The professional ENGLISH journal of the California ... · I started wood turning in my father’s...

California

ENGLISH

What Makes a Great Teacher?

The professionaljournal of the

CaliforniaAssociation

of Teachers ofEnglish

Volume 16, No.1 September 2010

Call for Proposals is now posted onwww.catenet.org/cate2011/index.htm

Questions? – contact Michelle Berry at [email protected]

CATE 2011 inSacramento

February 11-13

“NEVERMORE

CRUCIAL”

September 2010Volume 16 • Number 1

Professional and Personal LivesAnna Roseboro8

“Wood turning treads the path between art andcraft. I started wood turning in my father’s shop when Iwas nine and returned to the lathe when I retiredtwelve years ago.

Like sculpture, wood turning is subtractive. While ablock of wood is spinning on a lathe, sharpened toolsare held at the surface and wood is cut away. The endresults are bowls, boxes, platters, trays, dishes, andhundreds of other kinds of objects. Surfaces aresometimes embellished with color, carving, and inlaidmetals or stone; however the natural grain patternsexposed on the work are often a wonderful surpriseand are left to speak for themselves.

I was a biology teacher and high school principal.When I am not in the shop, I am chasing grandchildrenor trout. And what I miss most in retirement iswatching the lights go on in the eyes of students. Butthat isn’t one of the “standards”, is it?”

The Artist of this Issue:

Mike Lorch

What Makes a Great TeacherMichael Long6

Greatness in the Classroom DefinedAlfee Enciso10

In This Issue

Features andColumns

CATE 2011 – 2 President’s Perspective – 4

Editor’s Column – 5 Call for MSS – 5

CATE Membership Dues Update – 19

Asilomar 59 – 18 Research Update – 20

Letters from My StudentsCarmen Carillo14

ENGLISH

We tell them ..........a poem by Sheila Diaz16

Great Teachers LurkKeith Vance12

California

What Makes a Great Teacher?Gwenn Lei18

Shown above: At Work on Pele’s Eyes (see p.21); Shown on the Cover: Magnolia with Leaves (12x7)

Going SoftJulia Brett17

– California English • Vol. 16.1 • September 2010 • page 4 –

CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF

TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident – Charleen Delfino (2012)

Past President – Robert Chapman (2012)

Vice-President – Liz McAninch (2012)

Secretary – Carrie Danielson (2011)

Treasurer – Anne Fristrom, (2012)

Council Representatives

Capitol: Angus Dunstan • Central: Susan Dillon

Fresno (FACET): Shannon Taylor • Kern: Kim Flachmann

Redwood: Anne Sahlberg • San Diego: Lisa Ledri-Aguilar

Southland: Nancy Himel • Tulare: Carol Surabian

• Upper: Shelly Medford

Members-at-Large

Denise Mikkonen (Elementary, 2012)

Karen Brown (Middle, 2011)

Jim Kliegl (Secondary, 2012)

Cheryl Hogue Smith (College, 2011)

Jill Hamilton-Bunch (Small, 2012)

Richard Hockensmith (Unspecified, 2012)

Ron Lauderback (Unspecified, 2012)

Chairpersons

Membership Chair – Joan Williams (2011)

Resolutions Chair – Kathleen Cecil (2010)

Policy–Angus Dunstan (2010)

Conventions

Convention Coordinator : Punky Fristrom

Registrar: Edwin Hase • Exhibit Manager: Tammy Harvey

CATE 2011 Convention Chair: Michelle Berry

CATE 2012 Convention Chair: Kim Flachmann

Communications and Liaison

CATENet Moderator: Jake Stanford

CATEWebmaster: Cindy Conlin • CTA Liaison: Debra Martinez

CCCC Liaison: Bill Younglove • CYRM Liaisons: Joanne Mitchell

• CWP Liaison: Jayne Marlink

CALIFORNIA ENGLISHEditor: Carol JagoDesign: GoalCoast Publications, (310) 663.9905Printing: Sundance Press, Tucson, (800) 528.4827

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, ANDCIRCULATION. CALIFORNIA ENGLISH (ISSN # 0279-1161)is published five times each year in the months of September,November, February, April and June by the California Associationof Teachers of English (CATE), P.O. Box 23833, San Diego, CA92193-3833. Annual CATE dues of $40 include $35 for a one-yearsubscription. Known office of publication is 3714 Dixon Place, SanDiego, CA 92107-3739. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Diego,CA. The Editor is Carol Jago, 16040 Sunset Blvd., PacificPalisades, CA 90272. POSTMASTER Send address changes to California English, P.O. Box23833, San Diego, CA 92193-3833.

ADVERTISINGADVERTISING/EXHIBIT RATES AND INFORMATION

MAY BE OBTAINED FROM

JEFF WILSON , 19 RICHARDSON ROAD

NOVATO, CA 94949.PHONE: 415.883.3301; FAX: 415-593-7606;

E-MAIL: [email protected]

On Monday, August 2,California State Superintendent ofPublic Instruction Jack O’Connellannounced that the State Boardof Education voted to adopt theCommon Core State standards.

“The adoption of theCommon Core State standards is agreat step forward in California’seffort to close the achievement

gap and prepare all students forcollege and careers in the 21st century,” O’Connell said. “TheCommon Core State Standards have been internationallybenchmarked, are research-based, and are unequivocallyrigorous. They are designed to be relevant to the real world...

“California has made significant strides in increasingstudent achievement since we implemented a standards-basededucation system. However, despite our progress, theachievement gap persists and leaves far too many students ofcolor and poverty behind their peers. I have directed my staffat the California Department of Education to develop a timelineand plan for implementing the standards. This will require newcurriculum frameworks, innovative instructional materials,richer and deeper assessments, and improved accountabilitymeasures. I look forward to seeing the results as the CommonCore standards are fully implemented in California.”

While teachers may be concerned about the amount andkinds of literature to be taught—partial texts, less fiction—and the process for teaching writing, most teachers do not seemto have a quarrel with the standards themselves. The real testof the standards will be in the development of new curriculumframeworks, instructional materials and assessment tools thatwill measure how the standards are being met. How this will bedone in a time of budget distress remains to be seen.

Although teachers will have varied responses to the corestandards and how they are implemented, the businesscommunity and the media may have still a very differentresponse. On July 26 Sharon Noguchi an education writer forthe San Jose Mercury News stated, “Think of what you’ve readin recent days, and the list might include a Facebook post…anonline review of the Droid X phone and an explanation of whyyour insurance isn’t covering your latest doctor’s visit.

“Yet children in school read mostly fiction, from “The VeryHungry Caterpillar” to Macbeth.”

“In a few years, K-12 students’ reading lists may expandto include more of that other stuff: more multimedia texts,scientific and technical articles, persuasive arguments and othernonfiction—and fewer storybooks and novels.

Noguchi continues, “Although California standardscurrently include nonfiction—by 10th grade students aresupposed to be able to analyze some workplace documents—the proposed standards progressively shift the focus.

”By grade 12, its closer to 50-50” literature andinformation, said Gregory Geeting, chairman of the state’s 21-member California State Academic Content StandardsCommissions that this month recommended the standards.”

I worry that as the pendulum swings to include morefactual information and multimedia texts, it will sweep novels,drama and poetry off the curriculum. Teachers know that weneed to prepare students for the future of a technology worldthat is moving faster than we can even imagine, and studentsneed to be prepared for “real-world reading,” but it need notbe one at the expense of the other. Yes, science and technicaltexts can be used to teach reading and to improve literacy andcomprehension; however, those are not the only reason or eventhe main reason that novels and poetry are taught.

Either those in the media and business leaders have lostsight of why literature was included in the curriculum or theynever understood. Teachers can give many reasons why weteach literature but I am sure that the list will include some ofthe following: a forum to discuss values; a way to developcomplex thinking and understanding; a way to look at theworld and challenge other viewpoints; a means to see thecomplexity and distinctions for understanding the world; a wayto understand differences and similarities among cultures,religions and social groups; a format to increase understandingof people and their motivations among many others.

In addition to the teaching of literature, I am concernedabout how the teaching of writing will be developed as the corestandards are implemented. In the articles I have read in thenews media, the teaching of reading seems to be takingprecedence and writing is scarcely mentioned. I don’t think weshould fear the standards, but we do need to make sure thatteachers’ voices are heard when the frameworks, instructionalmaterials and assessments are developed.

It will be imperative that teachers read and understand thestandards (http://www.corestandards.org/) and follow theactions taken by the state to implement them. In spite of thefact that you are incredibly busy, consider volunteering to serveon school, district, and county level committees that arediscussing the standards and their implementation. Discussthem with the teachers you know and become involved withthose groups that represent you—the California WritingProject, the California Reading Project, and of course—CATEwho will be involved in the process. We will keep you informedand encourage the sharing of viewpoints and questions. If yougo to the CATE web sight, (http://www.cateweb.org./) andthen click on “Contact Us”, you can e-mail any member of theCATE Board to voice your opinions and concerns.

resident’serspectiveP

Charleen Delfino


In the many years Ihave been editingCalifornia English, no

call for manuscripts hasgarnered more submissionsthan this issue on “WhatMakes a Great Teacher.” Teachers from across the state wrotepassionate testimonials to teachers who have changed their livesas well as engaging descriptions of the kind of teachers they tryto be. I wish we could have published them all and want tothank publicly the many writers who produced excellent articlesthat could not be accommodated within these pages.

Budgetary considerations required CATE to reduce thenumber of pages for our journal. In an effort to serve you, ourmembers, best, we have maintained the number of issues peryear at five but cut the page count to trim publication costs. Wehope that as better economic times ensue we will be able toreturn to our original size.

It seems particularly important to focus on the issue ofgreat teaching as we embark upon a new school year — aschool year in which many face increased class size, limitedinstructional materials budgets, and cuts to administrative,counseling, and custodial assistance. In many districts, even thelength of the school year has been cut. Everyone is going to betrying to do more with less. One response to the situation is totrim our sails. The public should get what it pays for. Thearticles in this issue suggest a different response. Each of thesewriters offers a vision of the kind of teaching that taps a

different well, resources of the heart. Without pretending thatschool funding isn’t critical, they offer stories of teaching thatmatters, that changes lives, and that may someday change theworld. I hope you draw as much inspiration from them as Ihave.

However much powers that be try to define the ingredientsof teacher quality, the potion that makes for great teaching isno simple recipe.

Great teaching seldom occurs in isolation. We need morethan a little help from our friends. In the coming school yearreach out to colleagues who are struggling or discouraged.Attend gatherings of teachers where positive thinking andsharing are in abundance. Plan to be a part of Asilomar 59 inPacific Grove, September 24-26; the Southland Council ofTeachers of English fall conference, “Flourishing inChallenging Times,” October 9, the National Council ofTeachers of English convention in Orlando, November 18-21;and of course CATE2011 in Sacramento, February 11-13. Thetheme is apt: “Never More Crucial.”

Great teachers do more than talk the talk. As you attend tothe overwhelming demands of your students, don’t forget toattend to your own needs as a reader and writer. I always findthat having a good book at hand at the end of the day helpsremind me why I do this work at all. Writing helps me makesense of the nonsense that is all around me. Join a book club orwriting group. The discipline can help insure that you feedyourself along with serving your students. Two books Irecommend for your reading pleasure are The Immortal Life ofHenrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and The ThousandAutumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. No matter howlittle time you think you have for your own reading, as the greatWestern humorist Will Rogers once said, “You can’t teach whatyou don’t do any more than you can come back from where youain’t been.”

Bon courage, mes amis.

NOVEMBER 2010, NEVER MORE CRUCIAL (DEADLINE OCTOBER 1, 2010)We are both blessed and challenged to live in “interesting times” in

education. What has become apparent is that it has never been morecrucial for teachers’ voices to be heard in public discourse about teachingand learning. California English invites you to make your views public. Whatshould be happening at your school site that isn’t? How is it ever morecrucial to discover and meet your students’ needs? Why is it crucial forcurriculum to be rich and engaging as well as rigorous? Why is it so crucialfor our professional development to be meaningful?

FEBRUARY 2011, THE COMMON CORE: WHAT’S IN A LIST?, (DEADLINE JAN. 15)The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts include a

list of what they call “text exemplars” — books, poems, and plays thatillustrate the level of complexity and quality of the texts students should bereading. The list is expressly NOT meant to be a partial or complete readinglist. Let’s expand this list. What books do you think students should bereading? Choose a work that you’ve taught or put in students’ hands thatyou would recommend to others and offer a rationale for its complexity andquality. Let’s put teachers’ expertise at the center of curricular development.

Manuscripts are peer-reviewed. Please send all submissions to California English editor, Carol Jago. Articles should be limited to 2,500 words. Please submit manuscripts [email protected] or contact Carol Jago at the same e-mail address. MSS should, by preference, be submitted in Microsoft Word or pasted into an e-mail message.

CALL FOR MANUSCRIPTS

From theEditor

Carol Jago


Afew years ago, while walking past a yard sale with my son, Ispotted an intriguing, broken-down chair and my son queried ifI could fix it. Pausing, I examined the chair, imagining its

potential and admiring its hard-carved, unique qualities. It was amess, but with patience, time, research and quite a lot of elbowgrease, this handsome piece could be returned to its grand purpose.Shrugging and nonchalantly explaining that, of course, I could repairthe old chair, I smiled when he pushed further with a decisive, “yeah,but will you?” I told him I’d think about it. And I did.

You see, a simple moment turned profound when it occurred tome that each year I walk into a classroom full of quite the variety oflearners. Some, like broken-down chairs, seem to have lost theirstability and purpose, while others thrive, learning at a steady,predictable pace. Oh, we teachers always tell ourselves we believe allstudents can learn, but do we really believe they will? And if so, arewe really willing to put in the research, time and elbow grease toensure this end? For that matter, what does a really great teacherhave to do to reach all of those learners? Quite frankly, I believe theanswer lies within knowing the difference between believing studentscan learn and believing they will. This is the distinguishing factorthat sets great teachers apart from the rest. Of course, the realist inall of us screams that there are other factors—such illogicalreasoning doesn’t provide the whole picture! Yet the little boy insideme knows the truth. He remembers a day when his own teacherbelieved whole-heartedly that he could make it—and saved him withher decisive faith.

Little Michael was a bit of a challenge, to say the least. Hisrough, soiled exterior and rebellious nature often belied his ability tolearn and after being overlooked by most adults in his life, he sawlittle purpose in school. His homework was sometimes complete,but often did not return to school, disappearing into thatinexplicable void somewhere between home and school. On theother hand, he loved to talk and share with others in class, just at thewrong times. His best subject was “recess” and even then he seemedto instigate quite a few problems on the playground. During class,he rarely sat still and gave the appearance of total disengagement.Perhaps, if not for an occasional sparkle in his eye or that innocentsmile, his teacher, Ms. Karen, could have easily written him off as atypical boy with little family support. After all, his parents rarelyattended school events and apparently did little to assist withhomework. If his own mom and dad chose not to support him,why should she?

Instead, Ms. Karen took Michael to the beach, brought candy tobribe him to eat his cafeteria lunch (mushy, canned peas and all),combed his hair, washed his face and even kept spare clothes for him.She laughed with him and chatted about the alphabet as if it weremagic. And of course, all of his drawings were works of art,proudly displayed on her walls. She helped him enter a local contest,

working with him after school on a drawing, and he actually wonfirst prize! So, no one was surprised the night Ms. Karen came toMichael’s first piano recital, beaming from her seat as he shylywalked on stage and took his seat at the keyboard. He was fine as hebegan his piece, but made the mistake of looking over at theaudience. The pressure of seemingly hundreds of eyes was morethan Michael could bear and he left the piano to hide behind thecurtain on stage. Without hesitation Ms. Karen hopped on stageand joined Michael behind that curtain, convincing him that hispiece would be beautiful if she sat on the edge of the seat andblocked his view of the audience. She knew he would be fine—andhe was. Perhaps to the average listener, his piano performance wasn’texactly pretty, but Michael felt proud that he made it through hischallenge, thanks to some support from a teacher. Ms. Karen, ofcourse, raved like he had performed at Carnegie Hall.

The real turning point between Michael and Ms. Karen cameafter a crazed member of Michael’s family attacked him in a drug-induced rage. Michael had done nothing wrong, but was simply inthe wrong place at the wrong time. He was an easy target andendured a beating within an inch of his life, after which he spent thenight in fear, shivering and cowering in the bushes on the hillsidebehind his family’s home. Michael, after a day in the hospital,showed up to class with a black eye, broken nose, stitches andswollen face. The authorities had done little to protect him and hismother, who was battling cancer in the hospital, knew nothing ofthe incident. Ironically, Michael was treated for injuries in the samebuilding in which his own mother ignorantly rested in her hopes thathe was “safe and sound” at home. Saddened and teary-eyed, Ms.Karen held Michael that day and promised him he’d be all right, justlike she promised on the night of the recital. In fact, she spent thenext few years making sure of it, doing whatever it took to bringhope, purpose and success to a little boy’s life. As if looking at abroken chair, she saw potential and knew he would be fixed—notjust could be. More importantly, however, Michael learned theinvaluable lesson that he could overcome his obstacles with the rightattitude and a healthy dose of belief. Michael went on to experiencesome dark and painful days in his life, but he now he had somethingdifferent inside. He knew he’d make it—and he did.

Years have passed since I last saw Ms. Karen, but I still thinkabout her often as I marvel at the lessons she strived to teach me. Ismile when I think of the hours she spent with me before school,after school and even on weekends as needed. In fact, althoughpainful memories do indeed leave a mark on one’s soul, I think abouther much more than I think about the abuse I suffered as a child.She made me feel like Van Gogh, Mozart and a brilliant reader. Butwhat she did for my outlook on life was far more powerful. Whilemy abusers are long gone, an occasional dark memory lingers for thelittle Michael in me—but never long enough to overshadow those

What Makes a Great Teacher Michael Long


powerful life lessons, which I now strive to pass along to my ownstudents. The difference between believing students can besuccessful and knowing they will provides the foundation for nearlyall that I do. As I move forward and carry the torch Ms. Karenpassed to me, I strive to do whatever it takes to impact learning andlives. Sometimes my actions are purely instructional: if a classcannot conceptualize or see the importance of the 1607 voyage ofthe Susan Constant across the Atlantic, why not turn the classroominto a ship, dress like a captain and take them on the journey? Thewaters may be dangerous and the quarters crammed, but the ship’sbiscuits aren’t mouldy because I baked them the night before atmidnight. But most importantly, the passage will guarantee a deeperperspective on the journey that led to the birth of our nation. Otherendeavors center upon daily living: I keep spare clothes for studentsin my closet at school, take students and their families home fordinner, attend their sporting events and include them in my own lifeevents. Sometimes it may take them a while to truly trust me, butthe end result has become somewhat predictable--and alwaysexciting. Those whom are “believed in” grow like well-wateredplants, producing their own blooms of self-belief and success.

The realist in me knows that not all good teachers can affordsuch a life commitment, but my experience tells me the great onescannot afford not to. Answering to a calling impossible to articulate,these teachers seek to bridge a gap others find impossible to span.They create schools so powerful, that if shut down, they would leavea crater in the community. Great teachers dwell not on whatstudents cannot do, but instead, upon what students can do, andthen spend a lifetime of efforts ensuring this end. They dress incharacter, read in voices and laugh and cry with their students in asingle day. Instead of assigning an essay on blank paper with that“get to work attitude” they scaffold the learners in their classrooms,creating writing frames for English learners and struggling writerswhile, at the same time, artfully deepening the levels of response fortheir advanced learners. They stay late to help students and thenrush off to work side jobs to make ends meet, only to spend everylast dime on their classrooms. When they get home from those sidejobs, they grade papers till their vision blurs or they fall asleep in theprocess. They sense when a history book is not enough, so they packup class, put their students on a plane and teach them that historylesson on location. They may sleep little or keep odd hours andmight even burn the midnight oil long enough to write an entirewriting curriculum for the struggling English learners of theirdistrict. But one thing is certain: all great teachers believe in theirstudents and know the self-sacrifice and endless rigors of what ittakes to put that belief into action. What makes a great teacher? Inthe same way that “good and great” are not the same, the great onesknow the difference between “can and will” and teach it to theirstudents.

Wondering whatever happened to the old chair? Well, after afew hours of thought, I decided to return to the yard sale, only to

discover that someone had already bought it. Gone was myopportunity to repair a wonderful old piece, and I jealously hoped itwent to someone who would truly appreciate it. I also realized Inever want to miss out on an opportunity to refurbish a student!On a whim, I asked the owner of the house if she happened to knowwho purchased the chair. With a smile on her face she laughed,“That old thing went to a teacher who lives a few blocks away. Iguess she must have seen some potential.” As I walked away, silentlyfingering the scar from the stitches in my chin, I felt immensegratitude for the very special someone who had seen the potential inme as well.

About the Author:With 12 years of teaching experience, Michael Long currently

serves as an instructional coach and upper elementary school teacherfor the South Whittier School District. Michael was namedCalifornia Teacher of the Year in 2008 as well as 2007 Biola

University Alumni Educator of the Year for his work with EnglishLanguage Learners and at-risk students.

– California English • Vol. 16.1 • September 2010 • page 8 –Shown here: Maple with Wrap (5x8)

Totally exhausted after a thoroughly exasperating week, you wonder,“How do great teachers stay on top of their game and retain theenergy and enthusiasm to return to the classroom year after year?”

Sipping a soothing cup of green tea, you ponder, “Why are so manylong term educators still healthy and happy, successful and satisfied withtheir career choice?” Another sip. Ah, that’s better.

The knot in your lower back loosens a bit. A little calmer, a little lessstressed, you smile and envision the faces of those experienced teacherswhom you would call ‘great” and you even try to see yourself amongtheir ranks. However, you glance at the stack of papers still to be gradedand you sigh, “Never. Not me. Errrr. Not I!” Whatever.

Whether a novice or veteran in the field, you know that no matterhow much time you give to school work, there always is more to bedone. “How do they do it?” stays in the front of your mind. Myriadanswers swirl as you pick up your pen readying yourself to get back towork. One reason may crystallize for you as it did for me when Iconsidered what I’ve observed over the years. Great teachers somehowmanage to achieve personal/professional balance.

An aside before I continue. I was in the middle of drafting thisessay when the June 2010 issue of California English arrived in the mail.The theme that month was “Letters to a Young Teacher.” “Wow,” Ithought,” these clearly are “great teachers” sharing what they’ve learnedafter years in the classroom. They’ve written with passion and honestyabout some of the issues I was going to address in my essay. What shallI do now?” Answer? Borrow, blend and balance. Please indulge me as Iincorporate quotations from my articulate colleagues into my musingson what makes a great teacher. Thank you. Now, back to my essay.

Great teachers, I’ve learned, accept that they are the professional inthe classroom and do all they can to maintain a respectful distancebetween themselves and the students. However, these same teachersknow that success in the classroom means getting to know their students

as individuals and learning about their personal lives. They’ve learned toshape lessons that are of interest to their students, lessons that build onwhat students know as well as what they are expected to learn.Consequently, these effective teachers bridge that gap and get to knowtheir students.

You’ve seen it for yourself. Teachers chatting convivially with theirstudents about their extra-curricular activities, expressing sincere interestin their school and community involvement and discovering theresponsibilities these youngsters may have at home: helping on familyfarms, working at the store or restaurant; taking care of older oryounger family members. Some, like James Prothero’s student, drop outof school to get a job to shore up family finances. (Prothero 2010) Inthat June 2010 issue of California English, Jane Hancock acknowledged“Because I am a teacher, I have in my classroom students from all overthe world, with different cultures, religions, values, experiences. Togetherwe learn about each other and make the world a better place in which tolive.” (Hancock 2010) Teachers get to know their students asindividuals. Like Jane, they use this knowledge to select readings anddesign writing, viewing, and speaking assignments that take intoconsideration what they personally know about their students.Consequently, they and their students thrive. And, these are the teachersinvited to attend sports events, rodeos and confirmations; dance recitals,Bar Mitzvahs and Eagle Scout ceremonies. Great teachers maintain acaring, yet careful balance in their classroom.

James Prothero relates this so well in his letter “…Tale of ThreeStudents” describing his work with three young ladies whose experiencesran the gamut of dropping out of high school to being accepted atmultiple colleges and attending with scholarship funds she’d securedherself. He talked about reaching out to each of them, hoping his careand sage advice would inspire them all to reach the highest goals, but heconcluded,“…in the twenty-six years of teaching, I’vediscovered…students learn what they’re ready to learn and not before,and almost no two students learn the same things at the same time orspeed.” (Prothero 2010) He doesn’t berate himself after he’s done whathe can to bridge the gap between the personal and professional. Thesegreat teachers refuse to be discouraged for long; instead they accept theparticular personal circumstances of an individual student, build lessonsbased on what they learn, and teach those they can.

Effective teachers know the value of sharing their stories with theirstudents. Bill Younglove, in his “Welcome to the Profess…” reminds usthat “Anecdotes will be remembered by your students long after didacticlectures are forgotten.” (Younglove 2010) The bridge goes both ways.We ask for their stories; great teachers are willing to tell them theirs.These educators maintain the balance that creates willingness in studentsto be taught and to achieve, and leads to teacher success and satisfaction.

Professional and Personal LivesAnna J. Small Roseboro

– California English • Vol. 14.2 • November 2008 • page 9 –

Another area of balance relates to collegiality. Great teachers prepareand share. You’ll find that those successful educators whom you admireread widely, stay up-to-date on research, attend conferences andseminars, come back fired up and liberally pass along to others whatthey’ve learned. Few great teachers hoard what they know. At the sametime, they are open-minded and warmly welcome the insight of newcolleagues and humbly offer them support on professional and personalissues. You know them. They are the ones on whom you can depend tolisten and keep your confidence. Great teachers know that a well-informed and collegial faculty enhances student learning throughout theschool, making each co-worker more successful in his own classroom.

Great teachers strive for professional /personal balance when relatingto parents, too. The teacher is the professional hired to teach thecontent, but success comes more quickly and lasts much longer whenteachers recognize the value of cooperation. Where there is no parentinvolvement, great teachers reach out to community resources: BigBrother/Big Sister Organizations, Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H, YMCA,YWCA, and service organizations like Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions Clubsand invite their members to serve as mentors, in loco parentis. Effectiveclassroom teachers recognize they cannot do it all. Such partners helpsupport the students so they feel more confident, secure and open tolearning. These teachers are friendly towards, but not necessarily friendswith their students and their parents. Balance.

Warm and welcoming beacons of light within the schoolcommunity, great teachers are equally amiable with administrators,counselors and teachers; para-professionals, secretaries and bus drivers;janitors, crossing guards and food service personnel. BarbaraBartholomew, in, “Navigating the Waters”, stated “Where there areschools, there are politics. The first rule of being effective in your job isto understand this.” (p.28). Great teachers do, but don’t get boggeddown in one up-man-ship. Yes, they, learn to navigate the waters forpersonal advancement, but not at the expense of their co-workers.These admirable teachers generously share with any co-worker whoneeds their professional expertise. Think about it. The teacher youadmire often is the one who assists the woman who cleans his room tonavigate the legal system to obtain United States citizenship, or passesalong to the bus driver information about scholarship opportunities forher grandson. Such teachers are willing to share their professionalexpertise in personal ways.

Most readers are familiar with the idea of a Sabbath. True, Sabbathhas religious connotations, but observing Sabbath also is an attitudetoward work that schedules regular breaks. Great teachers rest regularly.No, rest is not necessarily sitting with one’s feet up, a cold drink in onehand and the DVD remote in the other. Rest can be a brief respitefrom the demands of the classroom.

Many great teachers set aside at least one day a week to do no schoolwork – a regular date night with a spouse or children; with a parent orsignificant other. If you’re a coach or club sponsor, you still can observeSabbath by focusing attention on the team or club and not on lessonpreparation and paper grading. I coached and traveled with competitive

speech teams for twelve years and resisted the temptation to take alongpapers to grade. It is surprising how efficiently one can prepare forMonday, rested and refreshed! Try it.

Like Thomas Roddy , a significant number of successful teachersfind this rest and reflection time within a church community. In hisletter, Thomas wrote that what he is learning personally from his rectoris helping him professionally on his job. Thomas passes along to youngteachers four key points from particular sermons that have become thecore of his teaching. “…show up, pay attention, tell the truth and donot hold on to the results.” (Roddy 2010) Great teachers bring fromtheir personal lives lessons to help them in their professional lives.

Those colleagues whom I admire for their balanced lives participatein activities completely unrelated to the specific subject of their teaching.One history colleague cultivates roses and enters them in the state fair;another serves on the Save the Seals committee. Some play in theirchamber orchestra or sing in a community chorus. They serve on theboard of their neighborhood library or take gourmet cooking classes.Jennifer McCormick in her California English article chose to quotefrom Langston Hughes that fit this section of my essay, “But Ilaugh/And eat well/ and grow strong.” (McCormick 2010) Do you?

Lots of teachers travel for personal and professional reasons. Theseoften are the men and women who explore museums and art galleriesand tour historical sites when they attend professional seminars,conferences and conventions. They revel in time spent with othereducators, eager to explore new ideas and catch up on research; theyexpand and extend their knowledge and are inspired by those stillenthusiastic about their careers.

Great teachers I know balance their personal and professional lives;they glow with a happy and healthy attitude towards their work andremain successful and satisfied with their career choices They probablyare the ones who inspired you to become a teacher when you grew up.That’s the case for me. Thank you, great teachers, for showing me howto balance my life and thereby enjoy teaching for over forty years.

Source CitedHancock, Jane. “Because I Am a Teacher.” California English, 15, no. 5

(June 2010): 12.McCormick, Jennifer. “Reading Langston Hughes.” ibid.: 20-23.Prothero, James. “A Tale of Three Students: Meditations on My Craft

in Dark Days.” ibid: 24-25.Roddy, Thomas. “Letter to a Young Teacher.” ibid: 10-11.Younglove, Bill. “Welcome to the Profess...” ibid: 14-17.

About the Author:Anna J. Small Roseboro is Past President of California Associationof Teachers of English (2002-2004) and since 1967 has taught in

middle school, high school and college. Her Teaching Middle SchoolLanguage Arts: Incorporating Twenty-First Century Literacies is

available at http://rowmanlittlefield.com


Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achievegreatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

– William Shakespeare

GREAT! I’m supposed to write about great teaching, great teachers, or

what it takes to be great. My initial reaction is to act silly, playwith the word like, “This topic grates on my nerves.” Or, “I’drather have my grades turned in than be great,” and thus avoid thetopic altogether. But alas, the subject intrigues, persists, and tugson my daily musings like a modern day Odysseus trying to avoidthe Sirens.

The music grabs me now and brings me to shore, but once onland I’m serious and troubled by the mistaken idea of greatness inthe English classroom. Great teachers are not to be confusedwith compelling personalities or eccentric individuals who playthe guitar for their students or read their upcoming novels tothem in class so they can get “authentic” feedback. Nor are theythe “hit it and quit it” type of instructors who record their firsttwo years of teaching in journals and then write a book orscreenplay that saves them from a lifetime of self abnegation andservice to a community’s needy students (Think DangerousMinds or The Freedom Writer’s Diary). Once they have madeit, they’re gone, while their students they “cared” so much for goround and round in a turnstile of substitutes. Nor is greatnesswisdom or brilliance on or about the printed word. Ivory Towerprofessors need not apply to the appellation. Those who know,write; those who connect, teach, and teach well. Superb teachersare not to be confused with wonderful personalities. Thesuperlative ones I know are flawed, frustrated, fragile, and even…well, you know what alliterative phrase comes to mind. Butwhen they do walk on a campus, the sniffing stops, the bonescease cracking, and the neurosis is forgotten. Once in betweenthose rows of students, their personal failings are forgotten andthe true “high” of instruction commences its apothecary magic.

Greatness isn’t won, or seen, or promoted; it’s earned. It’squiet, hungry, and determined--and hits you full throttle in theclassroom. I can’t pinpoint it but can tell you how it feels. Itmakes you mad, reflective, curious, and inspired all at once. Somuch so that you’re ready to sing and praise the good booksyou’re reading. It makes you work harder than you’ve ever workedbefore and blind to the purveyor of such high standards. Thesuperb ones do it with such an artistic deftness that you don’teven know you’re in the presence of such a personality until you’re

ten years out of school and thriving in your career. Great teachers are always busy, always tired, and always

insatiable. They forever believe in the talents of whoever is putbefore them. They come to class with the daily intensity of aKobe Bryant in a game seven because they always have somethingto share or teach you. There’s another book to read before youare truly educated, another idea to ponder, and a debate thatneeds to take place before you graduate.

I’m a fan of greatness. I keep a running tally on my tongueand tell the “newbies” I work with to do the same--stop and giveme ten.

“Who are your top ten heroes, soldier? Give them tome now.”“Yes, sir!” “There’s Yvonne, Carol, Kristen and Kristin, Sharonne,Heidi and Jane. And don’t forget about that giftedfirst year teacher Courtney and that long-term subErika McGuire and her mentor teacher from RedondoBeach. Would you like twenty more sir?”“At ease.”

My mind’s awhirl in memories, teachers, and mentors whohave blown me away.

Where do I begin?

When I first stepped foot in Yvonne Hutchinson’s classroomin 1983, I was not allowed to sit back passively and watch; sheinsisted that I actively participate in her class assignment, aresponse to literature, and then share my writing with herstudents. She practiced what she preached and demanded I dothe same. She didn’t suffer fools or phonies in the classroomlightly and was skeptical and protective about who came to herdepartment to teach in her Watts community. She would,however, if she smelled a teacher’s sincerity and desire to teachwell, come to your rescue or support. When she came to visitme for the first time, her first question, after watching me teach arather prosaic grammar lesson, was “Why?”

“Why are you teaching this particular lesson?” The question was loaded. She knew why and so did I. As an

emergency credentialed teacher, I had no business even being in aclassroom let alone teaching our city’s most needy students.Lucky for me, I answered her honestly, and to her credit, sheremained patient with me throughout my first year ordeal as anEnglish teacher.

Slowly, very slowly, I began to blossom. Four hundred bookslater (mostly at Yvonne’s urging) and a few decades in between,

Greatness in the English Classroom DefinedAlfee Enciso


and I wasn’t so much as saved but enlightened about what it takesto teach in the inner city, to be literate, and to be “professional”at all times (That last one took awhile) . Years later, Yvonnewould confide in me that even in that disaster of her first visitand other embarrassing ones thereafter, she saw something in me,a talent that just needed massaging and molding. In watching herteach her students, I saw that same endearing gift: the gift offinding the genius in her students. She would always detectsomething about their speech, a talent in their writing, or incisivecomments in their class discussions and seize upon theopportunity to make them better or thrive at the next level. Ofcourse, she tortured them with revisions, countless readings, andspeaking in complete sentences while maintaining a logicalthought process in their thinking and articulations. One of herformer students summed her up best when she recounted hercollege experience four years after leaving her middle schoolclassroom. “Whenever I’m working on a paper, I always askmyself, ‘Would this pass muster with Mrs. Hutchinson?’”

One of the tragedies of our profession is that we don’t get outmuch, even at our own schools. We rarely, if ever, get to watchour colleagues in action or see what it is they do. When I meetEnglish teachers in a group setting or at department meetings,I’m always on the lookout for the future stars in our vocation.You have to watch and listen closely because they’re not easy tofind. There’s a humility and quiet confidence about them thatgets lost in the bluster of the witted and half-witted in our ranks.Very rarely will they point the spotlight on themselves.

I remember once walking back to class from the teacher’scafeteria after lunch with this second year teacher SharonneHaupaurachy. Sharonne rarely spoke at our department meetings,and if she did, it was to inquire about her colleagues and theactivities or lessons they engaged in with their students. So itsurprised me during our reflective walk back to the bungalowswhen she stated, “I just conducted a perfect Socratic Seminar.”

What? At the time, Socratic Seminars were the latest rage in our

professional development; but despite going to several break-outsessions on the subject at various English conferences, I hadn’teven come close to refining the strategy. Dumbfounded by herclaim, I hung on her every description as if I were the beginningteacher. Since I had a conference the next period, I sat in on myneighbor’s class and witnessed the excellence first hand.Students I had never reached the previous year were guiding thediscussion, following the format, and engaged in a deep,philosophical discussion of Brutus in Julius Caesar. I even saw ayoung boy who had been in trouble with the law and our school’sdean countless times taking notes and holding forth like a collegeprofessor referring back to the text and challenging his classmates’assertions that Brutus’ speech was more effective than Mark

Antony’s.Even if we don’t sniff the rarified air of our esteemed

colleagues who work wonders in their classrooms, we can stilllearn from them. I can’t hold a candle to a Sheila Sutton when itcomes to a Writer’s Workshop or a Lois Clark in LiteratureCircles, but I can emulate everything they do and use it with myown learners. Even more so, we can all create these sublimemoments or seize upon them when the opportunity arises. Thiscan happen when we least expect it.

I’ve heard stories of teachers creating museums in theirclassrooms from the inspiration of one poem. Other teachersturn students into authors by writing children’s books or teenagehow to manuals while some host poetry cafes that involve theirentire community. And let’s not forget the teachers who worktirelessly to help their students compete in academic decathlons,speech contests, and debates.

While savoring grand moments like these are easy to share ortalk about in the faculty lounge, I’m also aware of the quietermoments of success and surprise that come with the tedious anddaily work of simply improving the skills and habits of ouryoung people. While it might not seem like much to others, myfavorite success came in May of one year when, after modeling,selling, and imploring my 9th graders on the importance ofSilent Sustained Reading all year long, a minor tremor in theirlearning occurred.

Just before the time came to stop our SSR and proceed toanother mundane Friday task, one of my more vociferousstudents asked out loud, “Can’t we just read all period?” When achorus of assent followed her bold question, I wisely complied,barely containing the big smile on my face and the realization ofhow great it truly is to move our children towards the promisedland of literacy and life, no matter what style or dimension itarrives in.

My own personal experiences with greatness and the honor ofstanding in the shadows of my more capable colleagues makes merealize that we need to listen to these songs of excellence no matterif they come in a whisper or a shout. Yes, there’s greatness to beseen, to be sought after, and to share, but you won’t find it onNetflix or on some Hollywood stage. The gold, my friends, is inour classrooms, far more enduring and wonderful than the celluloidfantasy presently being sold as the superlative in our profession.

About the Author:Alfee Enciso has worked for the Los Angeles Unified School

District for over 26 years in many capacities; including Englishteacher, Literacy coach, and Instructional Specialist. Presently he is

employed as an "Intervention" teacher at Banning High School.

A good teacher must reason with children instead of beatingthem.

– Marie-Isabelle, 11, Ghana (UNESCO, 2003)

It would be impossible these days to find a state standard thatdisagrees with Marie-Isabelle that beating children is not aneffective pedagogical technique, though there may be at least one

moment in every teacher’s career where they wish Vygotsky’s Zone ofProximal Development had actually something to do with corporalpunishment. Luckily for both students and teachers, the way of thepaddle, the switch, or the slap has gone the way of so many childhooddiseases: it has been vaccinated by better teaching practices and bettertraining. However, defining teaching, especially the one that vies forgreatness, remains complex, for teaching comes in different guises, andit quite often depends on the cultural envelopments of a specificeducational system. This is evident in the replies to the questionabout the necessary qualities of a teacher found in the 2003UNESCO report:

A student from Chad comments that “A good teacher should treatall pupils like his own children. He should answer all questions, even ifthey are stupid” (Fatoumata, 11, Chad).

Vinod Bala Jain of India writes: “To win their confidence shouldbe the teacher's first aim - though strictness has to be in its place”(Meerut, 12, U.P., India)

The cultural lens is certainly one among the many used to focuson great teaching. Even if the educational culture is relativelyhomogeneous, as in America—accepting for regional or some culturalvariations—by whose measurement do we award “greatness” to ateacher? Everyone has a story of a great teacher that influenced them,touched them, created an impetus to do more with their lives, but wasthat a great teacher? In the American educational paradigm it ismostly the microscopic lenses of students, colleagues, andadministrators under which teaching specimens are dissected andexamined. Each group often looks for specific qualities that do notexactly correspond. Judging from student evaluations, students oftenrespect teachers who donate their time, “connect with them,”understand their problems, and make learning “fun”. Colleaguesoften admire a fellow teacher’s enthusiasm, pedagogical training,superb lesson plans, and a sizeable “bag of tricks”. Administratorsoften laud measurable outcomes such as high retention rates, lowabsence rates, number of continuing education units, and superior testscores. These various and sometimes contradictory expectations maycause confusion to the teacher aspiring for greatness. How does onesatisfy them all? Should one even try? When do these standardsbecome a unified triptych? Do they ever? When and how do teachersbecome great? Can they ever?

Great teachers always remain great learners. There is no finish lineto teaching; there are no laurels to rest on or grass crowns to be givento the victorious teacher on the field of battle; should those becomethe compass, the battle is lost. We have all probably experienced thesame old bag of tricks, the same aged note cards, the same outdatedslides or videos that our older brother’s fifth-grade teacher used; heck,we can’t even complain about acing that same test he took four yearsago. No complaints, but no greatness either. A great teacher cannever know enough; thus he must continue to learn without a laurel ora rest stop in sight. Indeed, great teachers do not receive a diploma orread fifty books on pedagogy in order to cease learning and wrapthemselves in a halo of grey hair and years of experience even if theyhave been in the classroom long enough to remember when corporalpunishment was still encouraged as a valid disciplining technique. Aswith most professions—and teaching is no exception—greatness isephemeral and can be even shorter than the fifteen minutes of fameallotted to the newest tarnished socialite. It requires constantreflection, reading, and inquiry; it is a stance that never acceptscertainty and blends both practical knowledge learned over years andtheoretical knowledge absorbed through formalized schooling andprofessional development. The teacher who has taught for 10,000hours, according to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, hascommitted enough time to become an expert. This amounts toapproximately five or six years of intensive work, but without constantreflection on praxis and consultation of theoretical models, theteacher may never truly become an expert. Great teachers recognizethat their development as professionals and human beings hinges ontheir continued growth. They exist within their own Vygotsky Zoneof Proximal Development, recognizing where they are and alwaysattempting to move slightly outside their comfort zones. Greatteachers don’t repeat the same old lessons like a robot on an assembly-line; they constantly discover, reflect, and improve every lesson.

Great teachers come in every level of experience. Great teachingcan occur at anytime. The first year teacher may have an amazing classwhere she really impacted her students, promoting their interest andindependent learning. Perhaps it is these moments that help keep thetruly dedicated teachers invested sufficiently in their professions tobetter themselves and their techniques. It is the task of the greatteacher—through experience and reflection—to capture the essence ofthese moments to ensure so that they happen more often. Indeed,with experience, training, and continued professional development,great teaching is far more likely to occur on a daily basis. Yet, even thegrizzled veteran realizes that teaching changes by the hour and by theclass; the same phenomenal lesson that seemed flawless in periods 1-3may need significant changes in periods 4-5. Every classroom isdifferent; students are different; approaches are different.


Great Teachers LurkKeith Vance


Great teachers know how to make lemonade. These teachers neverlet the difficulties of the environment impede their progress in theclassroom. They know that the list of impediments to great teachingis daunting by any means: the long hours, the ever increasing class size,the occasional tyranny of state standards, the constant fight overremuneration, and, lest we forget, testing, testing, testing. Nowadays,of course, testing results seem to control many facets of the teachingday. Curriculum has been changed to accommodate the variousentrance, midterm, and exit exams that are required by the state, andother types of instruction that will not be directly tested often suffer.In addition, negative commentary in break rooms often pervadesschools, setting in an attitude of defeat and drudgery. In someschools, the ambience of failure so viscerally pervades the teacher’slounge that it is like an entire series of anti-motivational postersstapled to the wall with a rock climber falling from a precipice hecouldn’t manage: “Failure. It’s what WE DO! Aim High and FallLow! Perseverance. How Many Times Can You Fail Before You GiveUp?” Great teachers don’t rely on motivational posters to overcomeimpediments or set the tone in their classrooms for their students orcolleagues. They do it by building a positive community that doesnot lament “how bad things are” and how the students, parents, oradministrators have all “become the weak links” in teaching; instead,they try to build a positive learning community that always reflects,“what can be done” to better the system given the resources at hand.Great teachers take lemons, make lemonade, open a lemonade store,invite their students, colleagues, and administrators to researchdifferent lemonade recipes and to participate in the entire process, andspread their knowledge of making lemonade by working with eachother to create workshops, conferences, or published papers.

Great teachers are at the center of a Venn diagram. There is adelicate balance among a teacher’s constituents: students, colleagues,and administrators, all circles intersecting the center. A great teacherwill pass in and out of greatness—perhaps even on an hourly basis.

But most of the time they are able to balance the needs of theirstudents; they are able to promote cooperation and teamwork amongtheir colleagues; they recognize that administrators have a role to playas well, for without the need for assessment and a realistic view ofprogress, curriculum might never change. At the center of thiscomplex Venn diagram are teachers, who, supported by continuedprofessional development and inquiry based on practice, can balancethe complexities of the job.

Great teachers should save the world. As if adjusting to thedifferent temperaments of students, varying cultural backgrounds, theexpectations of students, colleagues, and administrators, and testingrequirement were not enough, great teachers ought to save the worldaccording to Tomas Teniak of Slovakia (UNESCO, 2003, aged 12).Perhaps that is the answer, however. In small ways, great teachers dotry to save the world by promoting education in the best way they canfor whatever stage of development they are, for whatever resourcesthey have available, and with whatever pressure from administratorsthey may be feeling. Great teachers never give up. They lurk inhallways, in conferences, in poor or rich classrooms, in facultymeetings, on the fringes of professional development or as keynotespeakers at conferences. They may be anywhere and everywhere.Ranging from the novice substitute to the published veteran, greatteachers and hence great teaching can take place at anytime; what isimportant is to realize that it is in the continuous, reflective struggletowards greatness that we become great.

About the Author:Dr. Lash Keith Vance is a senior lecturer at UC Riverside and has

taught freshmen composition and EL courses there since 1995. He iscurrently the Director of Computer-Assisted Instruction and has

recently become a Teacher Consultant for the Inland Area WritingProject, an affiliate of the National Writing Project.

Beginning on July 1, 2010, dues for CATE will be One year $40 (remains the same as current)2 years $75 (adds a new option—savings of $5 on 2 year)3 years $110 (savings of $10 on 3 year membership)Retired $30 (increases the rate by $5)Lifetime $250 (remains the same)Student teacher $20 (increases from current rate of $12)

Rates are essentially the same, with the exception of retired teachers and studentteachers. We also hope that the new 2 year option will appeal to members inorder to keep their membership current for a longer period of time withoutmissing out on membership privileges.If you have any questions or comments about the proposed changes, pleasecontact me at www.cateweb.org.Joan Williams, CATE Membership Chair

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS• A free subscription to the award-

winning California English • Connections with colleagues

statewide• A professional learning community• Reduced fees at local and state

CATE conferences• Leadership opportunities• Current ELA information through

CATEweb and CATEnet.• Writing contests for you and your

students

AT THE CATE ANNUAL MEETING WHICH TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 14, 2010, A CHANGE IN DUES WAS APPROVED FOR MEMBERSHIP IN CATE.

“Heart is what separates the good from the great”– Michael Jordan, six-time NBA champion

Michael Jordan embodies the best of the best in the NationalBasketball Association. His inspired words above may refer tothe sports world, but there is no doubt that ever so poignantly,

they also apply to the world of education. As many of us began our journey into education, we entered that

world with such idealism to change, to motivate, to shape positively theminds of our students. Many had studied the textbooks on theprinciples of teaching and how to deal with classroom management;some had worked as student-teachers and learned the daily rigor of theclassroom; countless of us found mentors in the veteran teachers to helpus along the way so that we could be good teachers. I was no exception.

Ever since I was in sixth grade, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Likeso many children, my dolls and stuffed animals sat in silence in mymakeshift classroom not because they were inanimate but because I wasthe teacher, and they remained quiet as I taught them how to read. Theywere the perfect class. By senior year in high school, I made the decisionto become an English teacher because my English teachers from tenthgrade to twelfth grade were truly the only teachers who showed sincereinterest in my learning. I took their leadership to heart and decided tobecome like them.

Becoming a good teacher was my goal. In 1985 when I entered myfirst classroom at a private Catholic school, I walked into a room filledwith juniors. I soon realized that they were only seven years youngerthan me. Putting age aside, I was determined to be a good teacher tothem. But what did that mean? How was I going to teach these youngladies that life was more than boys, socials, and afternoons at theshopping mall? How could I put into practice what my own teachersdid that made me want to learn? Would students listen? Seriously,could I be a good teacher?

During that first year, I read and re-read my textbooks; I wrote andre-wrote lesson plans and activities; and I graded and graded and gradedpapers every night. A good teacher does this, right? Well, so I thought.

My second year seemed better. But what changed was how I taught.My concern was not on whether I finished a lesson plan that day orwhether my students completed the 14-step essay assignment that I gavethem. No, my concern in the classroom focused on my relationship tomy students. As I became more comfortable in the classroom, I alsobecame more comfortable talking to my students. Rather than stayingin the teacher’s lounge during break and lunch, I stayed in my classroomor sat on a bench in the school yard under a tree to eat my lunch. Soonsome of my students gathered around, and we talked. Maybe it was easybecause of the proximity of our age, but our conversations were never

personal. We knew each other’s boundaries. That year I established arapport with my students and earned their respect. At the end of theyear, my student Genevieve, one of the most resistant to my class, left adrawing of Fred Flintstone in Hawaiian dress, holding a surfboard. Sheinscribed on the back: “The Kahuna of teachers.” Whatever I did, Icaught her attention. Now I knew I was a good teacher.

Fast forward to 1993. After teaching seven years at the high schoollevel, I left to teach at the community college level. Nervousness andapprehension are understatements to the feelings I had when I walkedinto my classroom as a new probationary tenure-track instructor inEnglish. Was I going to be a good teacher? Could I translate what I didat the high school level to the college level? How would my studentsrespond?

As I had done eight years prior, I read and re-read my textbooks; Iwrote and re-wrote lesson plans and activities; and I graded and gradedand graded papers every night during that first semester. A good collegeteacher does this, right? Well, so I thought.

What I realized about my students is that they did not care for thephilosophical discussions I initiated or the carefully constructedassignments that would develop their critical thinking skills. No, mystudents were more practical. They wanted answers to the most basicquestions about how to write well. So, being the good teacher that I was,I changed for them. Rather than focusing on what I consideredimportant to their learning, I focused on what the students consideredimportant. Classroom assessment techniques became the key tounderstanding whether they understood ideas, concepts, and lessons.To be sure, the students made clear to me what I needed to do to helpthem succeed. The students appreciated that I listened to them andguided them toward their next level. Again, I knew that I was a goodteacher.

After teaching 17 years at the college level, I felt my students’ respectand appreciation for the work we completed together in class. Withpride and immense joy, I have compiled three 2-inch thick file foldersthat contain the notes, letters, cards, pictures, poems and the like thatstudents have sent me during these past years thanking me for helpingthem in class. At the end of this spring semester, I received an emailfrom one of my students who told me that she enjoyed my class and thatI was a great teacher. The word great seemed odd to me. Was I a greatteacher? I had to know, so I decided to ask the only person who wouldhonest and straightforward with me. I asked my colleague, Lauren, theDivision Chair of Mathematics and Physical Science. “Of course, you’rea great teacher!” His response took me by surprise. I never put myself inthe “greatness” category. Being a good teacher was my goal. Could it bethat in my journey to becoming a good teacher and in my efforts tohelping my students to be the best that I too became the best? When


Lessons from My StudentsCarmen Carillo


and how did the balance shift between good and great? To answer these questions, I had to reflect on the past 25 years that I

have spent in education where I have mentored and evaluated lessexperienced faculty and where I have shared best practices with myveteran colleagues. I have come to realize that the obvious andconsistent characteristics of a good teacher vary widely; however, sevenhabits of good teachers prove evident.

All good teachers PREPARE AND ORGANIZE their day based uponprevious events. Good teaching is not about following a lesson plan; itis about learning. Preparing for the unexpected needed lesson, academicor not, makes for good teaching. Therefore, FLEXIBILITY is a necessarycharacteristic of a good teacher.

Moreover, ENTHUSIASM cannot be overlooked. Good teachers showstudents they want to be there; they show that they enjoy teaching.Good teachers make learning fun. Somehow we forgot that the way welearned new concepts in our primary years involved fun. Why does ithave to change in secondary education? Similarly, good teachers have aSENSE OF HUMOR. Good teachers create a more relaxed learningenvironment when using humor.

An important characteristic among good teachers is FAIRNESS,consistent fairness. In discipline or grades, good teachers develop criteriathat all students understand to be fair. They do not play favorites.

Being KNOWLEDGEABLE is a habit of a good teacher. Staying currentin one’s discipline through reading, networking, and sharing is requiredto be one of the best in the field. When attending a local or nationalconference one will most likely recognize familiar faces. Good teachersare in the company of good teachers. By remaining knowledgeable, goodteachers ENGAGE their students by presenting best practices.

Having been witness to these seven habits through my colleagues’work and my own self-assessment, I can attest to these characteristicsthat define a good teacher. Students are truly at the center of learning.However, as Michael Jordan declares, “heart is what separates the goodfrom the great”. Arguably, then, great teachers not only practice theseven habits of good teaching, but they have also developed other traitsthat create a nurturing and caring environment for their students. Whatgreat teachers exhibit is a sensory, non-verbal language that is onlylearned from knowing who the students in the classroom are.

Remarkably, greatness is not what most teachers strive to achieve;rather greatness is cultivated by our students who make us great. Paul,one of my former students at California State University, DominguezHills, amply illustrates this for me. He had enrolled in my ForbiddenLiterature class where students studied the historical, political, and socialeffects of censorship. A month after the semester ended, he surprisedme with the following email: “...students NEED professors of yourcaliber to stimulate their ‘thought processes’ and not stifle their ‘creativegrowth’….I hope that [my marketing instructors] demonstrate the samelevel of passion and commitment that you have shown us.” Never did Irealize the impact I had on my students. I simply taught them. I didnot know they could feel my commitment to their learning. What Ilearned from Paul, then, is that there exists four necessary behavioral

traits that cannot be learned from a text; these traits are instinctive anddeveloped through trial and error in the classroom. The following areunmistakable in a great teacher.

ESTABLISHING EYE CONTACT: Great teachers do not see students asa group, but as individuals. On the first day as roll is called, greatteachers read slowly in order to put face to name. They ask if theyprefer a shortened version of their name. During the semester, they walkup and down the aisles of the room. Students look at their teachers;great teachers look back to catch a smile or a face of confusion.Students then will know that these great teachers are accessible andapproachable to answer their questions and concerns.

LISTENING ATTENTIVELY: No other sensory experience in theclassroom is as powerful as the art of listening. The great teacher doesnot become the “sage on the stage,” does not get behind a podium, anddoes not sit at the desk during class time. How can teachers activelylisten if they are not engaged in what is going on with students?Reporters know that during interviews they must give pause to theinterviewee after asking a question. Not everyone is able toimmediately respond to questions. Great teachers wait. They listen.They let the students talk. They encourage open dialogue so thatstudents are exposed to the views and opinions of their peers in hope ofgaining mutual insight and respect. Great teachers guide the discussion,but listen and show sincere interest in what students have to say. Greatteachers listen with respect.

SENSING THEIR EMOTIONS: Great teachers can smell, almost taste,the fear, anxiety, and lack of confidence in some students. At the sametime, great teachers can sense the warm pride students experience whenmotivated to excel. They can identify student’s needs by simply asking,“How can I help you?” It may be a question asked daily in the serviceindustry, but are we not also in an occupation of service to our students?

HAVING HEART: Yes, Michael Jordan is correct. Heart is definitelythe link that separates the good from the great. Passion, sacrifice, andcaring are what create and define the great teacher. Teaching is not a job;it never has been for those serious about the profession. Teaching is nota choice. Teaching is emotional. Teaching is always wanting and givingmore to students, never being satisfied. Teaching is a life style that mustbe lived to its fullest. A great teacher has the heart to know all this.

I learn lessons from my students day after day, semester aftersemester, year after year. I hope that I never stop learning from them.Michael Jordan asserts that in basketball “talent wins games, but it isteamwork and intelligence that win championships.” I argue that ateacher’s talent helps students learn, but when teachers and studentscreate a true learning centered environment together in and out of theclassroom, we can say we have not only done a good job but a great job.

About the Author:Carmen Carillo has been teaching for 25 years. She currentlyserves as Division Chair of Communications at Los Angeles

Harbor College and teaches composition.


We tell them theirStandardized test scoresAre important,But we don’t Know the scoresThey keep quietlyTo themselvesAs they pretend to readOr write About placesThey’ve never beenAnd things they’ve Never imagined.

We don’t knowWho died yesterdayLast week,Or last year,Or whose motherOr father isMissing, yet,We ask them toRaise their handsIf they know the answers To our questions.How many answers Do we haveFor the questions They need answered?

We tell themThey can be anythingThey want to beIf they work hard,But they don’t Tell usThat they were upUntil midnightMaking tamalesTo sellIn order toHelp their families,Or that they worked All weekend

Or all week After school.They don’t tell usThe real reasonsThat they didn’t doTheir homework,Or that last weekTheir uncle was murderedBringing milk homeFrom the corner tienda,That their mother Was deported ten years Ago and they liveWith an auntieWho has seven children of her own to feed.

We pretend weKnow the answersTo the important Questions, soWe give them testsAbout things theyHave never learned,And when they scoreLower than allOf the other children,We tell them They must do better, even when weDon’t even know howTo pronounceTheir namesAnd we have never driven down the streetWhere they liveAnd sometimes die.

Yes, even though weTeach them whatIs important to us,We don’t take the timeTo learnWhat is importantTo them.

– Sheila K. Diaz

About the Author: Sheila Diaz has been teaching since 1974, first as a poet in schools, then as a full-time English and Reading teacher in Los Angeles,South America, Orlando, and Japan. She has been a member of The UCLA Writing Project since 1990, The California Reading and

Literature Project-UCLA, and Writers Anonymous, whose support has greatly helped her, both as a writer, and as a teacher.


Acouple of years ago, Gina Bennett, veteran CIA counter-terrorismanalyst and mother of five, wrote a book titled, National

Security Mother: How Going Soft Can Make America Strong. In itshe explained how using basic good parenting skills can helpAmerica develop more successful foreign relations. A parent’s abilityto communicate successfully with a 13-year-old, for example, offersthe perfect paradigm for listening, empathizing, silencing one’s owncontrolling ego in order to seek understanding. A good parentknows that punishment, which often comes from the parent’s ownfear of loss of authority, is never a substitute for discipline. In short,a good parent knows that going soft can help children becomestrong.

I think the same ideas apply to teachers. Great teachers knowthat education is much more than filling up students with bits ofknowledge or helping them master selected skills. It’s about helpingthem grow into adult human beings. And that means helping thembecome independent thinkers and compassionate citizens. Greatteachers help students develop their own decision-making processesrather than simply orchestrating things for them. Great teachersidentify what students need, make suggestions and perhapsaccommodations, and then retreat to the sidelines to let the studentslearn on their own. Great teachers keep their own mouths shut andinstead listen and listen and listen, and then listen some more.

Great teachers go soft. One of the central metaphors of Taoist thinking promotes

living the Watercourse Way. I think it is an appropriate metaphorfor how I envision the Great Teacher, for though water has thepower to carve through solid stone, it is soft. Water flows softlyinto the tightest spaces. Water naturally seeks the lowest rather thanthe highest level. It reflects and refracts light. It cleanses. Itnourishes. It refreshes. It revives. And then it quietly evaporates tobegin the cycle again.

I have recently brought thiswatercourse paradigm into my collegewriting classes, and I believe it hasresulted in some truly “great teaching.”After nearly thir ty years in theclassroom, I have finally mustered upthe courage to put aside familiar textsand assignments so that I can startfresh with each course, experiencingnew materials alongside my students,following the ideas wherever theynaturally flow and guiding students intheir own pursuits. Although I am nolonger planning every last detail and

obsessing with fixed expectations, finished products, or “outcomes,”this does not mean it’s a free-for-all. Instead, I put my energy intocreating an environment that allows me to encourage rather thandictate. I have changed my teaching vocabulary and the manner inwhich I frame tasks: reading is exploration, research is adventure,learning is invitation, writing is opportunity. All work is fluid. Allwriting is process. All can be rethought, rewritten, redirected,reshaped, re-visioned.

I can see some positive results of my stepping back and lettingthem shape their own work according to their own interests. Notonly does their writing demonstrate competence of specific learningoutcomes dictated by the writing course curriculum, it often goesbeyond curriculum simply because it emerges from real worldinterests. By assuming responsibility for their own learning, they areproducing writing that they consider meaningful. My job, then, is tohelp them craft it effectively according to their own purposes.

I know that some of my students think me unorganized oridealistic or just “nice.” But it doesn’t really matter what they thinkof me; their learning is not about me. The Tao teaches that “Theenlightened leader speaks little. He never speaks carelessly. Heworks without self-interest and leaves no trace. When all isfinished, the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’”

It is ironic that what I think makes me a Great Teacher is notabout what I do or say, but about what I don’t. By going soft myself,my students are free to become strong.

About the Author:Julia Brett is a Lecturer in the University Writing Program at UC

Riverside, where she has been teaching in the first-year compositionseries since 1983. She joined the Inland Area Writing Project in

1998, and has co-directed five Invitational Summer Institutes.

Going SoftJulia Brett

Shown here: Tiger Maple Bowl (18x5)


What makes a great teacher? I would be mistaken to think I couldsummarize, much less answer the question itself. The answer isas much a moving target as the profession. Teaching pedagogy

sees as many changes as the mandated core curriculum. I have beenworking in education for 18 years and I currently coach teachers on howthey can be more effective in their classrooms. I work with teachers andguide them to use specific instructional strategies so that more of theirstudents can access the core curriculum, develop the necessary skills andlearn the relevant content. I observe, plan, and model lessons with andfor them. Does this make them “great” teachers? Not necessarily; it canmake them better teachers. But, what makes a great teacher?. After beingin many teacher’s classrooms, and observing a wide range of teachingskills, abilities, and expertise, I think can identify some of the qualitiesfound in great teachers. I have observed these qualities in the classroomsof the following four unique and extraordinary California teachers.

Shannon McGee of Nurture and Nature Child DevelopmentCenter in Millbrae, California is a pre-kindergarten teacher. She helpsthe students structure their communication so that they can respondacademically or socially in a myriad of situations. As you enter herclassroom, students are sitting in a semicircle. McGee is asking threestudents to report on different aspects of the weather. When reporting,the children answer in complete sentences. Later, she asks students oneby one to stand in the front of the class, and report about the day of theweek, date of the month, and the year. Students are expected to respondusing a complete sentence, and if one student is missing the appropriatelanguage, a sentence frame is provided where he/she plugs in appropriatecontent. One student became confused about the date of the month,and McGee asked, “What strategy can you use to solve the problem?”The student replied, “I can count.” The student looked at the numberson the calendar and counted until she reached the number prior to thatday’s date, and proudly announced the next number in the sequence...with a complete sentence.

Minutes later, another student struggled as she tried to identify theday of the week. Again, Shannon asked, “What strategy can you use?”The student replied, “Check the letters.” The student studied each dayof the week on a corresponding chart, and fingered each letter until sherealized they all matched up and her next day had to be Wednesday. Allof this instruction occurred while the other 22 children sat quietlywaiting for their peer’s response. These successes are due to the fact thatMcGee is consistent, positive and encouraging and repeats her message.I literally fell off my chair that day in McGee’s classroom. It was suchdeliberate and intentional teaching, and the students were four years old.McGee demonstrates many best practices with her teaching strategies.The use of sentence frames provides students with an academic languagescaffold of the grammatical structure. Although students may befamiliar with the “sharing” and “kindness” concepts, they often lack theability to express themselves in academic language. McGee successfully

scaffolds language for students so that they appropriately respondacademically or socially in a myriad of situations. This type of languagescaffold is precisely what these young children need. As the concepts ofsharing, and kindness are being developed, many students mayunderstand the concepts, but not know the language to express the ideas.

Jennie Lee is a Kindergarten/1st grade teacher at West PortalElementary School in San Francisco. She teaches in the Chineseimmersion strand, which means all of the instruction is delivered inCantonese. Students arrive at 8:40 a.m., and are going to embark on awalking field trip to the main street in their neighborhood. They havetwenty minutes before they leave, so Lee sits them down in their groups.One group is working on their writing, and talking quietly. A secondgroup works on math with Cheerio counters as they are approaching the100th day of school. They use the counters to group and categorizeinto 5s and 10s. Another group is reading books that are at theirinstructional level. They self select their books and read and talk withtheir table mates. The last group is working with the teacher directly, andshe is teaching them how to write “up” and “down”. The students writethe Chinese characters out in a box lid filled with salt. They use onlytheir fingers so they can get a tactile sensation of the character’s strokeorder. After, she visits each individual child, saying “up” and “down”.She models while repeating the phrases, standing “up” on the chair, andthen getting “down “ off the chair. Each child follows her lead, sayingand acting out, “up” and “down.” Remember, they are doing all of thisin Chinese, and half of the students begin the school year speaking onlyEnglish. This all occurs in the first 15 minutes of class prior to the fieldtrip. In many classrooms those minutes before leaving on a field trip arenot used that intentionally or are that rich with instruction.

With five minutes to spare, students are making their bathroom visitand lining up for the field trip. As Lee takes the lead, she quicklyexplains what they will see on their trip. As soon as they leave the schoolgrounds, Lee begins to describe objects along their route, “I see a redvan, can anyone see a red van?” A student raises his hand. Lee asks,“What do you see?”, and the child (Henry) responds, in a completesentence, “I see a red van.” She repeats, “Henry” sees a red ran. Leecontinues this type of exchange all the way down to the main street,pointing out different things as she walks along, asking students torepeat or answer in complete sentences. Lee tells the class all the time (inChinese) that if they focus on her, and listen to what she says they willunderstand. On this field trip, I learned many new vocabulary words inChinese. I was able to understand. In the business world, this would becalled “staying on message.”

Each year Lee begins with a batch of new students where half arenative speakers of Cantonese, and the other half, native speakers ofEnglish. In her classroom, all of her instruction is deliberate andintentional. The success is evident when you hear all of these studentshaving more complex conversations in Chinese at the end of the year.

What Makes a Great Teacher?Gwenn Lei


Julie Fiore teaches 8th grade science at Taylor Middle School inMillbrae. Fiore is an amazingly skilled teacher. She has studentsparticipate in labs at least a couple of times a week. However, due to thecomplexity of the content, students do not always have an easier timegrasping the content. Science often requires more instruction than classtime can allow. On most days, before and after school, you can walkdown the hallway, and see a room full of students in her classroom.They are all working on different assignments. At first glance, you mightthink they are working alone, but then you see that Fiore is sittingamongst them explaining concepts to a few students. The students helpone another when Fiore is not at their table, but then you notice that sheis able to make it to each table and give the same individual attention toeach group of students. The remarkable thing about this particularscenario is that it is all happening during the students own time.Obviously, it’s not common for 8th grade students to give up theirrecess, and for a teacher to give up their 15-minute break. Fiore’s greatstrength as a teacher is that she sees areas where students may struggle,and has set up a safe arena where she is easy to approach and providehelp. Fiore often helps students during breaks, after school, and duringafter-school homework center. Because of this, she knows her studentsbetter, and is able to differentiate the difficult concepts by revisiting thecontent in a non-threatening environment.

Jeff Steinberg is a former U.S. History teacher of 15 years, andfounder of “Sojourn to the Past,” a Civil Rights history program.“Sojourn” takes high school juniors on a ten-day trip into the DeepSouth to study the movement. In a typical lesson, students sit in front ofSteinberg with a copy of John Lewis’ account of the civil rightsmovement, Walking with the Wind and a two hundred page binder thataccompanies them to every lesson and activity on the trip. This is notraditional high school tour and the history can be intimidating. Hebegins a lesson on the late Robert Kennedy. Similar to science, the socialscience/history curriculum each year is new content. Not many highschool juniors have background knowledge about Robert Kennedy. Ashe begins the lesson, Steinberg sets the stage. He begins by engaging thestudents with explicit references to what the country was like at aparticular time. The story comes alive as Steinberg uses video clips toamplify the key new concepts he wants to highlight. He stops the videooften to explain relevant connections. Steinberg sets up each moment sobeautifully that if you were to witness how engaged these students are,you’d think they were watching a movie about vampires and werewolves.As his lesson of Kennedy continues, his poignant style of lecture, anduse of video to support (not teach) is timed to give this chargedaudience a better sense of the man. Steinberg has a unique storytellingstyle, which is engaging, and powerful. He is teaching difficult contentthat is riddled with dates and historical reverence. Although the contentis compelling, the students lack important background knowledge andvocabulary, making their connection that much more remarkable.Steinberg teaching allows students with different learning styles an entrypoint to the content but also gives these high school juniors a hook thatmotivates them to want to read and learn . He is able to help students

access the material because they have previewed the difficult content inhis storytelling. There is difficult text that students must negotiate, buthe scaffolds these college-level texts in such a way that students are ableto understand them. The visuals engage the learner further. At every stepof the lesson, the material is scaffolded in a way that develops thenecessary background that allows them the access points to theinformation. The Robert Kennedy lesson takes a total of two and ½hours, with no breaks. What is unusual about this scenario is that manyof these high school juniors, are not college-bound, but rather thestudents that often cut class, and earn low grades. Sometimes this is theirfirst successful academic experience.

Can we see a commonality between all these teachers? What do apre-kindergarten teacher, a Chinese immersion teacher, a middle schoolscience teacher, and the founder of a civil rights program have incommon? GREAT TEACHING.

Each teacher is individual, attended different preparation programs,and had different mentors. Each specialized in content as different asbiology and history. Yet these teachers share many qualities that makethem great teachers. They develop academic language, giving access tothose who need it. They understand that not all students learn in thesame way or with the same vocabulary. They develop relevantbackground knowledge and are approachable. They know their studentswell enough to differentiate their instruction.

Teaching in California has become more challenging in the pastseveral years. Not only has “No Child Left Behind” changed the face ofteaching with accountability resting solely on standardized tests; thecurrent state of the education budget has left some the most talentedteachers without a job, and those that do have jobs are left in schoolswith low morale and little support. It is hopeful in these trying times,that we can walk into classrooms and see snapshots of amazing teachers.It would be impossible to capture all the ways that McGee, Lee, Fiore,and Steinberg teach on a daily basis. The experiences I’ve drawn from areonly a window to their classrooms. But what differentiates these teachersis their deliberate effort to enable children to understand. Theirstudents’ successes are a direct reflection of their efforts.

While I may not be able to answer the question of what makes agreat teacher, I can be certain that these four teachers are great becausethey share qualities that allow student success. They are collaborative,and consistent on message. They know their students and respond totheir needs. They are intentional with their teaching and time. Theyknow their content well, and engage their students throughout theirlessons. Lastly, they believe in their students’ abilities to succeed.

As I continue to coach and support teachers in their practice, it willbe the qualities that Shannon, Jennie, Julie, and Jeff share that I hope todevelop.

About the Author:Gwenn Lei is Co-Regional Director of the California Reading andLiterature Project in the Bay Area. She has been in education for 18

years, and serves as an ELD Coordinator in the Millbrae School District.

Aman was walking by the city library. There he spotted achicken coming out of the building carrying a tall stack ofvolumes. As it walked, the bird clucked the words, “BOOK-

book-book; BOOK-book- book.” Fascinated, the man followedthe fowl, hiding himself so as not to be seen. The chickenhopped along for several blocks, books in tow, eventuallycrossing over to a large field where

it stopped at an abandoned well. Clucking the words,“BOOK-book-book; BOOK-book-book,” the bird proceeded tovery slowly throw one text after another down the darkopening. Then it left.

As chance would have it, the man was walking by the librarythe very next day, only to note the chicken again leaving, bookstucked under its wing, hurriedly making its way to theabandoned well. Intrigued, the man again followed the bird, onlyto note the same scenario unfold as had occurred previously.

Thus the man followed the chicken in its identical ritualeach and every day for a month.

At the end of the month, the man determined he wouldmove as near to the chicken as possible to more closelyinvestigate the events. The clucking bird soon arrived, beganthrowing a volume at a time down the well while muttering“book,” then paused a few seconds before launching the nextliterary projectile into the wet, black hole.

The man, unseen in a nearby clump of brush, sneezedaccidentally, causing the startled fowl to run away, abandoningthe askew pile of books that lay in a mound beside the groundopening. Soon standing where the chicken had momentsbefore, the man impulsively snatched a single text, uttered theword “book,” and tossed it down the shaft.

A few hoarse croaks quickly emanated from the bottom ofthe chasm, but the man could not make out the words. Againhe tossed a text down the well, more loudly shouting, “book,book, BOOK!” The croaks returned from the deep, dark andvery wet hole were louder, carrying back the frog's response:“Read-it, READ-IT!”

RUesearch

pdate

Getting to the Other SideBarbara Bartholomew

The 59th annual Asilomar Conference willonce again take place at the AsilomarConference Grounds in Pacific Grove on thebeautiful Monterey Peninsula. Many of thesessions that were scheduled for last year will beincluded in this year's program with some newsessions added. The sessions will prove to beuseful for both new teachers and experiencedteachers. There are also sessions that will provideopportunity for personal growth for those whomay no longer be in the classroom. The weekendwill help to restore and revitalize attendeeswherever they may be in their teaching careers.

Rooted in the ideals of the Bay Area WritingProject, the Asilomar experience is more than aconference; it is a phenomenon that acquaintsteachers with professional learning on anintimate scale in a grandiose setting. Come andengage in deep conversations; collaborate withfellow teachers; share your expertise, ideas andexperiences; and become a part of small groupdiscussions that extend over the weekend. Comeand experience the founding principles of theAsilomar Conference more than 59 years ago andthe power of teachers teaching teachers.

Keynote speakers are award winning author

Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina (Fridayevening) and Poet Laureate Robert Hass (Sundaymorning). Saturday evening sessions includeMahbod Seraji, author of Rooftops of Tehran,Greta Vollmer presenting Research in the DigitalAge: Classroom Activities, and State of theProfession with Ed Farrell and Miles Myers. Theevening will close with opportunities to meetand connect with teachers from throughout thestate in an Open Mic session and Board Gamesocial hour.

There is a special opportunity for schools tosend a group of teachers to attend the weekendto work on school issues with the benefits ofattending the general sessions available to allattendees. Contact Dan Wolters [email protected] for more information on thisopportunity.

Plan now to attend a stimulating conferencein a most beautiful and restful setting.

Go to www.curriculumstudy.org to download aprogram and to obtain registration information.

Asilomar 59Scheduled for

September 24-26, 2010


The research quagmire: Another day, another chicken? Research is the process of trying to determine not only why

the chicken crosses the road, but whether there really is achicken or merely anecdotal evidence of one. Research is themeans by which social science professionals in the field ofeducation—whether in a university, an administrative position,or in a classroom-- attempt to pose or to answer questions wehave about our practice and our efficacy. Despite the shrine ofworship we often accord research in education, it is a less thanperfect icon. Teachers are increasingly held to classroompractice that is “evidence-based,” as well as schoolmanagement policies, graduate degree programs, and on-siteproblem-solving protocols all adopted under the imprimatur ofsome scientifically-based and irrefutable truth. At their best,these collective “best-practice” investigations provide a usefulframework and at their worst they can resemble a chicken on amission.

Both journal articles and grants are generally peer-reviewed, a gold standard process meant to vet the best ideasand topics focusing on areas in need of study andmethodologies that assure the work undertaken is executedaccording to the rules and traditions governing the researchcommunity. While the peer-review process almost alwaysattracts the types of studies it is supposed to, this can oftenproduce a frog-in-the-well effect. Which is to say that realand startling innovation is rare, with well-traveled areas ofresearch being addressed, or obscure offshoots of these, ratherthan topics that may be less known or that break with theconventional wisdom and prevailing philosophical status quo.In other words, research often begets a kind of inertia due toits glacial pace and cautious, clan-like guarding of the barnyardgates.

Thus there is a flock mentality in research that produceschickens who are fond of keeping their own company. Broadly,this principle of the like-minded guarding the chicken coopapplies to all academia. By way of example one need look nofurther than in the staggering multitude of educational articlescouched in the terminology and thinking of quantitativemethodologies which are currently enjoying a resurgentmoment in the sun as the preferred research approach for bothNCLB and now Race to the Top mandates. Articles reflectingqualitative methodology and which reflect student-centered,holistic, whole-child approaches are not only fewer in numberthan just a few years ago, but when they do appear in topjournals, they are often cloaked in the look and words ofevidence-based empirical inquiries.

Recent example: a famed whole language goddesspublished a notably tree-hugging piece in a highly selective,very dry and statistically inclined educational journal. Hercentral idea--warm, fuzzy and bursting with fizz--was

costumed in an impressive array of tables, conceptual graphstructures, and cognitive terminology. It was a good piece, butclearly traveling in disguise from its holistic roots. While theeditors obviously were not fooled into thinking that the articlewas anything other than what it was-- a speculative,qualitative framework-- its author worked hard to reshape herpresentation, perhaps to validate her present credentials in aresearch forum that might be attractive to those interested infunding her work or seeking her services as a consultant.

So what, who cares?I had an editor once who made his writers weep by deleting

their best work (or so we thought) while fuming, “So what,who cares?” Having overcome the trauma of the memory, Ihave since found in those words a valuable litmus test for, well,almost everything. But certainly for research.

Increasingly, we see quantities of “research,” the merit ofwhich is doubtful at best. With so many academic careers andso much grant money tied to an established research agenda,there is no shortage of work being produced. The question is,How much of it is either necessary or important? Not everyhunch is worthy of research nor the subsequent journal orconference paper to establish its merits. “Too much low qualityresearch!” proclaimed the authors of a widely discussed articlein The Chronicle published in early summer, bemoaning theavalanche of unnecessary and questionable e- and paper datanow in circulation. With the ability to prepare and distributeentire volumes in a matter of minutes, online journals hold the

Shown here: Pele’s Eyes (15x13)


promise of freeing writers from the shackles of waits of up to ayear to see their work in print. In the same stroke they assurethat increasingly meaningless research will see the light of dayfinding its way into mainstream journalism, footnotes,bibliographies, technical reports, high school and college termpapers, and dissertations, like invasive weeds attacking a garden.

See: We must stop the avalanche of low quality research.Chronicle of Higher Education. June 13, 2010.http://chronicle.com/article/We-Must-Stop-the-Avalanche-of/65890/

So what? And why should you care? Whether you be a teacher returning to school for a

credential, to change fields, or pursue an advanced degree youwill need to interpret and perhaps review the relevant research(also known as “the literature”). More than likely, you will berequired at some point to produce your own.

If you work in a school, run a school or a district, or serve ina district, county or state office you must be able tounderstand the philosophy your local educational agency (LEA)or state educational agency (SEA) has adopted, read researchpapers and technical reports and interpret whether the data isstrong or simply lucky to be in print, then build an argumentfor your opinion and beliefs based on your own firsthandreading of the facts and of the literature. Teachers aremalleable when they are uninformed and when they are silent.When they are armed with facts, they can communicateauthoritatively and effectively, poising themselves foradvancement in their careers. My own time as a district officeadministrator was launched when I began writing my school'sdistrict and state reports and making forceful arguments forwhat we had accomplished (rather than how we had failed)

with supporting bibliographic references and informedinterpretations of our school data. It did not take long for thesuperintendent to identify me as someone of value forproducing her office's city and state reports.

Upshot: Whether as the student, the teacher, the coach, orthe administrative lead, distinguish yourself in the barnyard ofchickens as an alpha with vision, possessed of an airtightrationale, and the knowledge and ability to articulate both.

Begin here: Quantitative Research in Communication. Allen, M.R.,

Titsworth, B.S., and Hunt, S.K.Sage Publications, 2008.How to Lie With Statistics. Huff, D. and Geis, I. Norton and

Company. 1993. (Originally published in 1954.)

Ready or notThe California Board of Education adopted, in early August,

new national Common Core standards in English language artsand math for grades K-12. Developed as a national curriculum,thirty-one states have adopted the standards as of this writing.Participation in the Core Curriculum is a prerequisite for anystate that wishes to receive funding under Race to the Top. It isreported that California stands to gain as much as $700 millionin federal Race to the Top money. As we go to press with thisissue of California English, no time line has been set for how thestandards will be introduced or when they will be implemented.

It is likely, however, that as a result of funding the statereceives, grant money will be available to schools and districtsto assist them in the roll out of the new curriculum and for arange of extended day, enrichment, technology andsupplemental programs to help students and families improveachievement. Be mindful that grant money is captured not

always by the best idea, but by themost thoroughly researched and well-presented data.

In the next column, we will look atsimple research designs and relatedtools individuals and schools can use toto improve instruction and capturedata specific to school improvement orother educational research issues.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Bartholomew is an

Assistant Professor of Reading andLiteracy at California State

University Bakersfield. She can be reached at

[email protected]

Shown here: Carved Maple Leaves on Cherry (17x7)

Shown here: Tiger Maple Calabash (20x8)

Flourishing in Chall enging Times2010 Fall Conference of the Southland Council of Teachers of English

SCTE is a local affiliate of CATE (California Association of Teachers of English)

Saturday October 9, 7:30 am – 3:30 pmat the Radisson Hotel, Whittier, California

Explore ways you and your students can flourish with our featured speakers

STIMULATING BREAK-OUT SESSIONSincluding• Pia Alexander: teaching novels, emphasizing rhetoric• Tracey Sprague• Janis Stallones• Jo Anne Mitchell: The picture book – far more than just pictures• Jane Medina: Poetry for your Diverse Classroom

Special Recession Pricing: $50 for SCTE members, $90 for non-members (includes price of membership), $10 for studentteachers (enrolled in a student teaching program). Add $10 to registration after September 30.College credit available from LA Harbor College; some workshops meet GATE certification hours.

Register on-linewww.catenet.org LUNCHEON SPEAKER

ALAN SITOMER, award-winningauthor of five young-adult novels,creator of The BookJam (a newcurriculum tool), author ofmethodology texts for Englishteachers, and California’s 2007Teacher of the Year.

MORNING SPEAKERSWILLIAM ARCHILA, a poet who writes ofCentral American unrest and theimmigrant experience; author of The Artof Exile.RANDY JURADO ERTLL, author of Hopein Times of Darkness: A SalvadoranAmerican Experience and executivedirector of El Centro de Acción Social inPasadena

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