The Last Five Minutes

In my last post--Lesson Design and Classroom Management, June 14, 2009--I stated that teachers need to find ways to engage students during the last five minutes of class as much as students are engaged in learning throughout the class period. When faced with finding something to engage students during that time, all teachers are initially over-whelmed with the task and uncertain as to what to do. Perhaps this blog can serve as a forum for teachers to begin posting ideas as comments. If it happens, I will then compile the suggestions into a later blog for easier access.

Thinking about the last five minutes and considering what I would have students do, I came up with the following, which is directly related to teaching grammar--as I was an English teacher. I believe the basic idea could be applied to other disciplines:

As I enter the last five minutes of class, I turn on the overhead projector or pull off a sheet of paper that had been concealing the task as written on the board or hand the assignment to students, copied onto a half sheet of paper. The assignment contains two sentences; for instance, "Larry asked that I keep the information between he and I." and "Larry asked that I keep the information between him and me." The assignment states that one of the sentences is correct. Students are to determine which sentence is correct and write a single paragraph (100-300 words) explaining their reasoning. The assignment is due as they leave.

This would certainly cause a bit of hysteria at first, but as students became accustom to this, they would engage immediately and be able to complete the task successfully. The writing is important. It is through the writing that the teacher is able to assess the reasoning skills of the student. I suggest that this would be used no more than twice a week, but that it would definitely be used at least once every week for the entire semester.

What are your ideas?

Lesson Design and Classroom Management

Although a lot of people are calling for data before they make a decision in education and some are even using the call for data as a means of denying the validity of good practice, we must admit that there are good teaching practices that we can recognize through observation, through practice, and perhaps through intuition. I have not done any research on this topic, but I know that there is a direct correlation between good lesson design and good classroom management. In other words, if a teacher has prepared a lesson to engage students for the full time that they are in her class, she is less likely to have classroom management issues.

The school that I am leaving and the school that I am going to both use a traditional bell schedule, with each class lasting approximately 50 minutes. I have noticed--over the years in my own classroom as a teacher and through observing other teachers--that it is common for teachers to lose the first five minutes of class and the last five minutes of class to minutia, to fumbling around, to getting started, to packing up. It has become a part of the student culture to expect that nothing happens in the first five minutes, therefore validating tardiness, and nothing happens in the last five minutes of class. Once this has become a part of the culture, it is difficult to change, but this has to change.

Consider the above. A teacher loses the first and last five minutes of class. That is ten minutes per day. Classes are held five days a week. Simple mathematics establishes that the teacher is losing 50 minutes of instruction per week by allowing nothing to happen during the first and last five minutes of class. Fifty minutes is equal to one entire day's instruction. Multiply this by the number of weeks that students attend school (36) and we find that our students are missing out on 36 days of instructional time. The irony of this is that the teacher will then go to the administrator and say that she does not have enough time in the school year to teach the curriculum, to meet the standards, or to help the struggling students. The answer is in preparation.

I firmly believe that we move from awareness to preparedness to confidence. Becoming aware that we can plan how to use the first and last five minutes of class more effectively will give us the confidence of having a more orderly classroom and that we are possibly being more effective in meeting the learning needs of our students.

It is important to note that it is easy to prepare for these times. Many highly effective teachers use "bell ringer" activities to engage students from the moment the bell sounds to begin class. I have sat in such a class and noted how the moment the bell rings students have paper and pencil out, look to the board, and begin working problems or writing in a journal, without the teacher having to say a word. The teacher then is free to take attendance, to follow up with students who need to turn in an assignment or who have been late, or to organize materials to begin the day's lesson. The bell ringer activity is generally used to reinforce the previous day's lesson, to create anticipation for the given day's lesson, or to review concepts expected to appear on the high stakes, standardized test that the students are expected to pass as a requirement for graduation, etc.

The last five minutes of class should be used to engage students in reflection upon their learning. John Dewey stressed the importance of reflection in the educative process in his book How We Think (1910) in stating, "any subject...is intellectual...in its power to start and direct significant inquiry and reflection." He goes on to say that "the only information which can be put to logical use is that acquired in the course of thinking." Throughout the text, Dewey confirms that thinking that promotes learning is reflective in nature. Therefore, accepting what Dewey says and admitting that I intuitively arrived at the same conclusion, it is important that students be given time to reflect upon their learning.

So, teachers should use the last five minutes to promote reflective thought. This could be done through the use of "exit notes" or through a short (one to three question) quiz. Whatever is used, however, I believe it should involve writing and not just speaking. Many teachers believe they are reviewing with the entire class when they ask for a student to repeat the important points of the lesson. In a class of twenty-five, the same five students are always repeating the lesson and validating that they have listened, but there is no way for the teacher to verify that the other twenty even know what the lesson was about. Saying it is up to the kid to learn the stuff is the opposite of being a teacher. Teachers have to verify that students are learning and respond when there is evidence that students are not learning. That is why the last five minutes of class--every day--are vital to the learning process.

When a classroom is running smoothly--no classroom management issues--students are happier and the teacher is happier. Dr. Gruenert of Indiana State University once wrote that happy teachers are more effective teachers. (I'm paraphrasing and hope I got it right.) Therefore, it follows that spending time preparing well-designed lessons that fully utilize the class time and engage students in meaningful activity will result in greater learning and in improved morale throughout.

The Road Not Taken

My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken." It seems pertinent to me at this time, as I prepare to leave the school where I began my teaching career and began my administrative career and served for twenty-five years, and as I set out to meet my first great challenge as principal of another school.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I am not one of those who gets hung up on the last two lines. Taken out of context, these two lines cause people to stare off into space, striking a pose of nobility and victory, feeling quite satisfied that their lives have been different and better because they did not follow the crowd. This is not what the poem is about at all. Read the title. The speaker is filled with doubt and perhaps regret.

As I move on, I have no way of knowing if I have chosen the right path. But, unlike Frost's speaker, I am not going to dwell on what might have been, where the other path may have taken me. I know that the road ahead will diverge again and again and again, and I have to be ready to make the decisions regarding which path to choose, even when both equally lay with leaves no step has trodden black. And this, too, is in the poem.

The Audacity of Anonymity, Part 2

I composed an earlier blog entitled The Audacity of Anonymity and have become somewhat obsessed with the thought. Conducting some research, I found a research article entitled "Effects of Anonymity and Arousal on Aggression," which had been published in The Journal of Psychology and was written by R. W. Rogers & C. M. Ketchen. In the article, the authors cite another researcher named Zimbardo who stated, "If others can't identify or single you out, they can't evaluate, criticize, judge, or punish you." The authors went on to say, "...anonymity may make aggression a more dominant response tendency because in our culture anonymity reduces the anticipated risk of detection and the ensuing social censure and/or punishment."

In other words, being anonymous promotes feelings of imperviousness (for lack of a better word). Then, as one feels he can do whatever he chooses without repercussions or consequences, he is, therefore, encouraged to exhibit more aggressive behavior. A state of anonymity inhibits civility, causes us to resort to our baser instincts, makes us less compassionate and more egocentric.

Just today (May 15, 2009) Bob Kravitz, a sports writer for the Indianapolis Star, addressed this very topic, and I have to say that I agree with Mr. Kravitz. Kravitz uses classic jock talk to suggest that anonymity is turning us into a culture of weenies. Note, he does not condemn blogs or email or twitter or text messaging. He does, however, condemn the rude behavior that the anonymity of such technologically interactive programs promote. He states very well that "We hide behind technology that provides us with pseudonyms and takes accountability out of the equation." And that is what I'm talking about. If we are so bold as to say something, then let us be bold enough to accept the consequences of our words and our deeds. Otherwise, shut up!

I'm not finished with this topic.

A New Principal's First Speech

I have recently been hired to serve as principal of another high school. This will be my first principalship. Today I met the faculty of my new school for the first time. I knew I could stand in front of them and ramble for fifteen or twenty minutes and say almost everything I wanted to say, but I chose instead to write out my first speech and deliver a more deliberate discourse in under ten minutes. Below is the greater part of that speech, which I publish here for I believe I had something of value to say. I look forward to your comments.

As an educator, I spent 18 years as a classroom teacher. During my early years, I experienced having four principals in five years. Therefore, I know you have no reason to believe anything I say today regarding how long I plan to be here or what I hope to accomplish. It will be my actions that will communicate my commitment to you, to the students of GHS, and to this community. Still, I want to take this time to express some of my beliefs about education, from which you may deduce the expectations that I hold as principal.

First, I am a supporter of teachers. Years ago there were the license plates in Indiana that declared “Kids First.” I wanted one that said “Teachers First,” not because I think less of kids, but because I believe that if we have great teachers in our classrooms, then we do not have to worry as much about the kids. Many kids come to us with their backs against the wall—home life is abysmal; parents have given up on their children and expect the schools to fix the problems; students have experienced so much failure in life that they now refuse to try. There is little we can do as educators to change these factors. What we can control is what happens at school and in the classrooms. We can call parents. We can ask parents to come in to meet with us. We can talk to the kids. We can set expectations and help kids meet those expectations while we hold them accountable. We can be the calm voice in the crisis. We can speak with reason when emotions are high. We can do so much. Therefore, great teachers are the most important ingredient to the success or our school.


Secondly, the outrage over No Child Left Behind has faded and we are now beginning to understand that every kid needs a high school diploma. Every kid will need some form of post-secondary education to compete in a 21st century economy. Our educational institutions are failing when we allow one student to leave without a high school diploma. Our goal must be a 100% graduation rate and we must do everything within our power to achieve that goal. Still, kids’ home lives are unsupportive and destructive. And you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. But we cannot afford to focus on the things we cannot change. We must concentrate on those things we can change and the places where we can make a difference—the classrooms and the halls of our school. We can set high standards and high expectations, and we can find ways to hold our students accountable to those standards and expectations, while supporting students as they learn. The excuses we find for allowing kids to fail do not excuse us of our duty. We must find a way to help every student to reach his highest potential with the compassion and dignity that every human deserves.


Finally, I believe that we, as educators, are models of integrity. We are held to a higher standard by our communities, by our students, and by our colleagues. As actions speak louder than words, we have to ask ourselves, “What are my actions communicating to those around me?” If I take every sick day and personal day to which I am fully entitled, what does that communicate to my students about the importance of attendance? If I refuse to enforce the rules of the school in my classroom and in the hallways outside my classroom, what does that say of my attitude toward the rules of the school? If I close my door to the concerns of my students—or in my case, of my teachers—what does that say regarding how much I value these people and their concerns? If I refuse to contact parents when a student is failing, what am I saying about the importance of the partnership that exists between the parents and the school? I strive to be a model of integrity and ask the same of you. When we falter, we must learn to begin again; for there are truly no failures, only those who give up too soon.

My greatest strength as an administrator for the past seven years has been my skill at conflict resolution. The key to conflict resolution is taking the time to truly listen to the concerns of other people. Therefore, my phone line is open. My door is open. And I promise to find the time to sit with you, with parents, with students, with school board members, and with community leaders to hear the concerns. I cannot always afford you the luxury of having your way, but I hope you will always feel that I value your time and, more importantly, that I value you.

I am more excited today at the prospect of coming to GHS to serve as the next principal than I have ever been in my educational career. My only promise is that I will work hard every day and allow my actions to tell the story of who I am and of my commitment to this school. I will make mistakes and work hard to correct those mistakes. And I will see successes and join in the celebration of those successes. I am looking forward to getting to know each and every one of you and I invite you to come see me this July. I’d appreciate getting to spend an hour or so with each of you before the next school year begins.

Thank you.

Weighing Teacher Effectiveness

As I began to think more about the topic of determining whether a teacher was effective, I noticed that I have accumulated a few books on the subject. And I know that I've read through some of them, because they have my characteristic underlining, squiggling, asterisks, check marks, and sidebar notations. Some of the books I have are:
Fiore, D. J. & Whitaker, T. (2005). Six types of teachers: Recruiting, retaining and mentoring the best. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Stronge, J. H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Tucker, P.D. & Stronge, J. H. (2005) Linking teacher evaluation and student learning. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

I am certain there is much in each of these books and many other texts that can help us to measure the effectiveness of a teacher. However, I believe there is a simpler method of determining a teacher's effectiveness, at least on a personal level. At the end of the day, every teacher needs to answer one important question:

"Was I the type of teacher that I would want my own children to have?

When I think about the type of teacher I wanted my children to have, I wanted someone who forgave my children when they made mistakes but held them accountable to the reasonable consequences of their actions.

I wanted someone who called my children to attention when they misbehaved but did not scream at them, belittle them, or destroy their self-confidence in the process.

I wanted someone who encouraged my children to take chances and to learn on their own, to experience that mistakes are part of the learning process. I did not want someone who declared that the only right answers were the ones she held in the back of the teacher's edition of the textbook.

I wanted someone who had compassion, who saw my child as a child even when he was seventeen, who listened more than she spoke, who looked for ways to make my child successful even when he struggled.

And if I, as a teacher, can meet the expectations of what I wanted for my own children when I was working with the children of other parents, then I know that I am a good teacher.

Dr. Daggett of the International Center for Leadership in Education speaks of rigor, relevance, and relationships as key to improving the quality of education. I agree. However, I suggest that relationships come first. Because kids really do not care about what you know, until they know that you care.

The Audacity of Anonymity

I recently found myself standing between two large groups of teenage males, hyped up on adrenaline and metaphorically beating their chests and challenging each other to combat. I stepped in between the two groups in an attempt to calm them and to bring an end to the insanity. Although most of the students were from my school, one of the leaders of one group was not. Having the advantage of anonymity, the young man threatened me openly and taunted me, calling me names and ordering me to back away.

The entire incident had escalated through the audacity of anonymity that many students held that evening because they were not from my school. They took pleasure in creating chaos and were bold in being rude and disrespectful. The evening ended without further incident; however and consequently, it has become clearer that there is a trend in our society of affording people the protection of anonymity, which has given people courage to cast insults with impunity. The audacity of anonymity is a blight upon our society, defying reason, responsibility, civility, cooperation, collaboration, and accountability.

Another example where the audacity of anonymity has been disruptive involves what is called "Coffee with the Principal." Originally designed to provide a forum to address concerns that the faculty has regarding the operations of the building, Coffee with the Principal has become mean-spirited and petty. I am convinced that the vulgar nature of many comments is a by-product of the rule that all concerns be submitted anonymously. I doubt that many of the complaints are representative of the whole faculty and are more so the expression of personal vendettas. It was never the intention of the process to become as such. Anonymity has allowed those who otherwise would keep quiet to speak out in rude and disruptive ways and to lower the dignity of the process and the school.

A third place where I see anonymity causing rude boldness is on the Internet. I've visited YouTube sites where people have left vile and offensive remarks, hiding behind pseudonyms and nicknames that make them entirely anonymous.

When I receive a letter at school, I first look to see who signed the letter. If it is anonymous, I throw it away. If a person cannot sign his name to what he has written, then the person knows that it is vile, disgusting, rude, and inappropriate. He does not want to be associated with such behavior, while he engages in the behavior.

One might site examples of people posting anonymous statements that are quite the opposite from being rude and disruptive, statements that are actually respectful and uplifting. Regardless, I still suggest that the cloak of anonymity allows people to be vile and that anonymity should not be encouraged. Instead, people should be encouraged to stand behind what they say. Indeed, people should be proud of their words, whether they are statements of allegiance or cries of protest. And if a person is not proud of his thoughts nor his words, then let him hold his tongue.