Shifting Roles

What's the difference between a classroom teacher and a textbook author?

See, I know that you are all set for some snide punch line about curriculum writers, but actually, my motivation for this post is in defense of the 'other side.'

I should start by saying that the reason for my idleness since March is that I started a new job as a mainstream editor of secondary math resources. While this is not my first experience in the professional publishing industry, this past year has been a fascinating mental shift from classroom teaching, to independent writing, and now to my current role as a cog in a great big machine.

In my current project, I have spent over 300 hours pouring over every detail of a teacher's edition for a new pre-algebra program. The program includes animated media clips for daily lesson hooks, scripted teacher presentations that include digital slides/screens, daily student workshop routines, solutions and coaching prompts for anticipated student shortcomings, journal prompts, formative and summative assessments, digital math tools for presentation or student use, online homework with integrated media supports, and on and on.

Is it perfect? Certainly not. But boy, is it comprehensive.

My reason for saying all this is not for promotion of either this particular curriculum or company (who shall both remain nameless), but rather a two-fold defense for the corporate model of educational publishing:

• First, take a closer look at the current mountain of resources in your department's resource closet. Find one that jives with you and really delve into all that it has to offer. You'll probably be surprised. Cut and paste tactics are not really the best for continuity, so stick with one. And if your closet is old and full of terrible resources that you hate, don't dismiss the entire industry. There ARE good curriculum packages out there. Look carefully and critically, make the district see your case for investment in new resources, and the payoff is huge. Imagine the joy of not needing to create everything from scratch.
• Second, I LOVE TeachersPayTeachers.com. I have my own storefront, and I love browsing the beautiful, creative, and inexpensive resources that other teachers have posted there. But, shame on you Paul Edelman for the slogan "Teachers Pay Teachers, not big corporations... it's about time." There are some things that large teams of authors, editors, artists, programmers, and analysts can do better than individual teachers. Honestly, I think current, integrated, and comprehensive curriculum programs fall into that category. Yes, there are faults, and yes, there is room for competition from the classroom perspective, but I think teachers will be better equipped to survive as partners to big corporations, rather than opponents. As an inexpensive and creative way to supplement an existing program, BRAVO! As a protest against corporations, not so much.

After all, believe it or not, both teachers and corporations are interested in the academic success of our students. Just imagine where we could take those kids in a consolidated effort.

A Note to My Former Self

Dear Me,

You're young, smart, ambitious, and about to embark on a wonderful adventure as a teacher. I know you are packed full of information and education about how to be the best possible teacher you can be... the enthusiasm, creativity, and energy are glowing around you. But I have a little bit of advice for you that isn't so academic. Maybe you will listen to your future self.

1. Don't reinvent the wheel. Yes, your ideas are wonderful, engaging, and creative... but you will burn yourself out faster than a candle in a vacuum if you try to recreate the whole curriculum. A healthy dose of trust and humility will take you far. Try to focus on building one or two creative ideas a month. Over the years, you will have plenty of time to build a terrific repertoire that makes you proud. In the meantime, look around - an abundance  of wonderful resources are just waiting for you to utilize them.
2. Share and share alike. Some people are not so good at sharing the ideas and resources that they create... maybe out of fear of criticism, or perhaps a lack of confidence. Luckily, this has never been your trouble. Your enthusiasm for getting your ideas out there will take you far. But don't forget the other side of the coin: invest time in listening to other ideas (even if you disagree at first) and don't be afraid to ask others to share with you. People want to help you; let them. Just treat your peers with respect and appreciation and you will be amazed by the wonders of reaping the benefits of someone else's experiences.
3. Reserve judgement as much as possible. I know that there are plenty of people who appear to be slackers, grumps, nay-sayers, users, and just plain jerks. As a nose-to-the-grindstone bundle of creative energy, it is so easy to criticize and see faults. Someday soon you will experience more of life's challenges: difficult or unreasonable students/parents, demanding administration, mountains of grading, illness, 24-hour infants, family management, ailing parents, crushing debt, and numerous untold emergency situations. You will see how easy it is to get bogged down and worn out, and then you will wish you could go back in time and just give those people a hug.
4. Enjoy your peers. Go out for beers on a Friday afternoon. Invite them over for a planning party at your place. Go to conferences together. Meet their families. And don't hide in your classroom at lunchtime... eat lunch together! These people are your best resource and safety net for retaining sanity in this job. Treat these relationships with the utmost respect, and don't forget to invite the grumps too. Some of them will surprise you. I promise.
5. Be diligent about keeping a diary. A key ingredient of personal improvement and professional development is self-reflection. Time spent on revisiting the day's (or week's) successes and failures is time well spent, and the rewards are even greater if this reflection is shared in a community of peers: like a blog. Just remember that the feedback you elicit will reflect the tone of your comments, so if you want constructive and uplifting feedback, dish out the same.
6. Make organization a top priority. One year, you will need to move out of state, and you will be inspired to go on an organizational blitz so that you can share your legacy with the friends/peers you leave behind. The fruits of this blitz will be wonderful paper and digital archives. I have relied upon these archives more times than you can imagine... and have regretted the multitudes of resources that have since gotten lost in piles (real and virtual). Think of me, your future self, as your very best friend - making my life easier will be rewarded handsomely.
7. Use your summertime wisely. You will be exhausted when the school year ends. I know you will have worked hard for 80 hours a week (or more) all year long and you will not be able to think of anyone who deserves a 2 month vacation more than you. I'm here to tell you that it gets easier... but do you know what really makes the difference in time demands? Preparation and organization. Give yourself ONE month of vacation. Really, it's enough... because your future self will thank you for the time spent cleaning up last year's mess and creating thoughtful, reusable plans for the future.

Most of all: Keep your head up. Breathe deeply. And don't let the turkeys get you down. Lots of beautiful people and wonderful experiences are coming your way. Don't forget to enjoy the ride.

Lots of love,
Your future self

Good Math Teachers Are Alive and Well!

The state of mathematics education in this country is not as hopeless as we are led to believe. I’m here to say that good math teachers are alive and well in the United States. Critical thinking, intrigue, enthusiasm, real applications, and in-depth problems abound in high school math classrooms across the country. I’ve seen it, and I will testify to its existence.  So, let’s make some noise. Contribute, share, grow. That’s what I have in mind.

My first thought is to start with big ideas and see where that goes. The Understanding by Design (UbD) framework calls these big ideas “Essential Questions.”  A google search of ‘essential questions in math’ led me to a list of 150+essential questions in math. Seems like a good place to start, but alas, as I read through these, my suspicions are confirmed.  Many of these 'essential' questions seem to fall into one (or both) of these two categories:

1. I can rattle the answer off in a couple of sentences.
2. I don’t care.

How about a list of questions that is intriguing to me AND to a typical high school kid? How about some questions that rise above a particular piece of content and apply to a whole variety of mathematical topics? I think the list will be shorter than 150, but who knows?

So, I start this blog with a healthy dose of humility and a shout out to all those who have mentored and inspired me in this particular endeavor:

To Ron, whose excitement and enthusiasm for math and teaching led thousands of his students and colleagues to a love of mathematics. To Rich and John, who showed me that the supply of deep and intriguing problems is endless and not as elusive as I thought. To Isaac, Mary, Steve, Andrew, Margie, Rich, and so many others who never let me forget that collaboration is so much more fun (and effective) than independent work. To Mark, who shows me that there is no shortcut through hard work. To Alice, who teaches me that real genius is not an act; it’s an action. To Colleen, who constantly reminds me that I can be better.  To Jen, who showed me how to make anything look fun.  To Diana, Bob, Abdellah, Brian, Ivan, Yuri, Ann, Nick, and Joan who taught me how to make math sound reasonable. And to my parents, who taught me that if higher knowledge is the goal, then critical and creative thinking is the path.

And thanks to you too. I look forward to working with you.