The last day of school

This teacher of the year journey has been incredible - speeches, presentations, meetings, being part of the big conversation. One thing has been missing - my students at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, New Jersey.

I had to go back before the seniors left to graduate.

My chance came on Thursday. I hadn't wanted to come in during the year since my hard-working substitute teacher, Betty, was trying to get the day-to-day work of class done. I didn't want to come in and disrupt her, but now, the time was quickly approaching for all of my seniors to graduate. I didn't have much time.

Luckily, when I left. my classes were divided between two teachers. The teacher of the seniors, Dr. Dianne Bono, was on an educational trip to China, so it would be perfect for me to come in for those classes.

I walked into my old classroom and a couple of kids burst into joyful applause. "I was dreaming you'd come and you did," one girl said.

Another boy seemed sullen. He didn't look up. Later, he told me why.

"I was mad at you - you left us!"

"And now, do you forgive me?"

"Yeah, we're cool."

"Good."

It felt normal being back with the kids. It was like being in my own living room. These kids are my people. We understand each other.

That night, I went to graduation and heard a few of them speak. Sam said that you should use your talents to the max in this life. Jackie outlined the triumphs of the senior class. Melanie pitted herself up against the standard graduation speeches which talk about "the best class" and "the most special people" and sought meaning for herself and her peers. Michael, the Valdictorian, exhorted his peers to keep trying even though life will inevitably throw a few failures their way.

Highlands "Voices" sang beautifully and Joe Occhino, our new principal, poignantly gave voice to a poem he once heard at a graduation. He swore, when he had heard it, that if he ever became a principal of his own school, he would use that poem. We all were there to hear him do it.

That school is my home base right now. In September, when I pass the "crown" to the new New Jersey Teacher of the Year, I'll go back into my Spanish classroom. I'll play some Spanish music and we'll greet each other with enthusiasm. Most of all, we'll be real and the kids will teach me as much as I can teach them.

Eagle Scouts and Scholar Athletes

On Saturday, I had the double pleasure of seeing my former student, Steven, become an Eagle Scout in the morning at Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, N.J. and later, speaking at a News 12/NJEA Scholar Athletes luncheon celebration.

The day started in Allendale, New Jersey, where the Eagle Scouts assembled to celebrate the extensive service projects that these young men do to earn their coveted status. I stopped in to take a peek before heading down my second event in Edison, N.J. The wonderful, Dawn Hiltner, from the NJEA communications division, spearheads this event and was kind enough to invite me to speak.

I pulled into the parking lot of the Pines Manor in Edison and read over my speech in the car. I like to center myself before walking into a new environment. Little by little, I could see the students starting to arrive with their families for the luncheon.

I always enjoy watching the students walking into such an awards ceremony. The kids look all spiffy and the mom and dads, just plain proud. There is a new shirt with a slightly stiff collar. A little brother or sister is in tow and with any luck, there's a beaming grandparent.

I sat at table number 9, which was empty when I came into the banquet hall. Soon, though, I saw some of my friends from the NJEA - Wendell Steinhaur, the Vice President and Dawn Hiltner, from Communications.

Before long, my table started to fill up and I found myself sitting next to Shannon Myers, the goalie for the women's soccer team, Sky Blue. She was to be the keynote presentation and my contribution after her talk was billed as the "words of wisdom." Pressure was on!

Once everyone got there, Channel 12 had organized a presentation of all of these scholar athletes on big screens in the front of the room. These came from a special video segment that had been aired on television.

Reporters from Channel 12 go to the schools and watch the kids at games, at practice and then they talk to them individually. We got to see their real personality. How wonderful to get a chance to meet these fresh faced and optimistic youth. They made us laugh, wipe away a tear and admire their outstanding skills.

We saw one student playing funny songs on his guitar. Another girl, an accomplished gymnast, had joined her school ROTC by mistake. She had intended to sign up for her school chorus, but found herself in a ROTC meeting. She riot is that she stayed and found out that she liked it. "I like commanding!" she said, with a gleaming smile. Another set of twins talked about how they enjoy competing for grades and athletics. "He's got me by a point in the GPA, but I take him in sports."

Shannon, the Sky Blue goalie, took the podium after the student videos and gave a magnificent keynote - right from the heart. She was powerfully spoken and didn't even look down at a written word. So impressive!

She told the students that high school will probably not be the "high point" of their lives. There are many exciting things ahead, she said, if they follow the spark of passion inside. If they follow their inner fire, their wildest dreams just may come true, but if they ignored it, the flame would die out.

Shannon shared with the group that she had majored in communications and later got an M.A. at Syracuse University. This all lead to the corner office she had dreamed of, but something was missing in her life.

One day she read the paper and found a press release about a U.S. women's soccer league that was about to form. She got a couple of credible sources that confirmed this fact and then began the life transformation she needed to become a professional woman athlete. "I'm living my wildest dream each day," she told us. Shannon had so much passion in her voice that every word counted.

I got up next and spoke from words I had prepared. Below is an abridged version of what I said:

"To have the opportunity to address a group of students so worthy of my utmost respect and admiration, is an honor.

You have distinguished yourselves because you have combined the ideals of scholarship and athletics to a high and worthy degree. Your have understood the value of teamwork and leadership. You know what it means to be there when other people are depending on you.

You have found the courage to run down a court with the ball in a special zone of incredible focus or to bravely race as fast as your legs can carry you.

When your body has screamed for you to stop, you know when to listen or when to push on.

It’s not everyone who can do this. You know how to let your coaches show you the way to excellence. You realize that age has something to share and you want to benefit from this knowledge.

We here gathered today know that it’s not easy to shine, to step ahead of the pack, to lead, to forge new territory and to create records that will set you, your team, your school and your family apart.

The trophies and metals that line your walls are society’s way of telling you that you inspire us to remember what your well-spent youth stands for.

When you feel good, you work.
When you feel lazy, you work.
When your friends are flipping channels and going to the mall, you often work.

What’s different about you is that you know how it feels to be in harmony with yourself and to feel the power and beauty of your personal best.

And for you, it doesn’t stop on the field or court. When you hang up your muddy cleats or throw yet another sweaty tee shirt into the laundry or eat an exhausted plate of spaghetti after a quick shower, you keep going.

You do it because there is that paper to write on the Civil War, the art project to finish, the data to tabulate, the video to edit. You promised your classmates that you would create the hand out for the English project and you know that your Spanish teacher is counting on you to present a poem to the class with a perfect accent and emotion.

Everyone is counting on you, but most of all – you are counting on you because you take pride in what you do. Even when the whole house falls asleep or you fall asleep in the middle of a job, you wake up early to put on the finishing touches.

Because for you, doing a shoddy job just isn’t an option. What sets you apart is that you care!

When I was in college, I studied philosophy. Even though my parents didn’t really understand what I was studying, I enjoyed spending a lot of time thinking about big questions. Why am I the way I am? What does it mean to be good? What does it mean to make a commitment?

Besides those questions, I also liked learning about the ancient Greeks who lived about five hundred BC. For the Greeks, sports were an art and exercise was frequently done to beautiful music. For the ancient Greeks, physical strength, grace and movement were vital parts of one’s education.

We can still see Greek images engraved on museum artifacts that show us the strength of their muscles and the sports they played.

In books we treasure, we can even read their conversations in the pages of philosophical dialogs and plays.

I talk to you about the Greeks because I believe that, in an important way, these ancient athletes have passed their torches on to you! You have stepped up to be the keeper of the flame.

So it’s your job to keep it bright and strong until you pass it on to another.

Why you? Because you have chosen yourself through your exemplary actions.

As a scholar athlete, you stand in a fine tradition of excellence which goes back thousands of years and connects you to all that is fine in our history.

So remember those that have come before you with gratitude and forgive them for their imperfections. Be kind to yourself as well and remember that you can only give the world each day’s best job and that sometimes - there is more of a lesson learned in a loss than a win.

Today, you do honor to yourself and to everyone who believes in you. You are a beacon in the state of New Jersey and for everyone who has helped you get here. We do not celebrate you because you are perfect, but because you have excelled, achieved and endured.

It is an honor to meet you. Follow your passion, seek mastery, tend the flame and never give up! Congratulations!"

After my words, Wendell Steinhaur gave a wonderful speech which spoke directly to the students' interests and dreams. He even made sure to include a little humor, which the crowds enjoy.

What I like most about Wendell is his kind and sincere smile and a personal warmth which radiates to the audience. He has been my NJEA liaison for the Teacher of the Year program and has always been there whenever I needed any help at all, within minutes. What a role model!

When the luncheon was over, a representative from Channel 12 came over with the gift of a magnificent pen set with my name engraved and some words of thanks. The set is something I will treasure and admire. Each gift is a reminder of the job I have to do as the representative of my esteemed colleagues. I take it to heart!

On the way out, some parents and students politely stopped to thank me for what I had said. That's always nice because no matter how many times I get up to speak, I can never quite tell how much of what I am saying is resonating with the audience. It's good that some people come up and let me know.

Each talk I give is on somebody's big day. When I speak, I am being scripted onto a life story and I need to rise to the occasion!

Everyone was clearing out of the hall. Waiters were collecting uneaten rolls and half-filled glasses on giant trays. I walked out to my car and enjoyed watching the families exit, stopping to take a picture by the fountain and one more by the brimming flower beds.

Picture with the president

Here I am in the Oval Office with President Obama!!! Amazing! He was so gracious!

Common Standards and Test Mania

The country is talking a whole lot about common core standards for our nation's children. The idea is that if you study math as a sophomore in Texas, you should be able to be a junior in New Jersey and be o.k. Your learning should be rather portable, allowing you to feel confident that what you are learning is being learned all around the nation.

It's easier said than done.

But the Common Core Standards Initiative has been working hard to make this happen and this spring, we've seen some major results. "The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a single set of clear educational standards for English-language arts and mathematics that states can share and voluntarily adopt." Folks want to be able to say what a student knows and is able to do and there needs to be clarity around this from state to state.

"Who is leading the Common Core State Standards Initiative? Parents, teachers, school administrators and experts from across the country together with state leaders, through their membership in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) are leading the effort to develop a common core of state standards."

For anyone who wants to weigh in on the topic, it's possible to do so on corestandards.org where there is also a great deal of information on the standards.

On my New Jersey Teacher of the Year interview last September, I was asked what academic standards meant to me. I said that they were a beacon for us to follow, a goal to move towards in instruction.

I think it's important to understand that believing in standards does not mean that one is signing up for every high-stakes test out there. It does mean that we have to come to a better shared understanding of what we teach and how best to evaluate progress and proficiency.

Most people I know say that this needs to be done by using a variety of assessment methods. I think of it as casting a wide net to see what knowledge is in there. It certainly doesn't mean that kids should submit to a single multiple-choice test, get a number and have that number be the deciding factor that says a child has reached the stated goal.

The other thing about standards is that they aren't supposed to invade classrooms and take away that teachable moment. "Standards do not tell teachers how to teach, but they do help teachers figure out the knowledge and skills their students should have so that teachers can build the best lessons and environments for their classrooms."

I see the standards movement as a good thing which gets us working together to create more goal focused programs, with a wide range of teaching strategies and experiences in each individual classroom. To think that standards are equal to the very worst in standardized tests is just wrong.

(all quotes taken from http://www.corestandards.org)

Middlesex Vo-Tech School Awards

Gloria Cook & Maryann Woods-Murphy




Tonight took me to Piscataway, New Jersey. Down the NJ Turnpike I went, against the traffic going North.

I pulled into the parking lot and saw a large, flat, brown-brick structure: Middlesex County Vocational Technical School. I was happy to be meeting Gloria Cook, the history teacher, who had invited me down.

In seconds, I was in the door and could see that the building was much nicer from the inside than its rather simple exterior showed. What the eye couldn't see, curbside, was the unique entry of shafts of light from long windows, interesting public spaces and classrooms clustered around gathering areas. There were shops and students and little brothers and sisters all here to celebrate the achievements of their big brothers and sisters.

Gloria Cook and I had met at the NJEA convention last November. She's an optimist in every way. She came running up to me, when I was first named NJ Teacher of the Year, to tell me about her creation, "A Night of Elegance."

Her dream project is a formal dinner for students with china, flowers and fancy clothes to celebrate those students who had maintained a good grade point average, a nice attendance record and an exemplary attitude. She'd positively beamed when she had told me all about it. "Teachers would even wash the students' china dinner plates," she gushed. Gloria and her colleagues had refused to use paper plates to make it easier. The point of the night, you see, was to make one beautiful evening - a night to remember, when each student would don a collared shirt or a pretty dress and strut out into the room, showing off their pride and accomplishments.

This would have been the 4th year for the "Evening of Elegance."

Gloria had asked me to speak at the event and I was looking forward to it.

A couple of weeks ago, Gloria called to say that there had been some changes. Hit with the budget crisis, there was no money to create this evening for the kids. The school Principal, Dr. Linda Russo, didn't want to let the time pass without celebrating the students so they moved ahead with an awards ceremony for such things as "Best in shop" and "Perfect Attendance." The Awards Ceremony would be an evening to give out certificates, recognition and giant cookies, but would not include a formal dinner or dress. Gloria was, of course, sad but she remained ever cheerful. "The kids appreciate the recognition. I'm just so pleased that you could come tonight!"

I was happy to come and share my thoughts about excellence and dreams with the crowd. I told them the story of how this granddaughter of Irish immigrants became a Spanish speaker and I encouraged them to follow their dreams. I added: "When you look at people, remember that they too have dreams in their heart. Maybe you can help them achieve their dreams while you’re on the way to finding your own. Walk with gratitude, strive for excellence, and forgive yourself when you stumble."

It's a true honor to talk to these hard-working kids and their proud parents. I'm happy that Middlesex County Vocational Technical School found a way to honor their students.

I hope that next year, or the year after, Gloria's dream for "A Night of Elegance" can spring to life again. Hopefully, funds will surface for this sort of thing. Until then, I know that the teachers and administrators at the Piscataway Campus of the Middlesex County Vocational Technical School will do everything they can to honor and celebrate their students.

The Trenton Rally!

Here I am with Wendell Steinhauer, the NJEA Vice President, at the Trenton Rally!

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the whole NJEA team. The public needs to understand just how tireless these folks are. During my year as the New Jersey Teacher of the Year, it's been a joy and honor to get to know these leaders personally!

Save our schools rally

(photo, Lule Seltzer)
(photo, Joanna Petritsis)

Hello Everyone. I’ve been in education for 31 years.

Do I look like one of those tired, burnt-out veteran teachers we’ve been hearing about these days?

Lately, I’ve been hearing a whole lot of people talking about education who have never taught. They say that we aren’t doing a good job even though our test scores prove that we are at the top of the nation.

We hear that we need to improve, at the same time as our failed budgets will stuff our classrooms with students, eliminate our programs and lay off our colleagues.

Does that sound like a plan for school improvement?

Well, a whole lot of people seem to think that teachers need improvement. They think that we might do a good job if we get merit pay and get rid of those terrible slackers among us. You know, the ones who hobble home carrying bushels of papers till their eyes are bleary or the teacher I heard about who remembered to pass her grade book to her friend after her car accident and before being loaded into an ambulance.

Slackers. Hum.

So to help teachers be less prone to slacking, these educational “visionaries” say that we should use rewards and punishments.

Problem is, years of studies by people like the Federal Reserve Bank, have shown that the carrot and stick approach doesn’t motivate anyone to do anything but the most rudimentary task. In fact, it makes people perform worse than they would without the reward!!!

What studies have shown is that people are motivated by autonomy, mastery and meaning.

For teachers, I translate this into:

1. Autonomy: Let teachers teach! Stop with the top-down ideas. Teachers care about their work. Listen to them and let them excel!

2. Mastery: Let teachers choose their own professional development, guided by their interests, needs and passions!

3. Meaning: Recognize that as teachers, our voice needs to count. Listen to what we are saying about our jobs. Let us narrate our profession. Move over – we have a whole lot to say!

But most of all and most urgently, we need to fund our excellent public schools!

We need the recognition that our New Jersey Educational Association is not a “special interest” – but is rather the experienced, expert voices of more than 200,000 educators!

We have a proud record of success and our spirit will not be dampened, despite the repeated frontal attacks to our integrity, expertise and motives!

In fact, what I’m seeing all over our great state of New Jersey is the unleashing of the enormous energy we need to fight the good fight.

I know that we are on the right side of history – the side of justice, of public access to education and opportunity. We are on the side of public workers who run our transportation, patrol our streets and put out our fires. We stand up together, in solidarity, because history calls us to do it. We know that there is nothing more important than educating and protecting our children.

We will not be silenced. We will prevail!



Teaneck Educators Supporting Education (Photo, Lule Seltzer)