Everything in its season...

When I strap on my helmet and set off on a cool crisp morning, I feel like a little kid on a day with no school.   It is especially so after the first real rain of the season.  Rain starts the cycle of life over again in this dusty land.  I never tire at seeing the regular progression of seasonal events - there is such a predictable but always surprising sequence of wonders unfolding!  We have a paradox here in Northern California – for many deciduous plants this is the season for retracting plant sap into the roots and shedding the drained empty leaves.  These plants are attuned to preparing for the cold days of winter which will follow.   Many (but not all)  of the deciduous plants in our area are introduced and not part of the native vegetation.

Persimmon leaves

Many other plants, especially native plants, react to autumn conditions by coming out of hibernation.  In addition, rain is the cue for dormant seeds to spring back to life. Already long dormant grass seeds have sprouted and are showing rapid growth.  Our hills are once more becoming green. These plants are perfectly adapted to winter rains and cold, even occasional frozen mornings.  The cycle of events is so predictable - and natural selection has fitted the organisms so closely to the pattern of conditions that the normal seasonal changes in weather result in the changes in plants and animals.

White pelicans, cormorants, white egrets, and a few ducks resting on a lake bank

         Migratory flocks of white pelicans are gathering in the lake, Great white egrets are standing silent guard beside the river, white crowned sparrows are singing their plaintive sweet songs, great mobs of irascible crows gather and argue in their tree tops.  Tiny humming birds rest on the top most branch of a tree and hover by the late fall flowers in search of nectar.   When I walk in the hills I encounter noisy gangs of wild turkeys gorging on acorns under the oak trees.  They invariably have one sentinel “watch turkey” while the others feed.  Troops of Canada Geese  have no natural predators and have increased to large numbers eating lawns and crops.

Ginko tree

My bicycle tires crunch their way through patches of dry leaves, mud puddles are already forming a rim of green algae, and the air is so crisp that distant hills stand out in full detail.  Even snails who had adapted to the long dry summers by slithering high onto weeds or shrubs and fastening their shells to the stem with dried slime, are becoming active once more.  Rain frees them from their summer of forced rest and they feed hungrily on the new green growth.

Summer cirrus clouds (high altitude) 

         Gone are the thin wispy cirrus clouds of summer – they are replaced with the grand massive winter cumulous clouds and at times solid overcast stratus clouds.  There are sometimes dense masses of cirrus clouds (made of ice crystals) and when the sun strikes them at just the ‘right’ angle, rainbow hued sundogs can be seen, one to the right of the sun, another to the left. More on sundogs:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_dog

Cumulus clouds

 The insects of summer also must adjust.  The colder weather causes organisms with ‘cold blooded’ systems (exotherms) to move more slowly. Some remain in a stupor during the winter months and revive with the heat of spring.  Some burrow into the ground, others lay eggs in safe places before they die. 

Grasshopper laying eggs in the ground in the late fall

          Gone are the dragonflies and grasshoppers.... even house flies are hard to find. If the temperature drops below about 55F, evening cricket chirps will stop.     Gone are the harbingers of winter nights those night singing crickets. To read more about  crickets and temperature: http://www.ehow.com/how_6765853_tell-temperature-chirp-cricket.html.  Now when the evening sun sets our new nighttime singers are male Pacific Tree frogs hoping to attract a mate with their skillful singing?  

Quince fruit

         I love this season in my garden – the soil is easy to work.  Many of the plants adapted to this climate send our side shoots and it is so easy to divide and start more of favorite plants.  It is also a time of judgment - if I have a plant that does not do well under the harsh summer conditions I cull it out.  Sadly it’s also the season when all those resting weed seeds spring to life too!

Clum of day lilies ready for division

         And finally I love the fruit of the season!  We have a Fuju persimmon tree that has been more than generous this year – also a good crop of Granny Smith apples- a winter apple – are just coming into full swing.  Our faithful Orange and Lemon trees gives us fruit all year long and the Mandarin Oranges as well.  I grow a few other fall and winter fruits – Chinese dates, Pineapple Guavas,  Chilean Guavas,  Kiwi fruit, and I am still waiting for my new fig to mature.  I try to leave fruit on the tree to pick as we can use it ... 

Stratus clouds - indicate a layer of clouds spanning the sky
These are stratus clouds made of cumulus clouds -
"Stratocumulus"

November here is the month when it is getting cold but not enough to keep me from working outdoors.   Mornings are cool and a fire feels good at the end of the day.  We have an old rule that says that the first frost of tyhe season usually comes within a week of Thanksgiving.  The question is = Will that rule hold true in this time of climate change?

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Link of the week: Keep track of storms in your area - this is a recurring loop of precipitation in your area for the last half hour.  Enter your zip code: http://radar.weather.gov/ridge/radar_lite.php?rid=MUX&product=N0R&loop=yes

Cluster of Hayashi persimmons

Did anyone use a different method?

It is said that everyone is an expert on public education because "everyone  has experienced at least 12 years of it", and so "we all know what classrooms and teaching should look like"!  You might be surprised to see the new ways in which teachers are being prepared.  If we want to improve learning and critical thinking in students, one of the first challenges is to get young teachers to look beyond "teaching as they were taught".  It is my role, as a field supervisor,  to visit young teachers in their classrooms and to provide the support and ideas needed to  help them deal with challenges in their teaching, and to grow into confident teachers.  In this week's blog I want to share with you some of the advice that I give to my teachers...

_______

All images this week are photos of classroom items observed in East Bay high school or middle school classrooms

Student mural

1. Your students are not 32 identical empty vessels to be filled with knowledge; you have 32 different individuals with different life experiences, past learning, and ranges of abilities, 32 individuals each with his or her own misconceptions, and 32 individuals each with his or her own questions and life conflicts that they bring with them to your class.  The name for this kind of teaching philosophy is ‘constructivism’.

Classroom motivation poster

2.  Taking time to develop a complete lesson plan makes everything go more smoothly. A good lesson plan promotes real learning for all the kids. . The majority of class management issues can be controlled with a careful plan, and an effective lesson means that the kids are working harder than you as the lesson unfolds. Writing a good lesson plan begins with careful observation of your students and evaluating student abilities and needs.  It's true what they say about idle hands ( and minds ) -Avoid student ‘free-time’ like the plague...

Exit Slip: a summary question at the end of class to measure student understanding

3. Take risks... you will expand your teaching repertoire only when you attempt a variety of methods. Celebrate your successes and use the disasters as ‘learning experiences’. When you do your best to attempt something new and it is less than you hoped for – don’t ‘beat yourself up’. The most important filter to use when planning and evaluating your teaching is to ask “did this activity promote real concept learning for my students?” ... anything less is a waste of time.

During the period students will engage in a variety of activities - each with an appropriate speech level

4.  An effective lesson plan makes concepts relevant to the lives of students.  Many teen-age kids do not relate well to large amounts of purely theoretical factual knowledge... If you choose examples that are part of their daily life – every time they encounter the phenomenon they will remember and apply what they have learned.  Develop the skill of projecting into the mind of a student and ask “What would this experience feel like for me as a student”?

Classroom motivation poster from inner city school

5.  Recognize that students have different learning needs and that not all students will end up with the same level of mastery (even thought that is what we strive for).  A central question as you plan is “Given the time you have, how can you maximize the learning for all kids?”  What will students take with them as a result of being in your class today?

Motivation poster - classroom

6.  Given your limited time,  time spent planning effective learning activities will result in more real learning than concentrating on grading. Grade the important items (as time permits)  and then use the graded papers in further learning activities.  The important thing is for students to spend time with returned graded papers.  As you go over corrected papers with the class, assist students to learn from their errors and to write down things that they were missing or need to correct.  To make the homework a valuable resource, design future activities that require students to use returned papers and notes.

Unit List of key vocabulary ( to be updated into student notebooks) 

7.  Variety is good.  There are times when having the attention of the entire class is the most effective way to present an idea– there are other times that groups of 4 provide a learning environment better than one teacher – quick pair sharing of ideas can be a effective way to involve everyone.  Quick in class reflective writing (5-8 min.) is a great way to encourage each person to think through ideas and relationships.

Student Assignment: Make a poster to demonstrate how color addition is different from color subtraction

8.  After years of school one skill that many students have perfected in “tuning out the teacher”.  When giving instructions post a PowerPoint slide (or white board)  stating the activity instructions (and leave it projected), call on students to read item numbers as others follows along, Call on kids to tell in their own words what they will be doing.  Many students do not learn well from verbal explanations alone.

Hallway poster in a middle school

9.  Make note-taking of new information important.  An explanation without follow-through is “water off a ducks back”.  Students won’t retain the explanation even until the end of the period.  Don’t take valuable class time for discussions or answering questions unless students have time and a method for  writing down and processing ideas presented.  Give directions and time to record key ideas in student notebooks.  Suggested Link: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsld/resources/20reasons.html

Posted plans for the day:  Daily learning objective, Agenda of activities, New vocabulary, Homework

10.  Never ever speak over talking students. A student talking during instruction means that at least two students are not engaged in hearing you.  Like a red flag, if you are interrupted, or if kids are slow to come to attention, stop and regain focus.  There is only one person to ‘train’ – and that is yourself to respond consistently.  There are many class focusing mechanisms – and its good to plan your responses in advance so that they become automatic.

Classroom poster - middle school

11.  When asking questions to the class - never assume that because one student can answer that everyone “got it” – use other means of evaluating understanding that get a response from everyone.  Constantly seek to engage all students, Pair shares, Team of 4 activates, Quick writes, frequent 5 question Quizzes, Exit slips, Homework ... all of these involve a response from all the kids.

Assignment ( Physics class) 'Design a device that will convert started potential energy into kinetic energy!' Each student developed his or her own design!

12.  Teaching students how to learn complex tasks is a skill in itself.  Its possible to have 'sort of learned' the parts of a process and have difficulty putting the answer all together.  Providing structured help in learning processes is called scaffolding - once the student develops understanding, then the scaffold can slowly be removed. Example: Asking a series of leading questions starting with what the students can do and leading to the final solution requires the student to recall and organize step by step. (Socratic Questioning) 

Wall Poster 

13. You get a random group of 32 new kids each year - take the time to develop a consistent positive classroom culture.  My rule is to be 'firm but friendly' with students.  Post the class rules and remind the kids with consistent reinforcement.  A chronically disruptive student is a 'spark-plug' able to incite others.  It can be helpful to identify what intrinsic reward system is driving this kid and find a way to use that to channel his or her energy into more constructive ways.  No student should be permitted to damage the learning environment of the entire class. if you need help ask for it!

14.  Keep growing as a teacher – save your lesson plans but NEVER repeat a lesson plan next year exactly as you did it this year – Learn from your mistakes and strive to improve.  Avoid ’crystallization’ of your teaching style, materials, or methods at all costs.   Keeping open and trying new things is the the most critical step in keeping your teaching fresh and living. Schedule time for yourself - a rested, happy teacher is a more effective teacher.

Last  4 minutes of class:
Students must answer and turn in the exit slip questions  - based on the concept  learning of the day.

Dont miss links of the week:

Education Link of the week:  (my favorite!): http://www.ck12.org/teacher

Which states have the most people who don't pay any income tax? 

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/09/where-are-the-47-of-americans-who-pay-no-income-taxes/262499/

Tax Cuts Don't Lead to Economic Growth - evidence: 

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/tax-cuts-dont-lead-to-economic-growth-a-new-65-year-study-finds/262438/

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Where do we go from here?

Given all the hype of the campaign, the attempts at character assassination, attempts to discredit and demean our president...  it is important to see what has been accomplished in the last 4 years. 

A partial list of President Obama's accomplishments: 

·       *Economic stimulus legislation in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

·      *Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 in response to the 2007–2009 recession in the United States.  

·       *Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
     *Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,

·      *Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010,

·      *Budget Control Act of 2011.

·      *Ended  the Iraq War,

·      *Increased troop levels in Afghanistan,
     *Signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia,

·      *Ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya,

·      *Ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

·      *In May 2012, he became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support legalizing same-sex  marriage.

      Much of the Obama legislation was accomplished in the first two years with the assistance of a supportive Congress.  The midterm elections brought the "Tea Party" with their own agenda. Senate Republicans  of the 111st Congress broke the record of filibusters in a session, passing 100 cloture votes to end discussionof new legislation being introduced during the eleven months of the 111st Congress.

To put things in perspective

During the Bush administration, the national debt increased from $5.9 trillion to $10.7 trillion. That's an average annual increase of 11.1 percent.  This came mostly from financing wars in the Middle East....and these expenses continue (see link below).
Bush is also famous for  removing the systems of regulation that would have prevented the worst of the financial and housing crises.  

President George W. Bush created net zero jobs with the deepest tax cuts this nation has seen in recent history.
Obama came on board at a time of the worst economic crisis since the great depression....  He inherited  a wave of home foreclosures and unemployment.  Much of the national debt  incurred under President Obama has been necessary to finance our national recovery program.

      ...To find the cost of the Middle Eastern Wars: 

          click here:     http://costofwar.com

To hear President Obama's victory speech go to http://www.npr.org/2012/11/06/164540079/transcript-president-obamas-victory-speech

The U.S. lost an average of more than 348,000 jobs per month from January 2008 through December of 2008 under Bush. The downward trend reversed course through 2009 and has been in positive numbers ever since under Obama.  Here is what he has accomplished with job creating thus far: 

Comparison of unemployment under Bush and Obama

My fondest dream for Obama’s second term is a national congress able to function.  Norm Ornstein ( Politically conservative -  American Enterprise Institute ) identifies two causes for the stalemate situation in the US Congress:

1.  The first is the serious mismatch between the political parties, which have become vehemently adversarial, making it extremely difficult for  them to function in their traditional roles in governing and problem solving.  This is partly due to our remarkable democratic system of checks and balances.  If one branch of government refuses to cooperate the entire system can cease to function.

2.  The second is the fact that, however awkward it may be for our country to accept , “one of the two major parties, the Republican Party, has become ideologically extreme; ready to abandom our traditons of social and economic policies; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts, evidence, and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition. When one party moves this far from the center of American politics, it is extremely difficult to enact policies responsive to the country's most pressing challenges.”

****The frightening thing is that there is no guarantee that we can maintain a functioning government with our system -If one party is determined to block all legislation of the sitting President our system  fails.  Our founding fathers had a vision that recognized disagreements, but they also recognized the  obligation to compromise and seek working solutions. That is what democracy is all about.

To read more: here is Ornstein’s latest book:  http://www.amazon.com/Even-Worse-Than-Looks-Constitutional/dp/0465031331

Are we going to see a change in the new term? Did the Republicans "get the drift" from "the will of the people" in this last election?  Judging from Mr. Boehners first comments after the election I am not terribly optimistic.  I think he is confused about who won the Presidency.  He is putting forth the same demands that he had before the election.

The lesson to be learned in this election - We wondered if we could stand up to the "Superpacs" - and a multitude of people making small contributions and offering their time did prevail. We beat the billionaires!  If we can do that - this is no time to roll over and let the Republicans do as they will... If we keep the voice and unity that we found in the campaign we can exert enough pressure on the Congress that even they will respond to the return to civil government that is fair and equitable. We are the people!

In this  graph below you see the number of times that the cloture has been used to block the discussion of   legislation during Obama's first term.

cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end - it is a way of forcing an end to the filibuster

Mr.and Mrs. Obama: The moment of announcement of winning the second term