My Pillow

This is what the pillow looked like in the tub. I forgot I also had to replace my shower curtain that melted from the flames.



This is about the position of the bed at the beginning of the night. We just shifted the pillow over slightly and then...

Math Teacher Retention

Last weekend to celebrate my birthday I went to Los Angeles for a math education symposium. The big wigs of the math world have been researching how to increase math teacher retention and this was a forum designed for all parties to share what they have learned. The goal was to come together in an effort to learn how to keep more math teachers in the field.

For the last few years I was one of the case study teachers. I was observed and interviewed. That is how I managed to get invited to the show. It was a three-day event; I was slated to speak in a panel on the final day. I was told I had 16 minutes. I wasn’t a major player in this ordeal, but was big enough that they paid for my airfare and hotel.

I didn’t plan much ahead of time, because I knew I was speaking the third day so I would have time to feel out the conference, learn my audience, and pinpoint my focus. I spent the first two days attending sessions and compiling some thoughts in an effort to answer the question: How do we keep math teachers in the field? I outlined my thoughts Friday night so I was ready to speak Saturday morning.

I told a couple different stories about the way my principals have responded to me. I shared some examples about how I have had a somewhat transient path. I even mentioned that each year I think about quitting and each year I come back. I posed the question:

“I don’t care too much about money, and I don’t have history of stability. I’m a perfect case study. How are you going to retain me?”

I spent the weekend asking myself that very question: What makes me choose to come back each year?

I even made a list to share with the audience:

• Do I feel needed?

• Do I feel appreciated and valued?

• Are my opinions/suggestions heard? Respected? Implemented?

• Does my work matter? Am I impacting the lives of the children?

Basically everything on my list related back to feeling like what I am doing is worthwhile. I was able to examine myself, a case study of one, and rephrase the essential question to, “How do we make the teachers we want to retain feel appreciated?”

From there I went on to discuss some of the benefits of being part of the California Math Project (CMPSTIR). Among these included: being part of a community and team, increasing job competency, receiving positive feedback, developing a network in the area, and learning to be a teacher-coach.

Through my reflections while attending this entire symposium, I was able to come up with my own solutions. I closed with three pieces of advice for teacher retention: (I will admit that when I got to this part it was nice to see everyone in my small audience pick up a pen and record my words).

1. Set up a system where teachers are developing their competency and confidence in classroom instruction.

2. Create a collaborative environment where teachers feel they are an important part of a community.

And most importantly…

3. If you have a teacher of high quality that you want to retain, let them know.

You can write that last one down, I told them, and put my name after it. It is simple, and should be obvious, but it is what keeps me going.

Support

Yesterday was a difficult day for our school. The day before a body was found on our softball fields. That night we learned it was one of our own students.

I had several students visibly shaken up by the incident.

One girl in my 6th period class in particular. I knew she knew the victim. She came to class with sadness in her face. I didn't call on her. I didn't make her participate. I don't even think I said a word to her. I looked at her with an expression on my face that said, "I'm sorry for your loss." And when I walked through the classroom checking the others students' papers for correct answers I gently touched the back of her shoulder as if to say, "I'm sorry for your loss." We didn't speak.

She e-mailed me last night and said:

I wanted to thank you for being so nice , and caring and supportive to me today!!! i needed that!! she was my friend.. i still cant get over it and wont for a while i think ... thank you

I didn't even know I did anything. I guess it is just nice to realize that being supportive helped her through the day.

Entertained

My 15-year-old posted this on her status:

I just watched a dog chase its tail for ten minutes and thought, "Wow. Dogs are easily entertained..." Then I realized, I just watched a dog chase its tail for ten minutes...

Hitting the Flop

Last night I was playing poker and on a flop of KQx the one black guy in seat 7 tells the other guy in the hand, "Just fold man. I'm telling you I hit that flop." He ends up turning over AA. The guy in seat one says, "You didn't hit the flop. If you're already married to it-- it is not called hittin' it."

On-line dating

To the following statement the girl responded strongly disagree:

I'd rather be nice than stupid.

I commented on the fact that she strongly disagreed with that statement and she explained:

I'm a very nice person, but I put a high value on intelligence. I would rather keep my wits then lose them and be a nice person that is taken advantage of. One or the other, brains... But fortunaly I am able to have both in real life. ;)

Got it.

Living Alone

I went to Trader Joe's a couple days ago and spent $113.28, and I didn't even buy any alchohol.

Words

The first four I found were, "Naive, shy, insecure, and thoughtfull."

Clearly this doesn't work for everyone.

Student Response

I do teacher evaluations before Christmas break. This is what one of my students wrote to the response "anything else you want to share with Mr. Burrill:"

Thank you for teaching me the ways of life. I will be sure to use them if I move. I won't let myself down or my foster mom.