Teaching well benefits from good support.
Last night's State of the Union Speech by bigoted, classist, racist Trump found him demeaning the good work we do day in and day out in public schools. He cares little for our safety, support, or potential to truly serve children and their families well. Trump is not an enemy to teachers and public school children everywhere.
The speech also has overtones and direct references to Trump's evident support for White supremacy which directly distances the majority of Americans from the American dream. To give a racist, bigoted man the Medal of Freedom demonstrates Trump's allegiance to hate, prejudice, and greed rather than American ideals.
I will continue to do what I can after school hours to work against the corrupt, bigoted, self-serving Trump administration, and during the school day, I'll do what I can to support my students, their families, and my colleagues well.
Today I'll support students deep math study--this is not the fun part of math teaching, but instead the difficult, detailed work that helps children strengthen specific skills related to the content they are working to master. Of course there are games we can play and projects we can do, but there are times when we simply have to do the specific, targeted study that clears up misconceptions and builds fluency with the standards.
Fortunately the students are invested in doing their best, reaching, and learning as much as they can. They are getting better and better at asking questions and embracing the mountain climb that good learning is--they're not afraid to work hard and know that choosing good partners, ideal study spaces, and the best strategies makes learning successful.
I reviewed a large number of assignments last night. That informed me that most students are practicing the focus concepts with care. I was also informed about a few misconceptions that I'll clear up today at the start of class. There's lots to learn about math in math class and there is a lot to learn about learning during math study too. Onward.
