Yesterday was a late start, but things got started early. North High has sent our stuff off to WASC, to be reviewed, but we met as an entire faculty this morning. On a positive note, there was a cookie for everyone at the tables, along with some Valentine’s hearts and Nerds and erasers you wear as a ring. There may even have been a Kit Kat bar (fun size).
Like many other teachers, I sat in the back in the comfy chairs. There are 12 of these comfy chairs–four of each that surround a table. Instantly, though, we were ordered to come up to the other tables that had cookies and candy on them. The goal was that everyone would be at the table and be able to share goodies and ideas with the other teachers (never mind that we were already at a table, just in a nicer chair).
The WASC question of the day was “What do we do if they don’t learn it?” My mind went immediately to “Fail them,” but I don’t think this was the answer anyone wanted to hear. Then my mind took a turn to “Feel bad because it’s my fault,” which might have been a warmer answer. Either way, we had to read a 2-page article about WASC and PLCs and then write our answers to the above question on paper hearts that were on the tables. We got to share our answers and frustrations with the five other teachers, and then post our paper hearts onto a big piece of butcher’s paper that hung between bookshelves in the library.
I wrote a couple of the nice things I do for students–offering optional assignments that extend the lessons and being in my room during all the breaks and my conference period. I have a old set of Chromebooks that students know they can use at any time to catch up. I get it. Kids don’t have the same priorities and lifestyles that we sometimes want them to have, so a little extra accommodation isn’t a bad thing. Especially if they come around and take us up on it.
So we read an article that encompassed a page of paper, talked a little to our colleagues, then posted our paper hearts on the paper. No sharing between the whole faculty; just a nod and smile from the understanding folks at our table. After we had littered the butcher’s paper with our hearts, we were told they would not be used as data, but the butcher’s paper would be hung in the faculty hallway so we could see it when we passed to make copies or get our mail. I saw it today. My heart was still on it, which was nice.
We were then introduced to “new” faculty. The teacher who never existed, and is now out for the whole year on maternity leave, finally has a long-term replacement, complete with a full name. Another teacher in English who is out for the semester (maybe) has a replacement teacher who was only introduced by her first name, which I didn’t catch. Another department has a teacher or student teacher and her name is Taylor. Maybe she prefers going by a single name, like Cher or Charo.
Then two of the four administrators that were there yesterday gave their usual two candy rewards to teachers who do a great job for North High. The teachers who receive this candy, in turn, give one of the candy rewards to someone who they feel does a great job. So far, many teachers have been recognized, though some have not. Some have been recognized more than once, which probably means they are doing an exponentially better job than those not receiving anything.
And, to top it all off, out of nowhere came the Axe and Sword Award. Initially given to my wife many moons ago, it is the wooden trophy of excellence handed down every now and again from recipient to recipient. My APN teaching partner of 15 years, Gillian Hart, got it this time, and I have no idea why she had to wait so many years–this award has been around now for close to 10 years–because she gives so much of herself to North High School (sometimes too much).
All this action that took place, all the work and preparation put in by so many people to make the tables filled with sweets and a paper filled with hearts, and we were done 20 minutes early. I’m guessing many of the teachers that did not receive a candy award for excellence still used that time to go back to their rooms, grade papers, and work on what they were going to do that day with their students, maybe even the ones that have not “learned it” yet.