Teaching English Should be Like Jazz

How many times have you taught the present continuous? I think I may have taught this form well over 1,000 times! So, how do we go about presenting the present continuous - or any of a myriad of other forms? How can we make sure that the teaching in fresh, not too repetitive, and, most importantly, engages the student? I think the answer is that the presentation might be repetitive, but the follow-up needs to really focus on what the class needs, rather than strictly sticking to a lesson plan. In other words, have a plan, but be flexible to student needs. That's where jazz comes in. By keeping your lesson objective first and foremost in your mind, but allowing for improvisation during the lesson, you'll ensure that your students improve, but leave enough room for conversation, review, and expansion. Here are some tips on how to do this.

From:  Kenneth Beare

From Kenneth Beare's Site

Grammar Review Tests Here are four tests that review grammar appropriate for each level. If you're starting up a new class at the beginning of the academic year, these quizzes can help identify areas that need review and instruction. Beginning English Grammar Review Lower Intermediate English Grammar Review Intermediate Grammar Review Advanced English Grammar Review

Pennsylvania Court Orders State And Local Authorities To Submit Financial Recovery Plan For Troubled School District.

WHYY-FM Philadelphia (9/4, Benshoff) reports the Delaware Court of Common Pleas in Delaware County, Pennsylvania has ordered the Pennsylvania DOE and Chester Upland school district receiver Francis Barnes to “share information about an updated financial recovery plan” for the troubled school district.

New Virginia Elementary School Has Radical Design For Learning, Energy Efficiency.

The Washington Post (9/6, Balingit) reports a new elementary school in Arlington, Virginia incorporates many new ideas about school design. Discovery Elementary School, named for the space shuttle that carried astronaut and former area resident John Glenn back into space in 1998, is built for flexible learning. Classrooms and halls are filled with different kinds of seating so students working alone or in groups can pick the arrangement that is most comfortable for them. The building itself is also filled with learning opportunities with different wings designed to teach students about animals, the ocean, the solar system, and other subjects. Bob Moje, the designer of the school, says the new design rejects “factory-type education” that informed much of the design of past school buildings. The school is also a net-zero energy building with solar panels and a geothermal water heating system.

Newly Constructed Schools More Likely To Have Updated Classroom Technology.

The Annapolis (MD) Capital Gazette (9/7) reports that new school buildings are better able to have new classroom technologies integrated into them, noting that in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, “while some classrooms unveil high-tech teaching tools this fall, some older classrooms still have video cassette recorders...alongside newer technology.” New buildings in the district “all have interactive smartboards, projectors and document cameras, which project texts and objects onto screens and smartboards.”

Study: Mississippi Has The Most Disproportionate Response To Black Students In School Discipline.

The Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger (9/5, Royals) reports a University of Pennsylvania study found that Mississippi has the most disproportionate response in school disciplinary actions against black students compared to other states. The study found that black students make up half of the student body in the state, but account for 74% of suspensions and 72% of expulsions.

Duncan, Perez Endorse K-14 Model For Workforce Development.

In commentary in the Philadelphia Inquirer (9/8), Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Labor Secretary Thomas E. Perez write that the US education system “must do a better job of teaching job-ready skills and equipping the next generation to thrive in the global economy.” To be prepared for the jobs that will exist in the coming decades, they write, students will need critical thinking skills, “a solid foundation in the basics,” and “technical know-how to match the technology they’ll inevitably work with.” The secretaries praise high schools that are “offering instruction in robotics, computer programming, even nanotechnology,” and single out Brooklyn’s Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), calling it “a unique arrangement among IBM, the City University of New York, and the New York City Department of Education.” The writers note that the school has a six-year program which “allows students to graduate with a high school diploma, an associate’s degree and the industry experience they need to compete for high-demand jobs,” and recommend that this “K-14” model be replicates across the country.

Philadelphia Superintendent Optimistic Headed Into Fourth Year.

The Philly (PA) (9/6, Graham) reports Philadelphia school district superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said, “This is the first year since I’ve been in Philadelphia that I’m excited about more things than I’m nervous about.” Hite said that after spending his first three years fighting some tough battles, this year he will finally get to focus “on the stuff that matters.” Hite says his goals are to increase the number of students passing the fourth grade reading test and getting more students college-ready with Advanced Placement classes.

New Book Details Teach For America’s Failures Through Essays Written By Alumni.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal (9/8, Cepeda) reports the new book “Teach for America Counter-Narratives: Alumni Speak Up And Speak Out” is a collection of 20 essays written by Teach for America alumni that tell stories about the program’s failure to adequately prepare teachers for working in classrooms. Book editors T. Jameson Brewer and Kathleen deMarrais said that part of Teach for America’s problem is a recent shift in mentality from “addressing teacher shortages” to replacing “traditionally trained teachers [who] are not as qualified or as intelligent as they should be.” The essays paint a picture of a program that does not do enough to prepare recent college graduates to be effective teachers.

Opinion: Hispanics Need Help Staying In School And Getting Back On Track After Dropping Out.

In an opinion piece in The Hill (9/8, Garza), Daniel Garza of the LIBRE Institute says the US must do more to help Hispanic students in school and those who have dropped out. Garza cites statistics about how many Hispanics do not have high school diplomas and how many drop out each year. Garza then tells the story of his decision to drop out of high school, and then an uncle who helped him realize the value of a diploma and encouraged him to take the GED. The LIBRE Institute now works to encourage students to stay in school, and to help those who have already dropped out study for and pass the GED.

Nebraska Schools Adding Agriculture Education Programs.

The AP (9/8) reports 13 schools in Nebraska added agriculture education programs to their fall schedule this year. Nebraska State Director of Agriculture Education Matt Kreifels said, “Agriculture is such a good industry to be involved in,” and hoped more schools would be able to open their own programs after finding qualified teachers.

Report: Poor, Black Students And Disabled Students Most Likely To Miss School In California.

The Latin Post (9/7) highlights the findings of a report by Attendance Works, a non-profit that advocates against chronic absenteeism in schools. The report found that in California chronic absenteeism was most common among poor black students and disabled students. The report also found that the chronic absences and truancies increased dropout rates and achievement gaps.

Tennessee Judge Plans To Rule This Week On Class-Action Status Of School Funding Lawsuit.

The AP (9/3) reports “A Davidson County judge says she plans to rule this week on whether to grant class-action certification on a lawsuit filed by several school boards alleging Tennessee’s education funding shortchanges them and students.” If the case is granted class-action status then all other school districts in the state could join the lawsuit, except for Shelby County, which has filed their own case against the state over education funding. The Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press (9/3, Sher) also covers the story and quotes Hamilton County BOE attorney Scott Bennett who said, “This is a matter that affects all Tennesseeans. We’re all receiving less money than the Supreme Court has said we need. This underfunding is a problem that belongs to every school system in the state.” The article also reviews some of the arguments made by the lawyers representing both sides concerning class-action certification.

California District Settles With Parents Of Student Who Committed Suicide After Bullying.

The Sacramento (CA) Bee (9/4, Kalb) reports the parents of Ronin Shimizu, a 12-year old boy who committed suicide last year after being bullied, have settled a lawsuit with the Folsom Cordova Unified School District in California for $1 million. According to the parents’ mediation brief, Shimizu was “taunted, ridiculed, and physically assaulted on multiple occasions over his perceived gender identification while attending elementary and middle schools in the district,” before being “placed under the care of a psychiatrist and diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, ADHD, anxiety and depression.” Shimizu’s parents then began homeschooling him in the fall of 2013. He then committed suicide on December 3, 2014. Reuters (9/4, Bernstein) highlights Shimizu’s parents many attempts to address the bullying by contacting and meeting with school officials. The parents’ attorney Mark Meron said their many meetings with school officials “yielded little if any action.”

Stanford Opens New Institution To Study Education Policy In California And US.

EdSource (9/2, Fensterwald) reports the Stanford University Graduate School of Education announced the opening of the Learning Policy Institute, which will seek to influence K-12 education policy in California and the US. Professor Linda Darling-Hammond from Stanford will be the president and CEO of the new institute. The institute has an initial budget of $5 million provided by a number of foundations. Darling-Hammond said she expects the current debate over the rewriting of the No Child Left Behind Act will result in states regaining more control over education, which will require institutions like the Learning Policy Institute to do more to advocate for good policies.