unaffiliated, the teacher may properly give a factual explanation of the difference. It is critical that the student have the understanding that the teacher is giving information, not endorsing anything. If the students want thorough explanations of the teacher's religion, the teacher may simply say, "I don't think it's appropriate for me to go into details on my personal religious beliefs in this context. I'm willing to talk about them, but not in school."
A class asks, "Are you Christian or Catholic?" This is a common question. I liked to use it as a teaching opportunity when I was asked the question. "Catholics are Christian," I would declare, factually. I would demonstrate for my students how Roman Catholics fit the dictionary definition of Christian. I would say that the question might more accurately be expressed: "Are you Protestant or Catholic?" Such questions in English classes were often tied to a reading, and the factual answers fit the federal guidelines on teaching about religion in context of the subject. (The question about Christianity versus Catholicity was often brought up when I was trying to explain the Puritan concept of grace in a unit on Puritan literature.)
A class asks, "What does your religion teach about this?" A factual answer, if in the context of the lesson, is not inappropriate. A teacher could also easily say, "I'm sorry, that's irrelevant in this context."
A student in a class asks, "Is there really a god?" There is no way to answer this question without violating the prohibition against indoctrination. I have heard teachers say, "Oh, yes, definitely," and "Absolutely not--there is no god." Both are strictly inappropriate. I would usually answer the question by saying, "That question is best answered by your personal beliefs." On the other hand, it is impossible to teach Puritan literature, Shakespeare, transcendentalism, or the Bible as literature without delving a little into the authors' concept of god. If a student asks me point blank if I believe in God, I may answer factually, but I run the risk of making the student believe that we must share the same beliefs for the student to get a good grade. I was never able to answer that direct question without pointing out that many students who disagreed with me got A's, and many who agreed with me failed.
A boy asks, in front of the class, "Is it a sin to have sex with a girl you aren't married to?" Since this question was asked in the context of a literature selection, it wasn't a complete non-sequitur. I asked the boy to define "sin." After he did so, he was able to answer his own question.
I must say that I have heard outrageous things said about Muslims lately. I would remind teachers that, if they aren't qualified to say anything but evil about another's religion, they ought not say anything at all to their students. "I am not competent to speak about that" is an appropriate answer.
A day like Good Friday can be a difficult day for a teacher. It is layered with centuries of feelings both positive and negative, and for non-Christians it can be even a little frightening. Teachers must deal sensitively with all of those feelings, and it may be necessary to speak in defense of something the teacher doesn't believe. The teacher should take into account the wide variety of conflicting beliefs about Good Friday, and should help students have respect for all the beliefs that are not hurtful: Many Christians feel very deeply about the crucifixion of Jesus, and the day is one of profound spirituality for them; no Jews are responsible for the crucifixion, but the crucifixion has long been the historical excuse for even brutal persecution; many students' families do not observe Good Friday, but non-observance is not a bad thing; the cross is a devotional symbol for some, but a sign of offense for others.
We can certainly teach our students how to accept profound disagreements with sensitivity and compassion for those who are different.
Jeff Combe
HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE DOCUMENTS CITED:
Secretary Riley's letter:
At the same time, school officials may not endorse or favor religious activity or doctrine, coerce participation in religious activity, or seek to impose their religious beliefs on impressionable children. Public schools may teach about religion — for example, in classes on history, music, the arts, or comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture)-as-literature, the role of religion in history — but public schools may not provide religious instruction.
In protecting students from government-sponsored prayer, the First Amendment also shields students of all faiths from any effort by a majority faith to define how religion should be expressed in a public school. The right to engage in personal voluntary prayer or religious discussion free from discrimination does not include the right to have a captive audience listen, or to compel other students to participate. We are a nation of many religious faiths and we must be vigilant in protecting the right of all students to express their religious faith in their own way, in addition to expressing their freedom of conscience not to participate in religious activities.
"Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles"
Official neutrality regarding religious activity: Teachers and school administrators, when acting in those capacities, are representatives of the state and are prohibited by the establishment clause from soliciting or encouraging religious activity, and from participating in such activity with students. Teachers and administrators also are prohibited from discouraging activity because of its religious content, and from soliciting or encouraging antireligious activity.
Teaching about religion: Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture: the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture)-as-literature, and the role of religion in the history of the United States and other countries all are permissible public school subjects. Similarly, it is permissible to consider religious influences on art, music, literature, and social studies. Although public schools may teach about religious holidays, including their religious aspects, and may celebrate the secular aspects of holidays, schools may not observe holidays as religious events or promote such observance by students.
Student assignments: Students may express their beliefs about religion in the form of homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free of discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance, and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school.
Religious literature: Students have a right to distribute religious literature to their schoolmates on the same terms as they are permitted to distribute other literature that is unrelated to school curriculum or activities. Schools may impose the same reasonable time, place, and manner or other constitutional restrictions on distribution of religious literature as they do on nonschool literature generally, but they may not single out religious literature for special regulation.
Teaching values: Though schools must be neutral with respect to religion, they may play an active role with respect to teaching civic values and virtue, and the moral code that holds us together as a community. The fact that some of these values are held also by religions does not make it unlawful to teach them in school.
A few days ago, in an email about ethics in the classroom, I included a list of possible scenarios that might raise ethical dilemmas for teachers. Some of the scenarios were religious, and I think it's appropriate to consider the difficulties that teachers face with religion in the classroom, especially in light of today's observance of Good Friday.
There are federal guidelines for the treatment of religion in the classroom, and I would like to approach those in as practical a way as I may.
"Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles" was first sent to every public school superintendent in August of 1995 by then-Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley at the direction of President Clinton. The guidelines were updated and re-issued in May of 1998 and re-released without change in December of 1999. They remain in force today.You may access the full texts that I will be referencing at http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandscools/secletter.html (A letter of summary from Secretary Riley), and
http://www.ed.gov/inits/religionandschools/index-archive.html (Archived information on religion in the public schools, including the full text of "Religious Expression in Public Schools").
I include the portions of two documents that deal directly with teacher and school responsibility after this email.
Broadly speaking, teachers may teach about religion, but they may not advocate for or against religion in general, or any religion in particular.
What should teachers do then, when a student asks the teacher personal questions about the teacher's religion or religious views? The simple answer is to teach about religion, but never ever encourage or discourage a student from the student's personal views.
Here are some examples.
A student asks a teacher, in anticipation of Good Friday, what church the teacher belongs to. The teacher may properly answer the question. If the teacher attends a synagogue, a mosque, or a temple, or if the teacher is unaffiliated, the teacher may properly give a factual explanation of the difference. It is critical that the student have the understanding that the teacher is giving information, not endorsing anything. If the students want thorough explanations of the teacher's religion, the teacher may simply say, "I don't think it's appropriate for me to go into details on my personal religious beliefs in this context. I'm willing to talk about them, but not in school."
A class asks, "Are you Christian or Catholic?" This is a common question. I liked to use it as a teaching opportunity when I was asked the question. "Catholics are Christian," I would declare, factually. I would demonstrate for my students how Roman Catholics fit the dictionary definition of Christian. I would say that the question might more accurately be expressed: "Are you Protestant or Catholic?" Such questions in English classes were often tied to a reading, and the factual answers fit the federal guidelines on teaching about religion in context of the subject. (The question about Christianity versus Catholicity was often brought up when I was trying to explain the Puritan concept of grace in a unit on Puritan literature.)
A class asks, "What does your religion teach about this?" A factual answer, if in the context of the lesson, is not inappropriate. A teacher could also easily say, "I'm sorry, that's irrelevant in this context."
A student in a class asks, "Is there really a god?" There is no way to answer this question without violating the prohibition against indoctrination. I have heard teachers say, "Oh, yes, definitely," and "Absolutely not--there is no god." Both are strictly inappropriate. I would usually answer the question by saying, "That question is best answered by your personal beliefs." On the other hand, it is impossible to teach Puritan literature, Shakespeare, transcendentalism, or the Bible as literature without delving a little into the authors' concept of god. If a student asks me point blank if I believe in God, I may answer factually, but I run the risk of making the student believe that we must share the same beliefs for the student to get a good grade. I was never able to answer that direct question without pointing out that many students who disagreed with me got A's, and many who agreed with me failed.
A boy asks, in front of the class, "Is it a sin to have sex with a girl you aren't married to?" Since this question was asked in the context of a literature selection, it wasn't a complete non-sequitur. I asked the boy to define "sin." After he did so, he was able to answer his own question.
I must say that I have heard outrageous things said about Muslims lately. I would remind teachers that, if they aren't qualified to say anything but evil about another's religion, they ought not say anything at all to their students. "I am not competent to speak about that" is an appropriate answer.
A day like Good Friday can be a difficult day for a teacher. It is layered with centuries of feelings both positive and negative, and for non-Christians it can be even a little frightening. Teachers must deal sensitively with all of those feelings, and it may be necessary to speak in defense of something the teacher doesn't believe. The teacher should take into account the wide variety of conflicting beliefs about Good Friday, and should help students have respect for all the beliefs that are not hurtful: Many Christians feel very deeply about the crucifixion of Jesus, and the day is one of profound spirituality for them; no Jews are responsible for the crucifixion, but the crucifixion has long been the historical excuse for even brutal persecution; many students' families do not observe Good Friday, but non-observance is not a bad thing; the cross is a devotional symbol for some, but a sign of offense for others.
We can certainly teach our students how to accept profound disagreements with sensitivity and compassion for those who are different.
Jeff Combe
HERE ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE DOCUMENTS CITED:
Secretary Riley's letter:
At the same time, school officials may not endorse or favor religious activity or doctrine, coerce participation in religious activity, or seek to impose their religious beliefs on impressionable children. Public schools may teach about religion — for example, in classes on history, music, the arts, or comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture)-as-literature, the role of religion in history — but public schools may not provide religious instruction.
In protecting students from government-sponsored prayer, the First Amendment also shields students of all faiths from any effort by a majority faith to define how religion should be expressed in a public school. The right to engage in personal voluntary prayer or religious discussion free from discrimination does not include the right to have a captive audience listen, or to compel other students to participate. We are a nation of many religious faiths and we must be vigilant in protecting the right of all students to express their religious faith in their own way, in addition to expressing their freedom of conscience not to participate in religious activities.
"Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles"
Official neutrality regarding religious activity: Teachers and school administrators, when acting in those capacities, are representatives of the state and are prohibited by the establishment clause from soliciting or encouraging religious activity, and from participating in such activity with students. Teachers and administrators also are prohibited from discouraging activity because of its religious content, and from soliciting or encouraging antireligious activity.
Teaching about religion: Public schools may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture: the history of religion, comparative religion, the Bible (or other scripture)-as-literature, and the role of religion in the history of the United States and other countries all are permissible public school subjects. Similarly, it is permissible to consider religious influences on art, music, literature, and social studies. Although public schools may teach about religious holidays, including their religious aspects, and may celebrate the secular aspects of holidays, schools may not observe holidays as religious events or promote such observance by students.
Student assignments: Students may express their beliefs about religion in the form of homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free of discrimination based on the religious content of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance, and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns identified by the school.
Religious literature: Students have a right to distribute religious literature to their schoolmates on the same terms as they are permitted to distribute other literature that is unrelated to school curriculum or activities. Schools may impose the same reasonable time, place, and manner or other constitutional restrictions on distribution of religious literature as they do on nonschool literature generally, but they may not single out religious literature for special regulation.
Teaching values: Though schools must be neutral with respect to religion, they may play an active role with respect to teaching civic values and virtue, and the moral code that holds us together as a community. The fact that some of these values are held also by religions does not make it unlawful to teach them in school.
Ethical dilemmas: responses to emails
Hello everyone,
I have received several emails of concern about my sending as an addendum, without comment, an email from a teacher detailing the teacher's method of working with pregnant girls. It has been pointed out to me--and on reflection I agree--that there are "liability issues" in what the teacher said. (The addendum is reprinted below with my comments.)
I said in my main email yesterday that teachers are not qualified to give medical advice. I must reiterate that. If I could emphasize it in such a way that no one ever attempted it again, I would.
As teachers, we are NOT authorized to give medical advice to students. If a girl comes to you for advice on her pregnancy and you give it, you have overstepped the bounds of your licensure. It doesn't really matter if you think the nurse will not give adequate advice, or that the nurse lacks a close relationship with the student, you are not authorized to give such advice. (I am perfectly aware that there are former medical doctors among us, and they may be qualified; however, if their license to practice medicine is still valid, they must still have authorization from the state and the school district to practice medicine in a school context, which is unlikely to happen given the risk of malpractice to the district. There is no question whatsoever about the rest of us. We may not give medical advice.)
If you are working with a student who needs competent medical advice, you should urge the student to get it from a qualified medical practitioner, including the school nurse. You should not give it yourself.
The same applies to legal advice. Teachers may teach about biology or law, but teachers are not authorized to give advice on how to medicate or how to act in a legal situation. The best advice in medicine and law is "see your doctor" or "see your attorney." There is nothing wrong with saying, "I am not competent to advise in this."
Let me use a metaphor, if I may. Every decision that a girl makes, after she finds that she is pregnant, is like trying to cure a tumor with a knife. You may cut the tumor out, but you have to CUT. There is always a cut, and the cut always hurts. Sometimes the cut gets infected. If the girl keeps the baby, marries the father, doesn't marry the father, aborts, doesn't abort, or puts the baby up for adoption, there is always a hurt. You cannot advise anything without giving a hurt, and as soon as you advise, you give a hurt for which you are always liable. If you try to give advice without all the details, you leave the girl unable to make a personal decision as to what hurt she wants, and how much of the hurt she is willing to accept. Leave it to the experts.
Keep in mind especially that sexual discourse is subject to all sorts of regulations and qualifications in the schools. Giving medical or legal advice in sexual issues is like playing with land mines. You might survive, but you're not smart to try it. Best to give it to the bomb crew.
Jeff Combe
I include some overdue comments in CAPS with the reprint of the "addendum" below.
From: Combe, Jeffery
Sent: Wed 3/19/2008 3:14 PM
Subject: Daily email: Ethical dilemmas, part 2--addendum
Hello everyone,
I got this comment from a teacher after I sent the previous email, and I wanted to forward it for your consideration.
I have a comment about what we say when a girl reveals that she is pregnant. I usually start by asking her how she feels about this and how her partner feels about this.
THIS MAY SEEM LIKE CASUAL CONVERSATION, BUT YOU OUGHT TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THAT COMES IF THE GIRL REPORTS THAT SHE TALKED WITH HER TEACHER ABOUT HER PREGNANCY. JUST IMAGINE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SHE REPORTED INACCURATELY THAT YOU HAD HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HER ABOUT THE SEX SHE AND HER BOYFRIEND HAD AND HOW SHE FELT ABOUT IT.
I also ask if she's spoken to her parents.
A GOOD IDEA. IF SHE HASN'T, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD RECOMMEND FOR HER TO DO IT.
I then ask if she knows what options she has and if not, I lay them out for her (keeping the child, adoption, morning after pill, abortion, etc.)
THIS IS BEYOND YOUR AUTHORITY. YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE HERE AND COULD GET YOURSELF INTO BIG PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THIS. YOU SHOULD RECUSE YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY AT THIS POINT.
and where she might go to investigate these resources.
ACCEPTABLE IF YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE SOURCE SHE COULD GO THROUGH. IT'S BEST TO SEND HER TO THE AUTHORIZED SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON CAMPUS WHO KNOWS THE ACCEPTABLE AGENCIES THE SCHOOL HAS THE RIGHT TO REFER TO (THE NURSE) OR SIMPLY RECOMMEND THAT SHE SEE HER DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR EARLY CARE AS LONG AS YOU AREN'T ADVISING WHAT THE CARE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE.
I try VERY hard to keep my own feelings out of these exchanges,
I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR FEELINGS ARE AS DANGEROUS AS YOUR ADVICE. AS A TEACHER, I AM CAPABLE OF SAYING SOMETHING LIKE, "I AM SORRY YOU HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF IN SUCH A DIFFICULTY. MAYBE WE NEED TO WORK SOMETHING OUT SO THAT YOU CAN FINISH YOUR CLASSWORK BEFORE THE BABY IS DUE." IN FACT, IT IS DESIRABLE FOR YOU TO WORK OUT WAYS FOR HER TO ACCOMPLISH HER EDUCATION, IF POSSIBLE, DESPITE THE MEDICAL DIFFICULTIES SHE WILL FACE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH FEELING BAD THAT HER SITUATION IS SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO WITHHOLD YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT AN ABORTION IS APPROPRIATE, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. THOSE ARE THE SORTS OF FEELINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSCIOUSLY SUPPRESS IF YOU CAN.
but I also know that often we have more of a relationship with these girls then the school nurse and that they may not be aware of all of their choices.
THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP IS NOT A LEGAL QUALIFICATION TO GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE, HOWEVER, AND I SHOULD HAVE MADE THIS MORE EXPLICIT YESTERDAY. BY ALL MEANS, USE THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AS A WAY OF HELPING THE GIRL HAVE AS MUCH ACADEMIC SUCCESS AS POSSIBLE GIVEN HER PROBLEMS, OR AS A WAY OF URGING HER TO GET IMMEDIATE PRENATAL CARE, OR TO TALK TO HER PARENTS, BUT DON'T PRESUME TO BE THE ONE TO GIVE HER MEDICAL OPTIONS.
Jeff Combe
I have received several emails of concern about my sending as an addendum, without comment, an email from a teacher detailing the teacher's method of working with pregnant girls. It has been pointed out to me--and on reflection I agree--that there are "liability issues" in what the teacher said. (The addendum is reprinted below with my comments.)
I said in my main email yesterday that teachers are not qualified to give medical advice. I must reiterate that. If I could emphasize it in such a way that no one ever attempted it again, I would.
As teachers, we are NOT authorized to give medical advice to students. If a girl comes to you for advice on her pregnancy and you give it, you have overstepped the bounds of your licensure. It doesn't really matter if you think the nurse will not give adequate advice, or that the nurse lacks a close relationship with the student, you are not authorized to give such advice. (I am perfectly aware that there are former medical doctors among us, and they may be qualified; however, if their license to practice medicine is still valid, they must still have authorization from the state and the school district to practice medicine in a school context, which is unlikely to happen given the risk of malpractice to the district. There is no question whatsoever about the rest of us. We may not give medical advice.)
If you are working with a student who needs competent medical advice, you should urge the student to get it from a qualified medical practitioner, including the school nurse. You should not give it yourself.
The same applies to legal advice. Teachers may teach about biology or law, but teachers are not authorized to give advice on how to medicate or how to act in a legal situation. The best advice in medicine and law is "see your doctor" or "see your attorney." There is nothing wrong with saying, "I am not competent to advise in this."
Let me use a metaphor, if I may. Every decision that a girl makes, after she finds that she is pregnant, is like trying to cure a tumor with a knife. You may cut the tumor out, but you have to CUT. There is always a cut, and the cut always hurts. Sometimes the cut gets infected. If the girl keeps the baby, marries the father, doesn't marry the father, aborts, doesn't abort, or puts the baby up for adoption, there is always a hurt. You cannot advise anything without giving a hurt, and as soon as you advise, you give a hurt for which you are always liable. If you try to give advice without all the details, you leave the girl unable to make a personal decision as to what hurt she wants, and how much of the hurt she is willing to accept. Leave it to the experts.
Keep in mind especially that sexual discourse is subject to all sorts of regulations and qualifications in the schools. Giving medical or legal advice in sexual issues is like playing with land mines. You might survive, but you're not smart to try it. Best to give it to the bomb crew.
Jeff Combe
I include some overdue comments in CAPS with the reprint of the "addendum" below.
From: Combe, Jeffery
Sent: Wed 3/19/2008 3:14 PM
Subject: Daily email: Ethical dilemmas, part 2--addendum
Hello everyone,
I got this comment from a teacher after I sent the previous email, and I wanted to forward it for your consideration.
I have a comment about what we say when a girl reveals that she is pregnant. I usually start by asking her how she feels about this and how her partner feels about this.
THIS MAY SEEM LIKE CASUAL CONVERSATION, BUT YOU OUGHT TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER THAT COMES IF THE GIRL REPORTS THAT SHE TALKED WITH HER TEACHER ABOUT HER PREGNANCY. JUST IMAGINE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SHE REPORTED INACCURATELY THAT YOU HAD HAD A DISCUSSION WITH HER ABOUT THE SEX SHE AND HER BOYFRIEND HAD AND HOW SHE FELT ABOUT IT.
I also ask if she's spoken to her parents.
A GOOD IDEA. IF SHE HASN'T, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD RECOMMEND FOR HER TO DO IT.
I then ask if she knows what options she has and if not, I lay them out for her (keeping the child, adoption, morning after pill, abortion, etc.)
THIS IS BEYOND YOUR AUTHORITY. YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE HERE AND COULD GET YOURSELF INTO BIG PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THIS. YOU SHOULD RECUSE YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY AT THIS POINT.
and where she might go to investigate these resources.
ACCEPTABLE IF YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT YOU KNOW EVERY SINGLE POSSIBLE SOURCE SHE COULD GO THROUGH. IT'S BEST TO SEND HER TO THE AUTHORIZED SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON CAMPUS WHO KNOWS THE ACCEPTABLE AGENCIES THE SCHOOL HAS THE RIGHT TO REFER TO (THE NURSE) OR SIMPLY RECOMMEND THAT SHE SEE HER DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR EARLY CARE AS LONG AS YOU AREN'T ADVISING WHAT THE CARE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE.
I try VERY hard to keep my own feelings out of these exchanges,
I'M NOT SURE IF YOUR FEELINGS ARE AS DANGEROUS AS YOUR ADVICE. AS A TEACHER, I AM CAPABLE OF SAYING SOMETHING LIKE, "I AM SORRY YOU HAVE GOTTEN YOURSELF IN SUCH A DIFFICULTY. MAYBE WE NEED TO WORK SOMETHING OUT SO THAT YOU CAN FINISH YOUR CLASSWORK BEFORE THE BABY IS DUE." IN FACT, IT IS DESIRABLE FOR YOU TO WORK OUT WAYS FOR HER TO ACCOMPLISH HER EDUCATION, IF POSSIBLE, DESPITE THE MEDICAL DIFFICULTIES SHE WILL FACE. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH FEELING BAD THAT HER SITUATION IS SUDDENLY VERY DIFFICULT. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO WITHHOLD YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT AN ABORTION IS APPROPRIATE, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. THOSE ARE THE SORTS OF FEELINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD CONSCIOUSLY SUPPRESS IF YOU CAN.
but I also know that often we have more of a relationship with these girls then the school nurse and that they may not be aware of all of their choices.
THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP IS NOT A LEGAL QUALIFICATION TO GIVE MEDICAL ADVICE, HOWEVER, AND I SHOULD HAVE MADE THIS MORE EXPLICIT YESTERDAY. BY ALL MEANS, USE THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AS A WAY OF HELPING THE GIRL HAVE AS MUCH ACADEMIC SUCCESS AS POSSIBLE GIVEN HER PROBLEMS, OR AS A WAY OF URGING HER TO GET IMMEDIATE PRENATAL CARE, OR TO TALK TO HER PARENTS, BUT DON'T PRESUME TO BE THE ONE TO GIVE HER MEDICAL OPTIONS.
Jeff Combe
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ethical dilemmas: case studies
Hello everyone,
I would like to consider some of the ethical dilemmas I listed yesterday plus one that was forwarded to me today. I choose these because they are not cut and dried; they are ambiguous; they may be answered a variety of ways, and you must choose the way that works the best for you.
First, a letter from a teacher. My comments are in mostly lower case:
HELLO MR. COMBE,
I HAVE A PARENT THAT PUTS DOWN HER CHILD DESPITE MY TELLING HER ABOUT [THE CHILD'S] PROGRESS. I HAVE TRIED TO STAY POSITIVE [BUT THE PARENT] WILL CONTINUE TO EXPRESS HERSELF NEGATIVELY. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IN THIS CASE TO DEAL WITH THIS PARENT. IS THIS VERBAL ABUSE?
I gather from what you write that you perceive that what the parent says is completely unjustified. Since I have no idea exactly what is being said, I can only speak theoretically and not specifically. Yes, this is what most normal people would consider verbally abusive, certainly. Who among us can withstand unrelenting negativity? Your question, however, seems to be more along the lines of whether or not this is reportable verbal abuse. In a case like this, your judgment has to predominate. The sort of verbal abuse that would be reportable would have to be pretty egregious. Note that I am not saying it's not abusive to constantly put someone down; I'm just saying that you would have to judge the level of danger in the abuse. I am very reluctant to put a fixed limit on what would constitute reportable abuse in a case like this, but I can give examples of what I think would not be ambiguous. If a parent were to say something like, "You are so stupid and ugly, you would be better off dead. Why don't you go kill yourself? Here, I'll give you the key to my gun cabinet." That would easily be reportable. As to the rest, use your best judgment, always keeping in mind that the law protects you if you judge in favor of reporting, and the law condemns you if you miss a case in which a child is hurt.
Here are a few scenarios from yesterday with my comments.
A GIRL COMES TO YOU, REVEALS THAT SHE IS PREGNANT, AND ASKS FOR ADVICE ON GETTING AN ABORTION.
There are several problems here, not the least of which is the potential that you may have the girl's parents with their attorneys questioning your advice to their daughter. Most of us aren't qualified or licensed to give medical advice. However, you may ask the girl's permission to refer her to the school nurse, who will keep her confidence and make referrals to competent medical and legal authorities. The law requires you to report when someone is in immediate danger, and what the girl has revealed to you does not include or suggest immediate danger, so you may keep her confidence. Do you have the right to give your personal feelings on abortion? I can think of many reasons yes, and an equal number no. Either way carries liability. Personally, I told such a girl my own feelings, said that I was not a competent person to ask, sent her to the nurse (with her permission), and kept her secret.
A STUDENT REVEALS A DRUG ADDICTION AND BEGS YOU NOT TO TELL THE PARENTS.
On the one hand, parents have a right to know. On the other hand, telling the parents may close the immediate door to the acceptance of treatment. Again, I personally err on the side of keeping confidences, but I have urged such students to tell their parents themselves. I have offered to sit in as an arbitrator with the student and the parents. We have a variety of services on campus that help with drug addiction, including the nurse's office, Healthy Start, and Impact. I assume that the student's revealing the addiction is a cry for help, and I have the right to suggest that the student get help.
A BOY REVEALS THAT HE IS GAY AND ASKS YOU TO DONATE TO A CHARITY SUPPORTING GAY MARRIAGE.
Regardless of how you feel about homosexuality or the marriage debate, you must understand that a boy who is openly gay is a likely target for bullies. He may require your protection. You should help him--you are obligated to help him--academically and emotionally. You may truly do that without supporting his sexuality or politics. The same situation could be reversed (I've never experienced it--this is theoretical), in which a boy reveals that he is homophobic and asks you to donate to a group that advocates violence to homosexuals. The second boy is more likely to be the bully than the target, but he, too, needs academic and emotional help, which you can give without supporting his viewpoints.
The situations above have happened to me, and I try to think about what I did and how successful it was in protecting the students from harm and giving them a good education. As I've aged, I've found that I am more willing to be open about my personal views, but I realize as I write that it is very difficult to explain how to do that without alienating students. I have had mixed success over my career. Early in my career, I faced the following situation: "A boy asks what you think of professional wrestling; the boy loves professional wrestling more than anything else." I told the boy that professional wrestling is fake and that I didn't really enjoy it. He was so offended, he would hardly talk to me for the rest of the year. I realize now that my need to tell him the truth did not outweigh his love of professional wrestling. He was a good student, and I regretted offending him on something so trivial. The situations above are not trivial, but the risk of offense and the risk of losing a student completely are something to be considered carefully.
I also must confess that I have caught myself saying something I didn't believe in because I was afraid of offending someone. In recent years, I have come to regret that more than the offense to the boy who loved wrestling.
The truth is, I'm doing my own wrestling, and I hope it's useful for you to watch.
Jeff Combe
Addendum:
Hello everyone,
I got this comment from a teacher after I sent the previous email, and I wanted to forward it for your consideration.
I have a comment about what we say when a girl reveals that she is pregnant. I usually start by asking her how she feels about this and how her partner feels about this. I also ask if she's spoken to her parents. I then ask if she knows what options she has and if not, I lay them out for her (keeping the child, adoption, morning after pill, abortion, etc.) and where she might go to investigate these resources. I try VERY hard to keep my own feelings out of these exchanges, but I also know that often we have more of a relationship with these girls then the school nurse and that they may not be aware of all of their choices.
Jeff Combe
I would like to consider some of the ethical dilemmas I listed yesterday plus one that was forwarded to me today. I choose these because they are not cut and dried; they are ambiguous; they may be answered a variety of ways, and you must choose the way that works the best for you.
First, a letter from a teacher. My comments are in mostly lower case:
HELLO MR. COMBE,
I HAVE A PARENT THAT PUTS DOWN HER CHILD DESPITE MY TELLING HER ABOUT [THE CHILD'S] PROGRESS. I HAVE TRIED TO STAY POSITIVE [BUT THE PARENT] WILL CONTINUE TO EXPRESS HERSELF NEGATIVELY. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT IN THIS CASE TO DEAL WITH THIS PARENT. IS THIS VERBAL ABUSE?
I gather from what you write that you perceive that what the parent says is completely unjustified. Since I have no idea exactly what is being said, I can only speak theoretically and not specifically. Yes, this is what most normal people would consider verbally abusive, certainly. Who among us can withstand unrelenting negativity? Your question, however, seems to be more along the lines of whether or not this is reportable verbal abuse. In a case like this, your judgment has to predominate. The sort of verbal abuse that would be reportable would have to be pretty egregious. Note that I am not saying it's not abusive to constantly put someone down; I'm just saying that you would have to judge the level of danger in the abuse. I am very reluctant to put a fixed limit on what would constitute reportable abuse in a case like this, but I can give examples of what I think would not be ambiguous. If a parent were to say something like, "You are so stupid and ugly, you would be better off dead. Why don't you go kill yourself? Here, I'll give you the key to my gun cabinet." That would easily be reportable. As to the rest, use your best judgment, always keeping in mind that the law protects you if you judge in favor of reporting, and the law condemns you if you miss a case in which a child is hurt.
Here are a few scenarios from yesterday with my comments.
A GIRL COMES TO YOU, REVEALS THAT SHE IS PREGNANT, AND ASKS FOR ADVICE ON GETTING AN ABORTION.
There are several problems here, not the least of which is the potential that you may have the girl's parents with their attorneys questioning your advice to their daughter. Most of us aren't qualified or licensed to give medical advice. However, you may ask the girl's permission to refer her to the school nurse, who will keep her confidence and make referrals to competent medical and legal authorities. The law requires you to report when someone is in immediate danger, and what the girl has revealed to you does not include or suggest immediate danger, so you may keep her confidence. Do you have the right to give your personal feelings on abortion? I can think of many reasons yes, and an equal number no. Either way carries liability. Personally, I told such a girl my own feelings, said that I was not a competent person to ask, sent her to the nurse (with her permission), and kept her secret.
A STUDENT REVEALS A DRUG ADDICTION AND BEGS YOU NOT TO TELL THE PARENTS.
On the one hand, parents have a right to know. On the other hand, telling the parents may close the immediate door to the acceptance of treatment. Again, I personally err on the side of keeping confidences, but I have urged such students to tell their parents themselves. I have offered to sit in as an arbitrator with the student and the parents. We have a variety of services on campus that help with drug addiction, including the nurse's office, Healthy Start, and Impact. I assume that the student's revealing the addiction is a cry for help, and I have the right to suggest that the student get help.
A BOY REVEALS THAT HE IS GAY AND ASKS YOU TO DONATE TO A CHARITY SUPPORTING GAY MARRIAGE.
Regardless of how you feel about homosexuality or the marriage debate, you must understand that a boy who is openly gay is a likely target for bullies. He may require your protection. You should help him--you are obligated to help him--academically and emotionally. You may truly do that without supporting his sexuality or politics. The same situation could be reversed (I've never experienced it--this is theoretical), in which a boy reveals that he is homophobic and asks you to donate to a group that advocates violence to homosexuals. The second boy is more likely to be the bully than the target, but he, too, needs academic and emotional help, which you can give without supporting his viewpoints.
The situations above have happened to me, and I try to think about what I did and how successful it was in protecting the students from harm and giving them a good education. As I've aged, I've found that I am more willing to be open about my personal views, but I realize as I write that it is very difficult to explain how to do that without alienating students. I have had mixed success over my career. Early in my career, I faced the following situation: "A boy asks what you think of professional wrestling; the boy loves professional wrestling more than anything else." I told the boy that professional wrestling is fake and that I didn't really enjoy it. He was so offended, he would hardly talk to me for the rest of the year. I realize now that my need to tell him the truth did not outweigh his love of professional wrestling. He was a good student, and I regretted offending him on something so trivial. The situations above are not trivial, but the risk of offense and the risk of losing a student completely are something to be considered carefully.
I also must confess that I have caught myself saying something I didn't believe in because I was afraid of offending someone. In recent years, I have come to regret that more than the offense to the boy who loved wrestling.
The truth is, I'm doing my own wrestling, and I hope it's useful for you to watch.
Jeff Combe
Addendum:
Hello everyone,
I got this comment from a teacher after I sent the previous email, and I wanted to forward it for your consideration.
I have a comment about what we say when a girl reveals that she is pregnant. I usually start by asking her how she feels about this and how her partner feels about this. I also ask if she's spoken to her parents. I then ask if she knows what options she has and if not, I lay them out for her (keeping the child, adoption, morning after pill, abortion, etc.) and where she might go to investigate these resources. I try VERY hard to keep my own feelings out of these exchanges, but I also know that often we have more of a relationship with these girls then the school nurse and that they may not be aware of all of their choices.
Jeff Combe
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Ethical dilemmas, part 2
Hello everyone,
I was reading a book a few weeks ago that posed some ethical questions that teachers frequently face. I wanted to give the book credit, but I've put it down, and it has since been consumed by the bookshelf monster. Many of the ideas were planted by the good seeds of the book, and, like weeds in the soil itself, have grown into what I write today.
We do not check our politics or our religion or our profound ethical beliefs at the door when we become teachers. They are part and parcel of who we are, and we wouldn't be any good without them. Sometimes, however, the expression of a deeply held belief is restricted by law from the classroom; other deeply held beliefs are proscribed by custom; some are best suppressed for pedagogical reasons.
For example, if there were two teachers, one who believed that the government should be overthrown with violence, and the other who believed that the entire world must convert to his religion or go to hell, both would be (and should be) restricted by law from expressing their views in many contexts.
Two teachers, one who believed that Halloween is evil and another who thought that Christmas was blasphemous, would both be required by custom to tolerate observances of the two holidays in the school around them.
Two English teachers, one an ardent Democrat and another a committed Republican, would be pedagogically immoral if they gave better grades to essays that reflected their points of view.
This constant tension between what a teacher believes and what a teacher can or should express creates all sorts of problems in a school environment.
How does a teacher deal with it? The best way, I think, is to consider beforehand some possible ethical dilemmas that you may face, then decide how you're going to react if they arise. In the event that something happens in the real world, and you react, you need to review (without beating yourself up) whether or not you balanced your personal ethics with the law, with custom, and with pedagogy.
Let me give some examples of situations that I have experienced, have seen others experience, or just imagined. I will start with some easy ones:
A girl reveals in a private journal that her father has been "sexually harassing" her. (You report it.)
A girl tells her friends that a teacher has fondled her, but she doesn't want to tell the police. The friends tell you. (You report it.)
A girl tells you that her boyfriend has revealed that an administrator has smoked marijuana with him and photographed him in the gym dressing room. The girl says that the boy will deny it if reported. (You report it.)
A boy reveals that he has run away from an abusive home and is sleeping in an abandoned building. He begs you not to tell on him. (You report it.)
A student reveals, in a journal, an ambiguous suggestion of suicide. (You report it.)
A student writes, in a journal, a list of people he wants to kill; you are not sure if he's serious because the tone of the passage seems ironic. (By now you've caught the pattern. You report it.)
When you report situations above that were written in journals, try to get a photocopy of the page in which the situation was revealed. While you may inwardly rebel against such a breach of trust, the law requires it, and your obligation to protect the student must outweigh any squeamishness about privacy rights.
Now, here are some that may be answered a variety of ways. Some of these may be easy for you; some may be hard:
A girl comes to you, reveals that she is pregnant, and asks for advice on getting an abortion.
A student reveals a drug addiction and begs you not to tell the parents.
A boy reveals that he is gay and asks you to donate to a charity supporting gay marriage.
A class asks, "Are you Christian or Catholic?"
A class asks, "What does your religion teach about this?"
A student in a class asks, "Is there really a god?"
A boy asks, in front of the class, "Is it a sin to have sex with a girl you aren't married to?"
The curriculum requires you to teach something you are morally opposed to.
A boy asks what you think of professional wrestling; the boy loves professional wrestling more than anything else.
A girl reveals the name of a drug dealer on campus; she begs you not to tell on the drug dealer because her source of the information would be put in physical danger.
A girl criticizes you for eating meat at lunch.
An African-American student uses the "n" word.
A Mexican-American student speaks disparagingly of undocumented immigrants.
You are asked to attend the funeral of a student, and you are unfamiliar with the rituals of the family of the student.
I would like to discuss these in the coming days. If there are other situations that occur to you that you would like to have discussed in an open forum, write back. Please don't reveal names when you do. Meanwhile, try to plan ahead. If you get caught with a question that you're not ready to answer, however, feel free to treat it like any other question you're not sure of. Simply say, "I don't know. Let me think about it." Then think about it.
Jeff Combe
I was reading a book a few weeks ago that posed some ethical questions that teachers frequently face. I wanted to give the book credit, but I've put it down, and it has since been consumed by the bookshelf monster. Many of the ideas were planted by the good seeds of the book, and, like weeds in the soil itself, have grown into what I write today.
We do not check our politics or our religion or our profound ethical beliefs at the door when we become teachers. They are part and parcel of who we are, and we wouldn't be any good without them. Sometimes, however, the expression of a deeply held belief is restricted by law from the classroom; other deeply held beliefs are proscribed by custom; some are best suppressed for pedagogical reasons.
For example, if there were two teachers, one who believed that the government should be overthrown with violence, and the other who believed that the entire world must convert to his religion or go to hell, both would be (and should be) restricted by law from expressing their views in many contexts.
Two teachers, one who believed that Halloween is evil and another who thought that Christmas was blasphemous, would both be required by custom to tolerate observances of the two holidays in the school around them.
Two English teachers, one an ardent Democrat and another a committed Republican, would be pedagogically immoral if they gave better grades to essays that reflected their points of view.
This constant tension between what a teacher believes and what a teacher can or should express creates all sorts of problems in a school environment.
How does a teacher deal with it? The best way, I think, is to consider beforehand some possible ethical dilemmas that you may face, then decide how you're going to react if they arise. In the event that something happens in the real world, and you react, you need to review (without beating yourself up) whether or not you balanced your personal ethics with the law, with custom, and with pedagogy.
Let me give some examples of situations that I have experienced, have seen others experience, or just imagined. I will start with some easy ones:
A girl reveals in a private journal that her father has been "sexually harassing" her. (You report it.)
A girl tells her friends that a teacher has fondled her, but she doesn't want to tell the police. The friends tell you. (You report it.)
A girl tells you that her boyfriend has revealed that an administrator has smoked marijuana with him and photographed him in the gym dressing room. The girl says that the boy will deny it if reported. (You report it.)
A boy reveals that he has run away from an abusive home and is sleeping in an abandoned building. He begs you not to tell on him. (You report it.)
A student reveals, in a journal, an ambiguous suggestion of suicide. (You report it.)
A student writes, in a journal, a list of people he wants to kill; you are not sure if he's serious because the tone of the passage seems ironic. (By now you've caught the pattern. You report it.)
When you report situations above that were written in journals, try to get a photocopy of the page in which the situation was revealed. While you may inwardly rebel against such a breach of trust, the law requires it, and your obligation to protect the student must outweigh any squeamishness about privacy rights.
Now, here are some that may be answered a variety of ways. Some of these may be easy for you; some may be hard:
A girl comes to you, reveals that she is pregnant, and asks for advice on getting an abortion.
A student reveals a drug addiction and begs you not to tell the parents.
A boy reveals that he is gay and asks you to donate to a charity supporting gay marriage.
A class asks, "Are you Christian or Catholic?"
A class asks, "What does your religion teach about this?"
A student in a class asks, "Is there really a god?"
A boy asks, in front of the class, "Is it a sin to have sex with a girl you aren't married to?"
The curriculum requires you to teach something you are morally opposed to.
A boy asks what you think of professional wrestling; the boy loves professional wrestling more than anything else.
A girl reveals the name of a drug dealer on campus; she begs you not to tell on the drug dealer because her source of the information would be put in physical danger.
A girl criticizes you for eating meat at lunch.
An African-American student uses the "n" word.
A Mexican-American student speaks disparagingly of undocumented immigrants.
You are asked to attend the funeral of a student, and you are unfamiliar with the rituals of the family of the student.
I would like to discuss these in the coming days. If there are other situations that occur to you that you would like to have discussed in an open forum, write back. Please don't reveal names when you do. Meanwhile, try to plan ahead. If you get caught with a question that you're not ready to answer, however, feel free to treat it like any other question you're not sure of. Simply say, "I don't know. Let me think about it." Then think about it.
Jeff Combe
Monday, March 17, 2008
More ethics
Hello everyone,
I want to return to some questions of ethics in education.
Some big questions that have been floating around Garfield lately pertain to teacher professionalism, the law, school governance, academic freedom, scheduling, and curriculum.
I think many of the ethical problems that swirl around these themes have much to do with the very personal nature of so much of our profession. Many of us became teachers because we love kids and have a passion for the subjects we teach. Some of us may have had life changing experiences in classes similar to the ones we are teaching, and we want to give others the same sorts of experiences. We refer to our students as "my kids," and our dreams and expectations are fulfilled through them much as many parents' dreams and expectations are fulfilled through their own children. This, of course, doesn't even begin to address the issues of ego or competition among teachers.
Think about that paragraph I just wrote. I think that it should be obvious that powerful forces are at work in us and around us when we have to use words like "love," "passion," "life changing," "my kids," and "fulfilled." To throw "ego" and "competition" in is like throwing phosphorus in water.
Garfield is certainly subject to these volatile feelings. During my time here, I have personally witnessed arguments, shouting matches, grudges, and fights. There is one-upmanship and backstabbing; there are backroom deals and shady agreements; there is open defiance and fomented rebellion. And I am speaking of the professionals, not the students.
I am certainly not above it all, either. There are teachers on campus who could tell stories about how I have personally lost my temper and yelled at colleagues; there are those who know of my lingering disagreements about curriculum; and many have heard my tirades about any number of subjects good or bad.
I confess to these things mostly because I want my trench credentials to be valid. I've been there, and I know how it is. I'm removed from it to a certain extent because I'm out of the classroom, and I have "clients" instead of "kids" now, but the passion still swirls within me, and I frequently can't escape a visceral reaction to some things that bring the old battles back.
The late Val Aguilera, with whom I worked in theater and in an SLC, frequently took me aside--when he was alive--and chided me for losing my temper or forgetting my overall purpose. (Val wasn't perfect; I sometimes chided him for the same things. We got along because we could be brutally honest with each other, and we got accustomed to forgiving each other.) Sometimes after long chiding--and a good night's sleep--, I was persuaded that Val was right, and I would calm down and refocus myself.
Val's death has sealed his testimony in my mind, and I can look at myself and my career more objectively now. I understand better how the contract binds us and protects us at the same time. I see how state and federal laws do the same. I realize that many of my problems at Garfield were not so much how I was governed, but that I wasn't governed and I didn't really want to be.
Better than ever before, though, I see that most of our ethical problems arise when we forget that we are here to serve students and parents, and not ourselves.
I don't mean to say--nor do I believe--that we ought to be the sorts of teachers who sacrifice everything (including our own families or our health) for our students. Nor do I think that bureaucrats and politicians know best. I mean that, within the context of our professional lives, and under the watchful eye of our students' parents, our primary focus must be on what is best for the students we teach--both in the immediate and in the long term--and we must direct our classroom and out-of-classroom decisions along those ends.
What's best for our students requires collaboration, self-examination, and adaptation. Believe it or not, it requires adherence to contracts and the law as well. It may mean that we give up something we are personally passionate for in order to achieve a greater goal.
Maybe I've just thrown some more phosphorus.
Jeff Combe
I want to return to some questions of ethics in education.
Some big questions that have been floating around Garfield lately pertain to teacher professionalism, the law, school governance, academic freedom, scheduling, and curriculum.
I think many of the ethical problems that swirl around these themes have much to do with the very personal nature of so much of our profession. Many of us became teachers because we love kids and have a passion for the subjects we teach. Some of us may have had life changing experiences in classes similar to the ones we are teaching, and we want to give others the same sorts of experiences. We refer to our students as "my kids," and our dreams and expectations are fulfilled through them much as many parents' dreams and expectations are fulfilled through their own children. This, of course, doesn't even begin to address the issues of ego or competition among teachers.
Think about that paragraph I just wrote. I think that it should be obvious that powerful forces are at work in us and around us when we have to use words like "love," "passion," "life changing," "my kids," and "fulfilled." To throw "ego" and "competition" in is like throwing phosphorus in water.
Garfield is certainly subject to these volatile feelings. During my time here, I have personally witnessed arguments, shouting matches, grudges, and fights. There is one-upmanship and backstabbing; there are backroom deals and shady agreements; there is open defiance and fomented rebellion. And I am speaking of the professionals, not the students.
I am certainly not above it all, either. There are teachers on campus who could tell stories about how I have personally lost my temper and yelled at colleagues; there are those who know of my lingering disagreements about curriculum; and many have heard my tirades about any number of subjects good or bad.
I confess to these things mostly because I want my trench credentials to be valid. I've been there, and I know how it is. I'm removed from it to a certain extent because I'm out of the classroom, and I have "clients" instead of "kids" now, but the passion still swirls within me, and I frequently can't escape a visceral reaction to some things that bring the old battles back.
The late Val Aguilera, with whom I worked in theater and in an SLC, frequently took me aside--when he was alive--and chided me for losing my temper or forgetting my overall purpose. (Val wasn't perfect; I sometimes chided him for the same things. We got along because we could be brutally honest with each other, and we got accustomed to forgiving each other.) Sometimes after long chiding--and a good night's sleep--, I was persuaded that Val was right, and I would calm down and refocus myself.
Val's death has sealed his testimony in my mind, and I can look at myself and my career more objectively now. I understand better how the contract binds us and protects us at the same time. I see how state and federal laws do the same. I realize that many of my problems at Garfield were not so much how I was governed, but that I wasn't governed and I didn't really want to be.
Better than ever before, though, I see that most of our ethical problems arise when we forget that we are here to serve students and parents, and not ourselves.
I don't mean to say--nor do I believe--that we ought to be the sorts of teachers who sacrifice everything (including our own families or our health) for our students. Nor do I think that bureaucrats and politicians know best. I mean that, within the context of our professional lives, and under the watchful eye of our students' parents, our primary focus must be on what is best for the students we teach--both in the immediate and in the long term--and we must direct our classroom and out-of-classroom decisions along those ends.
What's best for our students requires collaboration, self-examination, and adaptation. Believe it or not, it requires adherence to contracts and the law as well. It may mean that we give up something we are personally passionate for in order to achieve a greater goal.
Maybe I've just thrown some more phosphorus.
Jeff Combe
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Ethical dilemmas in the classroom
Hello everyone,
Each of us is faced, time after time, with a variety of ethical dilemmas.
Some of the dilemmas are easy to face. When I periodically had a student offer me a bribe for a better grade, I assumed they were joking, and I joked back ("You couldn't afford me," I would say. "You have to pay triple my annual salary to cover me after I'm fired, then you have to give me the bribe, which goes up all the time because of inflation. Whoops! It just went up another half million dollars!"). If I became aware that a female student might be flirting, I simply reverted to my most formal, distancing teacher behavior and used the professional veneer to discourage her, which it did. (It's an old trick of some students to flirt for grades and privileges; I hope you never fall for it. The most incorrigible flirt will give it up if there's no benefit from it; be scrupulous about treating him/her with the most absolute fairness and the flirting ends.)
Some dilemmas are very difficult. Those are the ones I would like to consider.
The most common problem that teachers face is deciding how much of their personal beliefs will show up in the classroom. You are constantly faced with questions about your personal feelings about some issue, and you must decide--sometimes on the spur of the moment--how much to reveal. You may face lawsuits or termination under some extreme situations (proselytizing students to your religion during school hours or openly advocating anarchy are two examples). By the same token, you are probably a teacher because of what you believe, so you can't completely divorce yourself from your teachings--nor should you.
So, what do you do?
You start from the point of view that, no matter what you believe, the value and dignity of individual human beings is most important. You have both a moral and a professional responsibility to protect your students--perhaps even before you teach them. This does not mean, necessarily, that you must agree with all of the actions of your students, or that you should be willing to sacrifice an entire class of eager learners in an effort to save the dignity of a major disrupter. It simply means that you begin your decisions with the idea that all human beings are entitled to be valued have some dignity.
Beginning at that point, we can start to discuss the ethics of a series of situations that may arise in the classroom.
I propose that, for the next few days, I present a variety of classroom dilemmas, give my view on ways to work through them, and welcome your comments. Let me start with one as an example.
Premise: You hate the president.
Situation: Because of your subject matter (ie, social studies) or a question in class ("Sir, who are you going to vote for?"), the opportunity arises for you to discuss the president and his policies.
I think this is a problem even if every student in your class hates the president, too. First, you are not really allowed to poll your students, so you can never know for sure how many agree with you or not. Second, it's not good educational practice to teach your students to parrot your beliefs and not think for themselves (we used to call it "brown nosing"; it has other names--all derogatory--all deservedly so). ON the other hand, you wouldn't want a misunderstanding that led them to switch to the other side because they thought you preferred it.
If we follow the original idea that all your students have value and dignity, then the educational principle follows that they really need to learn to think for themselves in political matters.
I have said to my students, "I'm not comfortable telling you whom I will vote for until I am certain that you are comfortable thinking for yourself. Let's discuss the problem as thoroughly as we can, and then I'll see if you can guess." (That makes them evaluate what I say.)
At other times, however (depending on the overall lesson plan), I have said, "It's important for you all to know my biases in this case. I want to assure you, though, that I have in the past been perfectly willing to give good grades to people who disagree with me. In fact, I enjoy a good debate."
At other times, I will purposely play "devil's advocate," though I think it's important for the kids to find out sooner or later that that's what I'm doing. Personally, I deplore decisions that are made too simply, and teenagers are notoriously unlikely to see all the shades of possibility in an issue, so playing devil's advocate can help them.
In any of these cases, I believe it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that full advocacy is given to every viewpoint. The difference in tactics may only be to ensure inclusion of a viewpoint that might not be there otherwise. If I hate the president, and everyone else in class seems to love him, I might state my bias straight out, thereby provoking a two-sided conversation. If I hate him, and everyone else hates him, I might play devil's advocate. If I hate him, and the rest of the class has mixed feelings about him, I may cover my feelings completely, thereby avoiding brown-nosing or any sign of favoritism. Whatever I choose to do, I strongly believe it's my responsibility to allow free expression of both sides in all their complexity. That and only that fulfills my original premise of dignity and value for all students.
We can play this game with evolution, abortion, religion, standardized testing, and on and on. If you have a specific question, bring it up. Otherwise, you're at the mercy of my biases.
Jeff Combe
Each of us is faced, time after time, with a variety of ethical dilemmas.
Some of the dilemmas are easy to face. When I periodically had a student offer me a bribe for a better grade, I assumed they were joking, and I joked back ("You couldn't afford me," I would say. "You have to pay triple my annual salary to cover me after I'm fired, then you have to give me the bribe, which goes up all the time because of inflation. Whoops! It just went up another half million dollars!"). If I became aware that a female student might be flirting, I simply reverted to my most formal, distancing teacher behavior and used the professional veneer to discourage her, which it did. (It's an old trick of some students to flirt for grades and privileges; I hope you never fall for it. The most incorrigible flirt will give it up if there's no benefit from it; be scrupulous about treating him/her with the most absolute fairness and the flirting ends.)
Some dilemmas are very difficult. Those are the ones I would like to consider.
The most common problem that teachers face is deciding how much of their personal beliefs will show up in the classroom. You are constantly faced with questions about your personal feelings about some issue, and you must decide--sometimes on the spur of the moment--how much to reveal. You may face lawsuits or termination under some extreme situations (proselytizing students to your religion during school hours or openly advocating anarchy are two examples). By the same token, you are probably a teacher because of what you believe, so you can't completely divorce yourself from your teachings--nor should you.
So, what do you do?
You start from the point of view that, no matter what you believe, the value and dignity of individual human beings is most important. You have both a moral and a professional responsibility to protect your students--perhaps even before you teach them. This does not mean, necessarily, that you must agree with all of the actions of your students, or that you should be willing to sacrifice an entire class of eager learners in an effort to save the dignity of a major disrupter. It simply means that you begin your decisions with the idea that all human beings are entitled to be valued have some dignity.
Beginning at that point, we can start to discuss the ethics of a series of situations that may arise in the classroom.
I propose that, for the next few days, I present a variety of classroom dilemmas, give my view on ways to work through them, and welcome your comments. Let me start with one as an example.
Premise: You hate the president.
Situation: Because of your subject matter (ie, social studies) or a question in class ("Sir, who are you going to vote for?"), the opportunity arises for you to discuss the president and his policies.
I think this is a problem even if every student in your class hates the president, too. First, you are not really allowed to poll your students, so you can never know for sure how many agree with you or not. Second, it's not good educational practice to teach your students to parrot your beliefs and not think for themselves (we used to call it "brown nosing"; it has other names--all derogatory--all deservedly so). ON the other hand, you wouldn't want a misunderstanding that led them to switch to the other side because they thought you preferred it.
If we follow the original idea that all your students have value and dignity, then the educational principle follows that they really need to learn to think for themselves in political matters.
I have said to my students, "I'm not comfortable telling you whom I will vote for until I am certain that you are comfortable thinking for yourself. Let's discuss the problem as thoroughly as we can, and then I'll see if you can guess." (That makes them evaluate what I say.)
At other times, however (depending on the overall lesson plan), I have said, "It's important for you all to know my biases in this case. I want to assure you, though, that I have in the past been perfectly willing to give good grades to people who disagree with me. In fact, I enjoy a good debate."
At other times, I will purposely play "devil's advocate," though I think it's important for the kids to find out sooner or later that that's what I'm doing. Personally, I deplore decisions that are made too simply, and teenagers are notoriously unlikely to see all the shades of possibility in an issue, so playing devil's advocate can help them.
In any of these cases, I believe it is the teacher's responsibility to make sure that full advocacy is given to every viewpoint. The difference in tactics may only be to ensure inclusion of a viewpoint that might not be there otherwise. If I hate the president, and everyone else in class seems to love him, I might state my bias straight out, thereby provoking a two-sided conversation. If I hate him, and everyone else hates him, I might play devil's advocate. If I hate him, and the rest of the class has mixed feelings about him, I may cover my feelings completely, thereby avoiding brown-nosing or any sign of favoritism. Whatever I choose to do, I strongly believe it's my responsibility to allow free expression of both sides in all their complexity. That and only that fulfills my original premise of dignity and value for all students.
We can play this game with evolution, abortion, religion, standardized testing, and on and on. If you have a specific question, bring it up. Otherwise, you're at the mercy of my biases.
Jeff Combe
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Questions, digressions, and classroom discussion
Hello everyone,
Here is another reprint of an email I wrote previously. My intention was to talk about managing questions and answers in a free-ranging discussion. How do you keep the discussion on track? How do you manage seemingly unrelated questions?
Here is the idea:
Someone said something to me once that made me think that effective classroom discussion is sometimes like playing Tetris.
You know the game Tetris don't you? Little shapes made up of variously colored boxes float from the top of a video screen, and the player tries to flip the shapes around so that they will fill in empty space, or so that their colors will match other colored shapes. The object is to have the shapes fill the screen with no empty places. I am often hypnotized watching my daughter play.
Effective classroom discussions can be like Tetris in the following ways:
1. Student comments and questions are unpredictable. They seem to drop out of nowhere sometimes. I confess that, if you have only one prep, by the end of the day you might have an idea of some of the questions or ideas that might be brought up. This means that you are surprised, usually, only the first two periods of the day at most. After you teach the same lesson over a number of years, you get an idea of the sorts of questions that might be asked, and you can prepare for them. After teaching for more than 20 years, I could practically guarantee certain questions would be asked at certain times. This means that, after you have taught a certain lesson more than once, you may use a certain amount of manipulation in the course of the discussion. (Whenever I announced in my film classes that I don't watch "R" rated movies, someone would always ask me why, which led to a good discussion on the nature of the rating system, marketing, and the tension between aesthetics and morals.) But if you allow free inquiry, which I think is important in class-wide discussions, then you must know that some students will ask questions or bring up subjects that are not obviously connected with the discussion in hand. Personally, I think ALL questions must be answered, and none should be ignored or disrespected, but that leaves the discussion open to enormous digressions, which leads to similarities 2 and 3.
2. You need to fill in the gaps while under time constraints. Class only lasts as long as it lasts. You can't fail to make connections.
3. You sometimes need to flip the shapes around to make them fit. In Tetris, different colors and shapes are dropping all around you. In class, wide varieties of subjects are flying around. I want to talk about sonnets, my students want to talk about bisexuality. I can use the non-issue of Shakespeare's sexuality to turn the students back to sonnets so fast that they hardly know they've ventured away from fourteen lines of iambic pentameter. (The fact that the question of Shakespeare's sex life in the sonnets is unanswerable, but the sonnets provide all sorts of interesting commentary on a wide variety of human interactions--both sexual and non-sexual--makes for very interesting sessions with these 400-year-old poems.) In the meantime, students are close reading more than they've done in their lives in an effort to keep up their side in the discussion.
I will have approached the sonnets, by the way, with very specific objectives in mind. As soon as I open up a class-wide discussion or inquiry into the sonnets, however, I find that the class is led in ways that don't necessarily fill my objectives. I need to find ways to make the connections. The suggestions in the previous paragraph may help fulfill some of my objectives including close reading of difficult texts or decoding of compound/complex sentences. Still, I may also have objectives involving the structure of poetry, scansion (it was an AP class), and autobiography; or I may have an integrated vocabulary lesson built in (including lessons in connotation). I need to use the discussion to fill those objectives. It requires me to keep the objectives firmly in mind while following the potentially wide-ranging discussion.
My reward for allowing digressions then making connections, is that the connections become very powerful because students make them based on previous knowledge or associations that I would have been unaware of until I began the discussion.
It really is like a game, and, when it works, it's exhilarating.
Jeff Combe
Here is another reprint of an email I wrote previously. My intention was to talk about managing questions and answers in a free-ranging discussion. How do you keep the discussion on track? How do you manage seemingly unrelated questions?
Here is the idea:
Someone said something to me once that made me think that effective classroom discussion is sometimes like playing Tetris.
You know the game Tetris don't you? Little shapes made up of variously colored boxes float from the top of a video screen, and the player tries to flip the shapes around so that they will fill in empty space, or so that their colors will match other colored shapes. The object is to have the shapes fill the screen with no empty places. I am often hypnotized watching my daughter play.
Effective classroom discussions can be like Tetris in the following ways:
1. Student comments and questions are unpredictable. They seem to drop out of nowhere sometimes. I confess that, if you have only one prep, by the end of the day you might have an idea of some of the questions or ideas that might be brought up. This means that you are surprised, usually, only the first two periods of the day at most. After you teach the same lesson over a number of years, you get an idea of the sorts of questions that might be asked, and you can prepare for them. After teaching for more than 20 years, I could practically guarantee certain questions would be asked at certain times. This means that, after you have taught a certain lesson more than once, you may use a certain amount of manipulation in the course of the discussion. (Whenever I announced in my film classes that I don't watch "R" rated movies, someone would always ask me why, which led to a good discussion on the nature of the rating system, marketing, and the tension between aesthetics and morals.) But if you allow free inquiry, which I think is important in class-wide discussions, then you must know that some students will ask questions or bring up subjects that are not obviously connected with the discussion in hand. Personally, I think ALL questions must be answered, and none should be ignored or disrespected, but that leaves the discussion open to enormous digressions, which leads to similarities 2 and 3.
2. You need to fill in the gaps while under time constraints. Class only lasts as long as it lasts. You can't fail to make connections.
3. You sometimes need to flip the shapes around to make them fit. In Tetris, different colors and shapes are dropping all around you. In class, wide varieties of subjects are flying around. I want to talk about sonnets, my students want to talk about bisexuality. I can use the non-issue of Shakespeare's sexuality to turn the students back to sonnets so fast that they hardly know they've ventured away from fourteen lines of iambic pentameter. (The fact that the question of Shakespeare's sex life in the sonnets is unanswerable, but the sonnets provide all sorts of interesting commentary on a wide variety of human interactions--both sexual and non-sexual--makes for very interesting sessions with these 400-year-old poems.) In the meantime, students are close reading more than they've done in their lives in an effort to keep up their side in the discussion.
I will have approached the sonnets, by the way, with very specific objectives in mind. As soon as I open up a class-wide discussion or inquiry into the sonnets, however, I find that the class is led in ways that don't necessarily fill my objectives. I need to find ways to make the connections. The suggestions in the previous paragraph may help fulfill some of my objectives including close reading of difficult texts or decoding of compound/complex sentences. Still, I may also have objectives involving the structure of poetry, scansion (it was an AP class), and autobiography; or I may have an integrated vocabulary lesson built in (including lessons in connotation). I need to use the discussion to fill those objectives. It requires me to keep the objectives firmly in mind while following the potentially wide-ranging discussion.
My reward for allowing digressions then making connections, is that the connections become very powerful because students make them based on previous knowledge or associations that I would have been unaware of until I began the discussion.
It really is like a game, and, when it works, it's exhilarating.
Jeff Combe
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
More on questions
Hello everyone,
This is a reprint of a previous email:
Some more on the art of using questions in the classroom.
A frequent mistake that teachers make is to be impatient for the answer to a question in class. Silence can seem terribly uncomfortable when one is in front of a room of restless adolescents. Still, it is essential that you PAUSE after you ask a question. Don’t panic if your pause takes 10 or 15 seconds. Most of you rarely wait longer than three seconds after you ask a question, and you can easily quintuple that wait time.
If, after 15 seconds of terrible silence, no student seems inclined to answer the question, then ask someone by name and WAIT for them to answer.
Many students will simply shrug their shoulders and say (or mumble), “I dunno.” Don’t accept this for an answer. If necessary, break your first question into smaller questions that the student can successfully answer, but do not accept “I dunno” for an answer. A wrong answer gives you something to assess; “I dunno” can mean anything from “I really don’t know,” through “My mother was in the hospital last night and I’m not listening to you,” to “I knew the answer to this question in the third grade, and I don’t want to look stupid answering it in the eleventh.”
Here’s an example (not from real life; I’m choosing it because it’s an easy example, not because I mean to suggest that I have observed it)
TEACHER: What are some of the long-term effects of the Great Depression?
Pause.
Pause.
Pause.Pause.
Pause.
(After about 15 seconds of silence) Juan?
JUAN: (mumbles) I dunno.
TEACHER: What happened during the Great Depression, Juan?
JUAN: I dunno. People were out of work?
TEACHER: Good. What long-term effect did that have?JUAN: I dunno.
TEACHER: What happens when people are out of work?
JUAN: I dunno. They don’t have money?
TEACHER: Right. And if they don’t have money, how does that affect their children?
JUAN: They can’t buy stuff.
TEACHER: Right. [Teacher may comment briefly on what long-term effects may come when families can’t buy things for their children.] What’s another long-term effect, class?
Pause.
Pause. (Etc. )
These last pauses will probably not last as long as the first; once the class sees that Juan had some success with your help, and that you were willing to accept his answers, and once they see what you meant by the question, they may actually be willing to shout out answers rapidly. Honor each answer with a “right” or “almost right” or “good thinking, but no” or similar comment that fits your personality and encourages them.
Two things to remember: DON’T GET IMPATIENT AND ANSWER THE QUESTION YOURSELF, and DON’T ACCEPT “I DON’T KNOW” FOR AN ANSWER.
Jeff Combe
This is a reprint of a previous email:
Some more on the art of using questions in the classroom.
A frequent mistake that teachers make is to be impatient for the answer to a question in class. Silence can seem terribly uncomfortable when one is in front of a room of restless adolescents. Still, it is essential that you PAUSE after you ask a question. Don’t panic if your pause takes 10 or 15 seconds. Most of you rarely wait longer than three seconds after you ask a question, and you can easily quintuple that wait time.
If, after 15 seconds of terrible silence, no student seems inclined to answer the question, then ask someone by name and WAIT for them to answer.
Many students will simply shrug their shoulders and say (or mumble), “I dunno.” Don’t accept this for an answer. If necessary, break your first question into smaller questions that the student can successfully answer, but do not accept “I dunno” for an answer. A wrong answer gives you something to assess; “I dunno” can mean anything from “I really don’t know,” through “My mother was in the hospital last night and I’m not listening to you,” to “I knew the answer to this question in the third grade, and I don’t want to look stupid answering it in the eleventh.”
Here’s an example (not from real life; I’m choosing it because it’s an easy example, not because I mean to suggest that I have observed it)
TEACHER: What are some of the long-term effects of the Great Depression?
Pause.
Pause.
Pause.Pause.
Pause.
(After about 15 seconds of silence) Juan?
JUAN: (mumbles) I dunno.
TEACHER: What happened during the Great Depression, Juan?
JUAN: I dunno. People were out of work?
TEACHER: Good. What long-term effect did that have?JUAN: I dunno.
TEACHER: What happens when people are out of work?
JUAN: I dunno. They don’t have money?
TEACHER: Right. And if they don’t have money, how does that affect their children?
JUAN: They can’t buy stuff.
TEACHER: Right. [Teacher may comment briefly on what long-term effects may come when families can’t buy things for their children.] What’s another long-term effect, class?
Pause.
Pause. (Etc. )
These last pauses will probably not last as long as the first; once the class sees that Juan had some success with your help, and that you were willing to accept his answers, and once they see what you meant by the question, they may actually be willing to shout out answers rapidly. Honor each answer with a “right” or “almost right” or “good thinking, but no” or similar comment that fits your personality and encourages them.
Two things to remember: DON’T GET IMPATIENT AND ANSWER THE QUESTION YOURSELF, and DON’T ACCEPT “I DON’T KNOW” FOR AN ANSWER.
Jeff Combe
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
A question of questions
Hello everyone,
I've decided that I will redistribute some emails that I sent last year on questions and classroom discussion. I hope you find them useful:
A Question of Questions
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the nature and use of questions in the classroom, either originating with the teacher or the students.
For teachers there are a few principles to keep in mind, and I’ll spend a few emails treating them.
First Principle: All student questions are valuable.
I know that some student questions seem really annoying. Sometimes students slyly ask questions as a way of disrupting the class or delaying the lesson. More on those later. For now, I simply want to assert the value of all questions. They should be encouraged as much as possible. We should value a culture that fosters questions (searching for answers) and questioning (expressing doubt or skepticism). When such a culture is created in the classroom, wonderful things begin to happen.
This means that we have to listen carefully for questions that are either spoken or implied, and we have to be willing to answer all of them. (A spoken question: “What do you mean?” An implied question: “I don’t get it.”)
Sometimes the answer may be deferred: “I don’t know that answer to that question, but I will find out before tomorrow.” Or, “Does anyone know the answer to the question?” Or, “I would be willing to answer that question, but not during class time. Please see me after class.”
Sometimes the answer may be no, or one of its variants: “No, I don’t allow students to go to the bathroom during class.” Or, “That question is personal, and I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind.”
Sometimes the question may be whispered. You judge if it’s worth picking up on. A question whispered to you in confidence ought to be answered in confidence. A question whispered to another student that’s on the topic may be answered publicly without embarrassing the student. A whispered question off topic may be ignored.
(If I see two students whispering to each other while I’m talking, I stop and ask, “Do you have a question?” If they do, I answer it. If they don’t, and were only talking, I say, “Oh, then please don’t talk while I’m talking.” They almost always apologize and are more respectful afterward.)
If a student keeps asking the same, annoying question over and over, it usually means that the student doesn’t understand, and you must find another way to communicate. (Rarely the student is just being annoying; if so, defer the answer to after class, and the student will usually drop the tactic. Still, treat the question as if it’s serious, and simply requires some individual attention.)
Occasionally, seemingly off-topic questions will give you inroads into the topic. “Was Shakespeare gay?” was a favorite of many of my students. A serious examination of that question can’t be done without a close reading of the sonnets and a look at the poet’s life. The question actually leads to close reading, which is a great thing. It also leads to the inevitable conclusion that the evidence is inconclusive and open to speculation, which can provoke all sorts of research topics.
“Why do we have to do this?” is a terrific question. A thorough answer is often a terrific metacognitive exercise. It also can lead to some very useful connections with the student’s life and practical uses of knowledge; or, for me at least, it often leads to the one necessary lesson a year on the intrinsic value of knowledge (apart from its practical applications).
The idea here is that no question should be dismissed. All questions should be taken seriously. A culture of asking and answering questions ought to be fostered in the classroom.
More on this tomorrow.
Jeff Combe
I've decided that I will redistribute some emails that I sent last year on questions and classroom discussion. I hope you find them useful:
A Question of Questions
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the nature and use of questions in the classroom, either originating with the teacher or the students.
For teachers there are a few principles to keep in mind, and I’ll spend a few emails treating them.
First Principle: All student questions are valuable.
I know that some student questions seem really annoying. Sometimes students slyly ask questions as a way of disrupting the class or delaying the lesson. More on those later. For now, I simply want to assert the value of all questions. They should be encouraged as much as possible. We should value a culture that fosters questions (searching for answers) and questioning (expressing doubt or skepticism). When such a culture is created in the classroom, wonderful things begin to happen.
This means that we have to listen carefully for questions that are either spoken or implied, and we have to be willing to answer all of them. (A spoken question: “What do you mean?” An implied question: “I don’t get it.”)
Sometimes the answer may be deferred: “I don’t know that answer to that question, but I will find out before tomorrow.” Or, “Does anyone know the answer to the question?” Or, “I would be willing to answer that question, but not during class time. Please see me after class.”
Sometimes the answer may be no, or one of its variants: “No, I don’t allow students to go to the bathroom during class.” Or, “That question is personal, and I’d rather not talk about it if you don’t mind.”
Sometimes the question may be whispered. You judge if it’s worth picking up on. A question whispered to you in confidence ought to be answered in confidence. A question whispered to another student that’s on the topic may be answered publicly without embarrassing the student. A whispered question off topic may be ignored.
(If I see two students whispering to each other while I’m talking, I stop and ask, “Do you have a question?” If they do, I answer it. If they don’t, and were only talking, I say, “Oh, then please don’t talk while I’m talking.” They almost always apologize and are more respectful afterward.)
If a student keeps asking the same, annoying question over and over, it usually means that the student doesn’t understand, and you must find another way to communicate. (Rarely the student is just being annoying; if so, defer the answer to after class, and the student will usually drop the tactic. Still, treat the question as if it’s serious, and simply requires some individual attention.)
Occasionally, seemingly off-topic questions will give you inroads into the topic. “Was Shakespeare gay?” was a favorite of many of my students. A serious examination of that question can’t be done without a close reading of the sonnets and a look at the poet’s life. The question actually leads to close reading, which is a great thing. It also leads to the inevitable conclusion that the evidence is inconclusive and open to speculation, which can provoke all sorts of research topics.
“Why do we have to do this?” is a terrific question. A thorough answer is often a terrific metacognitive exercise. It also can lead to some very useful connections with the student’s life and practical uses of knowledge; or, for me at least, it often leads to the one necessary lesson a year on the intrinsic value of knowledge (apart from its practical applications).
The idea here is that no question should be dismissed. All questions should be taken seriously. A culture of asking and answering questions ought to be fostered in the classroom.
More on this tomorrow.
Jeff Combe
Monday, March 3, 2008
How to proportion classroom activities
Hello everyone,
As you reflect on your teaching, a thing to consider is the proportion of time to each activity in your instruction.
There are only a certain number of things a teacher can do in the time allotted.
You can talk; your students can talk; you can do something kinesthetic activity ( i.e., you could do a demonstration of something); your students can do something (i.e., practice what you demonstrated); you can read; your students can read; you can write; your students can write; you can solve problems; your students can solve problems.
Each of these ten things--as all things in life, I suppose--may be either good or bad in proportion. For instance, students need instruction from you, but it's bad if you talk too much; students need to communicate with each other, but it's bad if they out of turn or use vulgar language. Make sure that each activity is appropriate, instructional, and in good proportion.
Let me give a few ideas that you should consider as you proportion activities in your class.
In general, the less you talk, the better. However, don't reduce the amount of talking you do to a point that you are superfluous in the class, or no instruction is happening at all. Sometimes you simply need to lecture; keep in mind, however, that lecture is generally a poor way of teaching something.
When students talk, you need to monitor what they say. They must be on task and accountable. In another email, I will give suggestions on how to start and sustain a discussion. Good discussions are a very efficient way of delivering information, expanding on that information, and assessing.
I think that, in general, it's better to have students do an activity that allows them to practice skills than it is to describe the skills to them. A role play that allows your students to write their own constitution will teach them more about constitutions than a half hundred lectures. Foreign languages must be spoken to be learned. Find ways to have your students use their skills practically, and you will find that they retain their skills much better.
I have found that students rarely read at home, and that it's difficult to hold them accountable for at-home reading, but it's very easy to hold them accountable for at-home writing. Therefore, I proportioned my classes so that we did a lot of reading in class and a lot of writing at home.
Practically speaking, problems solved outside the teacher's supervision are frequently copied from other students and not solved at all; further, problems solved by the teacher are rarely absorbed. Find ways to have your students achieve mastery in problem solving in the classroom so that they practice at home, and the inevitable cheating is minimized in scope and effect.
If I were planning an English class, keeping in mind that I will meet with the students for one hour, and they will have 45 minutes of homework from me, I might proportion the class this way:
5-10 minutes free writing in class.
10 minutes of lecture helping students access the day's reading.
30-45 minutes of combined reading, classroom discussion on the reading, and role playing based on the reading. (Some reading may be done at home.)
5 minutes of oral assessment (may be combined with reading and discussion) covering the day's reading.
35-45 minutes writing (most will be done at home).
NOTE: All management (taking roll, passing out/collecting papers) is done simultaneously with the above. There is no "free time."
TOTAL: One hour, 45 minutes
In summary then: You talk less; they think more. Get them into practical applications, role play, and movement as much as possible. Necessary reading is done in class; writing is frequently done at home. Essential problem solving mastered in class, practiced at home.
I'm speaking of ideals, and my example is only in language arts, but I hope you get a reasonable idea on how to set up priorities and make proportions.
Jeff Combe
As you reflect on your teaching, a thing to consider is the proportion of time to each activity in your instruction.
There are only a certain number of things a teacher can do in the time allotted.
You can talk; your students can talk; you can do something kinesthetic activity ( i.e., you could do a demonstration of something); your students can do something (i.e., practice what you demonstrated); you can read; your students can read; you can write; your students can write; you can solve problems; your students can solve problems.
Each of these ten things--as all things in life, I suppose--may be either good or bad in proportion. For instance, students need instruction from you, but it's bad if you talk too much; students need to communicate with each other, but it's bad if they out of turn or use vulgar language. Make sure that each activity is appropriate, instructional, and in good proportion.
Let me give a few ideas that you should consider as you proportion activities in your class.
In general, the less you talk, the better. However, don't reduce the amount of talking you do to a point that you are superfluous in the class, or no instruction is happening at all. Sometimes you simply need to lecture; keep in mind, however, that lecture is generally a poor way of teaching something.
When students talk, you need to monitor what they say. They must be on task and accountable. In another email, I will give suggestions on how to start and sustain a discussion. Good discussions are a very efficient way of delivering information, expanding on that information, and assessing.
I think that, in general, it's better to have students do an activity that allows them to practice skills than it is to describe the skills to them. A role play that allows your students to write their own constitution will teach them more about constitutions than a half hundred lectures. Foreign languages must be spoken to be learned. Find ways to have your students use their skills practically, and you will find that they retain their skills much better.
I have found that students rarely read at home, and that it's difficult to hold them accountable for at-home reading, but it's very easy to hold them accountable for at-home writing. Therefore, I proportioned my classes so that we did a lot of reading in class and a lot of writing at home.
Practically speaking, problems solved outside the teacher's supervision are frequently copied from other students and not solved at all; further, problems solved by the teacher are rarely absorbed. Find ways to have your students achieve mastery in problem solving in the classroom so that they practice at home, and the inevitable cheating is minimized in scope and effect.
If I were planning an English class, keeping in mind that I will meet with the students for one hour, and they will have 45 minutes of homework from me, I might proportion the class this way:
5-10 minutes free writing in class.
10 minutes of lecture helping students access the day's reading.
30-45 minutes of combined reading, classroom discussion on the reading, and role playing based on the reading. (Some reading may be done at home.)
5 minutes of oral assessment (may be combined with reading and discussion) covering the day's reading.
35-45 minutes writing (most will be done at home).
NOTE: All management (taking roll, passing out/collecting papers) is done simultaneously with the above. There is no "free time."
TOTAL: One hour, 45 minutes
In summary then: You talk less; they think more. Get them into practical applications, role play, and movement as much as possible. Necessary reading is done in class; writing is frequently done at home. Essential problem solving mastered in class, practiced at home.
I'm speaking of ideals, and my example is only in language arts, but I hope you get a reasonable idea on how to set up priorities and make proportions.
Jeff Combe
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