Ch. 1 Thoughts About Adolescent Literacy

I have taught mathematics for over seven years (over five years in high school and two in middle). What is truly amazing is that I am not the stereotypical teacher. In fact, I almost failed Algebra in high school, finding it abstract and complex, and quite frankly I spent the entire year completely lost. Other subjects were also uninteresting, except maybe Creative Writing and English with Mr. Fox, who was a fox. I think the real turn-off for me was the fact that we were spoon fed uninteresting, irrelevant material that later we were expected to regurgitate accurately for a "passing grade" (recitation literacy). I was so turned off by my high school experience that I almost didn't go to college, but after years of urging from friends I decided to give it a shot. Mr. Olsen was the name of the teacher who helped me overcome my hatred for the educational system. He taught Algebra I at JCC. The man danced around the room with enthusiasm and sang out connections with the real world that involved every learning aspect of algebra. He brought in slides to show his own experiences of using math as a boy scout leader (yeah, I know, pretty corny, but it worked). It was this teacher and this class that were ultimately my inspiration for choosing math as my major and, as importantly, teaching as my career. My point is not that all teachers need to be entertainers - even though it helps - but we do need to find more innovative ways to teach students relevant information that is sustainable for the long term. Yes, the work force is becoming increasingly difficult and what makes one person stand out from another is not just their specialty, but, more importantly, their ability to communicate effectively and personably, basically public relations in all its creativity.

Chapter 1 of "Adolescent Literacy" points out the importance of implementing 21st century tools, strategies, and goals in order to reach true adolescent literacy (i.e., meaning, students ultimately achieving a high school diploma that is relevant to their future). I truly believe if this had been the educational approach when I was in school then perhaps I wouldn't have become such an early education cynic. Those teachable moments of building a student's knowledge base and helping them to achieve as critical and creative thinkers are becoming obsolete in the classroom because of mounting pressure stemming from district and state-wide tests designed to measure accountability. As teachers we must know that our most effective teaching occurs when our students are engaged and motivated through real-life connections that are relevant and meaningful for them in today's world. Yet, who wants to be the one to buck the system? What about my pacing chart for teaching the required curricula within a certain time frame? I have eight district-wide tests to give at certain times throughout the year. How do I accomplish this?

I wonder what would happen if students participated in our professional development seminars. Hmm.