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Quality Writing

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:53:42 PM
As I sat down to write the rough draft for this entry, I discovered I had illustrated the topic quite by accident. Typically, I'll write one or more blog entries in a sitting. Then I click the "save draft" button at the bottom of my screen. Later, I edit the entry and post it. My readers see second drafts.

When I wrote my article They Want to Steal Your Money, I seem to have clicked the "publish" button. You read my first draft! Rather than go back and edit it, I will use it to illustrate the concept of quality work. Good writing should be:
  • Concise
  • Clear
  • Readable
  • Worth Reading
  • Use standard grammar and spelling
My first drafts tend to wander. I write them in an attempt to get in writing what is in my head. I often repeat myself, omit details, and say quite a lot that has nothing to do with the topic. Grammar and spelling are rarely problems, but little mistakes do slip by from time to time. Editing involves chopping out whole paragraphs, reorganizing topics, and ensuring that I'm clear.

A common complaint at the college level is that students can't write. To assist in identifying this limitation, the ACT introduced a writing portion. The student is asked to compose an essay on the spot. The problem is that this isn't "real" writing. There is no research, no editing, little time to organize, and no peer review. Instead, the ACT tests the student's ability to write a first draft.

This lesson has infiltrated our schools. If students are asked to write a paper (long or short), it is likely that they will submit their first draft. Most students compose papers on their computer, so this is easy to do. The majority will proofread the paper for grammar and spelling errors. We've taught that lesson well.

Unfortunately, grammar and spelling are only superficial. These qualities are heavily emphasized in English classes, but actual writing is not. By senior high school, teachers should simply not accept papers with poor grammar and spelling. By this level, students should be doing the hard (and more rewarding) work of learning to communicate better. I would encourage teachers to require first and second drafts of papers. If this is too much correcting, perhaps fewer papers can be assigned. Massive amounts of poor work do not improve the student's ability to write.

I've made that decision for my own classes this year. We'll be working intensively on lab reports. I plan to set up goals for each grade level and to move my expectations beyond simple grammar and spelling.

I challenge all teachers out there to try the change I'm attempting. Move beyond skills the students should have already mastered to more advanced skills. Expect quality work.

***********

Just a note: I've been absent for a while because of a project I'm working on. I'm now ready to report on it and, yes, the first draft of the first part of my report is written. Watch for it this week!
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They Want to Steal Your Money

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Saturday, November 08, 2008 6:09:26 PM
One of the realities of teaching that is often overlooked is that it doesn't pay well. If you made it through that sentence without giggling, you're ready to hear what I mean. Of course it doesn't pay well, and anyone who doesn't kow that has been ignoring the media and the steady drumbeat from the unions. What new teachers often don't know is what that means and what to do about it.

I have some inkling of what it means. I live in the second worst paying state. I want to give some financial advice for teachers. The concepts will apply to anyone else, but the specifics may differ slightly. I want to conclude with a warning that should frighten anyone.

How to Retire with Money

Start right away. Sacrifice now and you'll be a winner in the end. Avoid debt. It will eat you alive.

The specifics are: invest as much as you reasonably can in a 403b and a Roth IRA. Your state may have some kind of a retirement plan and it's probably mandatory, but don't count on it for your retirement. Several states are already facing the possibility of bankruptcy in their retirement systems. The promises were easy to make when the states when the states forced people into the retirement plans. The reality was that the expenses outran (or will outrun) the profits.

While we're on the topic, don't trust Social Security either. Trouble is coming there too.

Don't invest your money in a savings account in the bank. That's not an investment. That's a place to store money so you can access it. Savings bonds are the same way, just a bit longer term. Store money in it to cover your bills and any emergencies.

When the money is there, try to invest in other areas too. Try investing in mutual funds. You could try investing in stocks, but that requires some kind of specific knowledge that you probably don't have. Mutual funds spread out the risk and they are usually run by a company that understands stocks.

In the end, do not panic. Right now, a lot of people are panicking over the stock market. My retirement has lost money. There are people withdrawing from their retirement plans because they believe the hype.  There is no 10 year period (including the Great Depression) in which the stock market lost money. There are only two 5-year periods. Play your retirement long-term and you will be a winner.

About the Panic

The panic segways nicely into my warning. Government is a pig. It wants to stick its snout into your retirement and gobble it down. Right now, people are vulnerable to this because they're panicked. The government, particularly under a democrat congress and president, will take advantage of this to steal your retirement. The plans are in the works.

Of the articles I read, the most thorough one was from the Carolina Journal. There are plenty more out there. It's not just a myth or fear-mongering.  The only ray of hope I see is that enough members of congress will realize that retirement plans don't just belong to the wealthy.

The proposal is to entirely eliminate all 401k and IRA retirement plans. While bad enough, I could tolerate this. I could just invest my money in mutual funds without all the tax benefits. What is more scary is that the proposal includes a mandatory 5% contribution to a government-run retirement system. As much a failure as Social Security has been, that makes me angry. They want to steal my money and take it out of my control with a vague promise that they'll take care of me. Worse, the possibility has been tossed around of confiscating all 401k and IRA money.

Now, I haven't read anything about the 403b plan, but it is the same as the 401k plan, so I suspect that it could suffer the same fate.

This is a blatant attempt by an element of our government to steal yet more of our income and take away yet more of our independence. It must be fought.


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Passion or Practicality

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Thursday, November 06, 2008 9:39:18 PM
Right now, seniors in high school are applying to colleges. They're coming to the realization that real life is about to start outside the shelter of their family. Some are choosing to work, some are choosing military, and some have chosen some form of further education.

In my classes, I see all of these students. Some know exactly what they want to do. Others have narrowed down the possibilities. I've even heard a few who plan to go to college and figure out what to do. It is sad when a student doesn't know what to do. College may well be a waste of money. Without that passion or a goal driving them through, what will keep them there?

That issue is troubling enough, but what if the student has passion...just the wrong kind? What if your daughter is passionate about feminism and wants to major in feminist studies? What if your son wants to major in music? What if your child wants to teach elementary school?

Some majors have more earning potential than others. Some majors have no earning potential, except for certain superstars. Does that mean you should discourage your child's passion (or ignore your own passion) in favor of the need to earn money? My answer is: maybe. That sounds a little wishy-washy, so let me explain.

A lot of kids are passionate about sports. They love it. Very few will play professionally. Not many parents encourage their children toward professional sports, and most of their children will even attempt to pursue sports as a career. Instead, they will relegate sports to where it belongs in their lives.

That does not mean you should discourage your child from playing football and force him into science club instead. Our passions recharge us and give us something to love. Some of us are lucky enough to find a way to turn our passions into a career, but it may not be in the obvious way.

Maybe your child who is passionate about football may go on and become a physical therapist. Perhaps he will go on to guide a high school football team. He may take the lessons he learned in football to put defeat into perspective in his business or his run for political office.

My advice to high school seniors and their parents is to follow passions, but temper them with reality. Maybe the passion can be an academic minor. The student who is passionate about music can minor in it and major in something else. Maybe the person who wants to teach elementary school can add something to his major to improve his marketability: technology, foreign language, mathematics, special education.

My own dream is to live in a small town in rural North Dakota. I want to teach Chemistry, Physics, and maybe a math class part time in a Christian high school. I want to spend the rest of the day writing (and publishing), particularly in science fiction.

The reality is different, but parallels my dreams closely enough. I am in a small town in rural North Dakota, but not as small as I'd like. I am teaching the classes I like, though I'm also teaching classes I don't like. I'm not part time, but I can write. As I write more and more, I am learning to write, and I'm working toward the goal of being a published writer. Finally, I'm in a public school, not a Christian school. Sadly, I'm unlikely to reach that goal, but I do get to teach, and I do get to be a role model. Perhaps I'm doing more good now.

Passions help us set the goal, but should not be the goal. We need to eat! Help your students find a realistic way to follow their passions, or to have a back up plan to their passions.

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ACT Results say: "Act now to save education!"

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Thursday, November 06, 2008 8:16:57 PM
This news is so old it's like a broken record. I think people have become desensitized and have gotten to the point that they feel nothing can be done. However, no matter how bad education may be, there is a lot that can be done for your own child (or yourself). Make good decisions!

ACT Tells the Story

It's common to criticize international comparisons of schools. The claim is that "everyone" in America takes those tests whereas only the best in the other countries take them. I don't want to evaluate that claim today, but it leads me to the ACT. This is a college admissions test and, in general, is taken only by the better students. Some states give it to all students, but that's another story.

When we look at our better students, who are college bound, we would expect to see students who are ready for college. They're not, especially in science. A wealth of information is on this website.

Depressing as this information is, there is little the common person can easily do. We have to fight a culture in our schools, our communities, and even in our students. But the information contains a real glimmer of hope and opportunity

Getting an Education

The individual student can still get a good education. This 32 page report on North Dakota is true for every state. The numbers may differ slightly, but the general trends are the same. The short version is: don't take your senior year off. I think it's too late for both my readers, but remember this when you have children. I'll be using North Dakota numbers, but you will find this same trend in any state. Just go to the website and find your own state.

Take a full sequence of science that includes Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. The three will improve your science ACT score as well as your college performance in any science. In North Dakota, 50% of students who take this sequence are considered to be prepared for college level science. Other sciences might help, but this sequence is the most helpful.

Take 4 years of real math up to and including Calculus. 85% of students who take this sequence are ready for college level math. Students who don't feel comfortable with Calculus should still take advanced math, including Trigonometry. Short version: take 4 full years of math in high school. The payoff is huge!

In North Dakota, all students take 4 years of English so it is no surprise that this is the best preparation. An additional English course helps even more.

Frankly, I get tired of students whining that high school doesn't prepare them for college. Some have taken what high school has to offer. Many of them did not take the full math and science available. The advice to "take your senior year off" is really bad advice.

Life is long and, frankly, students will have a lot more fun away from their parents at college than in their senior year. I know I did!

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Why I Nearly Quit Teaching!

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 3:44:36 PM
Experience really is the best teacher. Most new teachers don't walk into the classroom with an attitude of humility and eagerness to learn. We walk in feeling a mixture of excitement, cockiness, idealism, and a desire to change the world. A few years of experience kills that and some of us surrender and put in our time until death or retirement brings relief. Others of us recapture that, but now tempered with the reality that only experience can bring.

  1. "Never wrestle with a pig. You just get dirty and the pig enjoys it." The pig in question is that student who wants to argue. It's really hard not to argue with them and try to get them to see reason. The truth is that many are arguing just to see you get wound up! They may even agree with you.
  2. Parents are your greatest ally. Sure, some are rude, threatening, or would happily run you down in the street. Most want what you want: the best for their child. If you can find a way to work with them, you can get that. Communication is key here. Parents hate surprises.
  3. Teach to your best students. I don't mean to teach to your students with the best grades. I mean teach your motivated, excited, hard working students. In a classroom of such students you would create fabulous, exciting lessons. You wouldn't spend your days droning on with notes. You would push them, and you would enjoy them. If you teach those students, the rest of your students are more likely to become those students.
  4. Some kids can't be reached. I know the idealists say that they can all be reached. Though you should try, there does come a time when you should cut your losses. When other kids are suffering because of this student, it's time to look at your priorities.
  5. All students are made in God's image--even the rotten kids. Mound Church
  6. You have a life. Get out of school and find something non-school related. Hobbies are great, but don't neglect your social life. I've even attended church in different towns. They aren't interested in my school troubles and it provides a world outside school.
  7. Organization is good. It's a horrible feeling to lose a kid's paper. It's even worse when you know darn well that you didn't lose it and the kid is lying to you because he knows you're too disorganized to know whether he turned it in or not.
  8. Keep up! Don't fall behind on work. It sucks all the joy out of teaching and makes you feel guilty when you should be working.
  9. Not all teachers are your friends. Some are your enemies. Some even want to see you fired because they feel threatened by your presence. Don't be paranoid, but do be careful what you say and to whom you say it. Some will be horrible even if you are careful around them. (Personal experience again.)
  10. Alcohol is your friend.  (Just kidding!)


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Is North Dakota a Nanny State?

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Wednesday, November 05, 2008 12:28:22 AM
I'm going to wander outside education today and look at North Dakota's 4 constitutional measures. (I'll avoid discussing our State Superintendent of Education election...I occasionally work for whomever is in that office and won't put my feelings about either candidate in writing.) Some of the constitutional measures do touch on education, vaguely. As of this writing, it looks like measures 1 and 2 failed and 3 and 4 passed. Some precincts have not reported in, so there is a remote possibility that this has changed.

Measure 1 would have taken all oil and gas income and put it into a trust fund. The state's ability to spend this money, outside the interest, would be limited by a requirement that a supermajority of the legislature vote to do so. I oppose this measure for a number of reasons. One is that our state is trying to reform the way it collects taxes. This would provide a huge hurdle to that. In addition, I see this money as belonging to the areas that generate it. Otherwise, why can't rural counties get a share of sales tax revenue from the cities? This is really about the eastern end of the state and its jealousy about western oil and coal revenue.

Measure 2 was one I really wanted to support. Cutting income tax should be a good thing. Unfortunately, it was not an across-the-board cut. In addition, the state is attempting to reform its tax structure. Why hobble that reform now? Finally, I want to see spending cuts before I see tax cuts. We learned that lesson from the federal government.

Measure 3 inspired the title of this entry. It's related to the tobacco settlement from a few years ago. It organizes a tobacco control committee and directs the spending of the tobacco money. I want government to keep its snout out of personal decisions. While the smell of smoke is repulsive, it's none of my business (or government's business) if people smoke.

Measure 4 is all about reforming our Worker's Safety Insurance. Admittedly, it needs reforming, especially after all the recent scandals. However, I want to see this issue debated more fully first. It seems to add too much red tape to it. As someone who had to use it, I can tell you that there is too much red tape already--and simultaneously, not enough verification.

So, the two most serious measures were defeated. Meanwhile, we get Obama as president, a Democrat controlled congress, Republican governor in North Dakota, and it looks like Wayne Sanstead will continue in our Department of Public Instruction. Life will go on, and now the winners have to deliver on their promises.
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Too Good to be True?

Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel on Tuesday, November 04, 2008 12:54:15 AM
Sometimes you hear a story that's just too good to be true. I wonder if this is the case now.

KFYR has reported on North Dakota's teacher of the year. She is not a union member, and this plays into the story. She addressed the attendees at the state union convention. Then she headed over to the reception held in honor of all award winning teachers. Seems she was barred from entry by union officials because she was not a union member.

Snubbed because she's not a union member? I did find a few other reference, including one on eiaonline.org and the Fargo InForum.

It's so blatantly stupid that I just can't quite believe it's real. It sounds like it is real. Apparently even the union hierarchy has acknowledged it. They claim that she was well aware that she could not attend.

Whatever the story behind the snubbing, it does point to a real problem. Why is a labor union involved in choosing a teacher of the year? I don't mind if they choose a union teacher of the year, but they have no role in the state teacher of the year.

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