Can THEY do this?

In my head, in front of the class, on the spot....I'd like to see politicians do this type of thinking in front of 30 5th graders, all while maintaining order, answering the class phone, and looking at a kid trying to sneak a snack!!!

"Okay, that lesson on the old East-West trade routes and the Turks' capture of Constantinople went better than I thought! The kids were engaged. We had a bit of fun while learning! I acted a complete nut just now, but it was for the good!! Thank God for Google Earth and this SMART board that my principal a few years ago purchased when there seemed to be a little bit of excess! I wanted to do a 45-minute/45-minute split of Social Studies and Science. So since this lesson went well, the kids were engaged and I can tell they are learning based on the use of slates and dry erase marker responses, I'll just keep going with this. At the '30 minutes' left mark of the Science/Social Studies block, I'll abbreviate what I was going to do and hit a major point or two, since I already planned to extend the Science block this Thursday and Friday anyway. I'll explain the entomology research project to them, take questions, then end the class. I'll put off the reading of this mini-article on predators until tomorrow."

"Okay, everybody, here's the question I want you to answer on your slates, what types of goods were..."

Being a black boy isn't a disease!

Dear World,

Being a black boy is not a disease that needs to be diagnosed, x-rayed, poked, prodded, studied, and drugged up! Since when did being a boy become an ailment, and particularly being a black boy??

I am SICK and TIRED of boys who look just like me being diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, ODD, ABCD, this D, that D and the other D!!! With those diagnoses, comes the medicine, the IEPs, the behavioral this and behavioral that; the stigma, the treatment, the preconceived notions and ultimately the ire of society!

It's no wonder prisons are stuffed with kids and men who look like me! It's no mystery why these guys are being killed on the streets in higher percentages than others! They are literally out of their minds, druggies since five!!

I'm not a conspiracy theorist (except when it comes to Governor Corbett and the funding of Philadelphia's public schools), I just can't help but notice what seem to be disproportionate numbers!

Make no mistake, I do not condone boys using this as an excuse for stupidity! You act dumb, dumb stuff will come, point blank! But as a society we can do our part and not assume that because a five-year-old boy runs around the school that something is wrong with him! Regain order, yes! But we need to think long and hard before we "treat"!!

Is something really the matter with him, or does he spend hours on end in our classrooms then goes home to the same amount of space for several more hours with many more people? Is he the product of a less than ideal pregnancy and would more "skittles" really help? Let's ask ourselves these and other questions before that prescription or IEP is written, because once written...

First, do no harm!

Yours truly,
Me

New Science Teacher

Science is the one subject I've never taught as an elementary school teacher. I remember Dr. Shmuckler at Temple teaching the science methods course. I remember my elementary science class with Mrs. LaComp, then with Mrs. Williams at another school, followed by Mrs. Johnson, Mr. Oxley, Mr. Mealy(sp), Ms. Lewis, Mr. Finley, Mr. Ulrich, and Mr. Belz....yes, I was a teacher-geek even then remembering most of my teachers...lol.

This year is my first year teaching science however. Since I was getting a new grade to teach, I figured I might was well dust off my science pedagogy from undergrad and take a stab at science.

All summer long I was apprehensive. I am an English/Language Arts teacher at heart and am currently in a program to be a certified reading specialist. If I was going to do this "science thing", I wanted to be all in, providing the best instruction and experience I could! So I read articles, blogs, tweets and the like all summer. I visited the websites of national science organizations, notable television programs and people, etc. to prepare for my three classes of 5th graders.

I just want to report, that while I have a ways to go both content-wise and pedagogically speaking, I'm starting to get the hang of it and am enjoying it. I teach with the premise that science should be experiential in nature; the premise for my ELA and Social Studies teaching. Note: I'm also teaching Social Studies this year, a subject I've taught quite a few times before and with which I am much more comfortable.

I want my English back for sure, but at least I know that if I go self-contained in perhaps a younger grade, I could do it.

Two Weeks In...

We are two weeks into the school year here in Philadelphia and morale is sinking quickly! That shouldn't be! Teachers are worn out and despondent. And it's no mystery why that's the case.

We are without essential services, personnel, and supplies. Many classes are beyond overcrowded around the district and teachers are finding themselves in communities and buildings they've never been in before. Even if in our particular classrooms things appear to be fine, we are one with our colleagues all around. Their pain is our pain! We also know that things can change for the worse quicker than we can blink!

On top of all that, the state, city, and district are insistent that teachers are the cause and solution of the financial debacle the district is in. They want us to take as much as a 13% cut in pay and contribute as much to our health benefits! They say that we need to share in the sacrifice and pain! Laughable! I already vented about that!

To turn the knife in our hearts, a new teacher evaluation system is in place which makes teachers "more accountable" for student achievement by attaching test scores to teachers! You have GOT to be kidding me!

The governor wants the PFT to buy $45 million at a price tag of more than $100 million. Seriously gov? Are you that thick-headed?

Philadelphia's teachers, counselors, nurses, and other school based staff, parent and student advocacy groups as well as national leaders and warriors in the fight for full and fair funding for public education are on the frontline, fighting back with all the strength we have to ensure that EVERY child, not just those in certain schools or from certain backgrounds, gets what s/he needs to have a chance at success too!!!!!

All of this, and we're just two weeks in! smh

A colleague of mine, sick of the nonsense is organizing a discussion/forum in her classroom for the faculty at our school next week. The purpose of the talk is to express concerns that are specific to our school and to come up with solutions that are real and attainable and to move unapologetically to make the teaching and learning environment in our building as stress free as possible. With a whole year ahead of us, and stress already real, something has to give!

Dear Kindergarteners

Dear Kindergarteners,
My name is Mr. Flemming and I am a teacher. Did you know that there are a whole lot of teachers? How high can you count? Can you count to ten? Well, there are more than ten! Can you count to twenty? Well, there are more than twenty!

Have you ever heard of the word "thousand"? WOW!!! That's a really big number!! If you hold your hands out really wide, it's bigger than that!!! Well, there are more than one thousand, more than two thousand, more than three thousand teachers, wow!!! There are a whole lot of THOUSANDS of teachers in schools everywhere!!

Today you started school. Maybe this was your first time or maybe you went to preschool or daycare!

I just want to tell you that I believe in you! That means that Mr. Flemming, and all of my THOUSANDS of teacher friends, we know that you are smart and that you are going to be good at reading and math and a whole lot of other things that boys and girls do when they are in school and at home!!

Do you like to draw or sing?  I like to draw and sing sometimes, but you probably sing and draw way better than me!! Maybe you can draw me a picture one day or sing the bigger kids a song. That's who I teach. I teach the bigger kids, they are in 5th grade this year!

Well, if you like to draw and sing and maybe play the drums, make sure you ask the principal, that's the boss, if you can sing and draw in school! There are teachers who would LOVE to help you draw or paint or sing or play the musical instruments! Does that sound like fun? It sounds fun to me!

I want you to promise Mr. Flemming one thing. Promise me that you will always work really really hard!! That means you'll do all of your school work and homework and that you will always try your best! Make sure you listen to your teachers and the other grown ups at school!! Okay?

It's probably time to go to bed. Mr. Flemming is very sleepy right now! You want to make sure you get a good night's sleep so that you can be on time for school tomorrow and so you won't be sleepy!

Good Night!
Have fun in school tomorrow!

~Mr. Flemming

'Twas the Night Before School Started (Philly version)

'Twas the Night Before School Started (Philly Version)
Stephen R. Flemming - Philly Public School Teacher

‘Twas the night before school started and all through the halls

Were the children, some teachers, and that’s about all!

One principal, some staff, a single secretary

No music! What art? Don’t even call that a library!

No counselors, few aids, and hardly supplies

Yet they call this a school? HA! What lies!

Barely enough funds, to open on Monday

Yet the Gov and the Mayor say, “Well, someday,

We’ll give you the money, you think you all need

But not before concessions from that blasted PFT!”

“Those teachers must give back some of the bountiful excess

You don’t need those high salaries or that hefty egg’s nest!”

But we’re saying, “No! You haven’t a clue!

What it takes to teach kids or make it on through

Through attitudes of despair and hopelessness ‘round

Because of the grown ups, who let them all down!

We spend hundreds of thousands collectively as staff

We sacrifice often to make supplies last!

So, no to give backs, we didn’t cause this problem

And we’re not responsible to help you both solve them!

So tomorrow we start, 8:30’s the time

Thirty-three kids, in two straight lines!

So on primary, on middle, and on teachers secondary

Elementary or high school, we’ve got to be ready!

On teaching, on learning, on standing up tall

Proud to be teachers, proud to called

Called to teach children and youth at all stages

Called to make an impact that’ll last through the ages!