The "Alternative Facts" Lesson

By: Kyle Palmer and Matt Hodapp

Teachers: LuAnn Fox (high school English), Elaine Jardon (middle school math), David Muhammad (high school social studies)

Take a breath! News events came quick and often this week. The teachers had a lot to talk about, starting with the issue of “fake news.” How do teachers teach critical reasoning skills in an era of “alternative facts.” It reminded our panel this week of George Orwell’s 1984, which is once again a bestseller. 

• For research, the Stanford Education History Group recently published a study that concluded students’ ability to reason about what they read on the Internet is “bleak.

Meanwhile, our teachers our worried about President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders to prioritize deportation of undocumented immigrants and a controversial ban on refugees. They sympathize with Denver Public Schools’ choice to issue a statement, opposing the immigration order and vowing to protect undocumented students in that district.

Also this week, there was continued fallout from this month’s Women’s March. Our teachers were disappointed but not surprised at one Illinois teacher’s snarky Tweet about the march that got him suspended. They agree Donald Trump’s election, though, has empowered teachers and students to push the boundaries of “political correctness.” This will be a developing story in education…

Finally, the Super Bowl! What’s left to say? Lots, apparently. Our teachers used the Big Game to talk about sports sometimes pernicious effects on student learning and school culture. While they admit sports can be good, they seem to think at many schools it has gone too far.

What are the kids into these days? ‘Listen Linda’ is back (did it ever go anywhere?) Self-tanning spray is the rage, too. And what would a high school teacher’s day be without some good ole’ fashioned “water bottle flip.”

If you care about education and want to hear what teachers think about the big issues of the day, subscribe and review our podcast at iTunes. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Send us comments and questions at our email: nowronganswerspod@gmail.com.

Music used in this episode is Inspiring Corporate and Scottish Indie by Scott Holmes, The Silver Hatch and Steadfast by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.

Extra Credit: Are You Stressed Out?

By: Kyle Palmer and Matt Hodapp

Teachers this week clockwise around the table: Princeston Grayson (middle school Gifted and Talented), Maddie Burkemper (4th grade), Rebeka McIntosh (K-5 alternative) 

Teacher stress, that old saw! A new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reveals 46% of teachers say they feel daily stress in their professional lives. (NPR points out these are self-reported levels comparable to doctors and nurses.)

So what gives?

In this edition of No Wrong Answers: Extra Credit, we get varying reactions from our teacher panel.

Rebeka McIntosh, a K-5 alternative school teachers, says bluntly: “If you can’t run with the big dogs, sit on the porch. This job isn’t for lightweights. You have to be able to do it all day long, everyday.”

Still, she admits, teachers need to support each other. Fourth grade teacher Maddie Burkemper indicates the stress is constant for her because of the expectations she puts on herself:  “I truly believe I have the potential to impact another human’s life. It’s all the time. I’ll go home on Friday, and I will think to myself I can go out to a bar with my friends and have a drink. And every single time I think, ‘I should be lesson planning. I should be doing this instead.’”

Middle-school Gifted and Talented instructor Princeston Grayson cites yet another cause of teacher stress: lack of control. “A lot of times, the decisions that are made in education are not made by educators. So when we think of the targets and benchmarks that are set, are not reflective of the reality we are forced to navigate.”

That includes standardized tests, performance benchmarks, and the ever-present teacher bugbear: pay. Princeston says it’s hard for him and many of his colleagues--some of whom have Master’s and Doctoral degrees--to know they’re making less than other people with similar education levels.

“There is this degree of professionalism that teachers are not afforded. We are working so hard to improve our society and we’re not respected in a way that’s reflected in our compensation,” Princeston says.

If you care about education and want to hear what teachers think about the big issues of the day, subscribe and review our podcast at iTunes. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Send us comments and questions at our email: nowronganswerspod@gmail.com.

Music used in this episode is Inspiring Corporate and Scottish Indie by Scott Holmes,

Cover photo from Kevin Dooley

The "Flush With Cash" Lesson

By: Kyle Palmer and Matt Hodapp

Teachers this week clockwise around the table: Princeston Grayson (middle school Gifted and Talented), Maddie Burkemper (4th grade), Rebeka McIntosh (K-5 alternative) 

It’s our inaugural edition. No, really. Our first episode is all about the inauguration of Donald Trump and its aftermath. Our teachers had a spirited discussion about their new reality. And you might be surprised at what they say. 

For instance, the “Trump Effect” in schools, according to Princeston, isn’t always negative (though it definitely can feel negative to some.) He says since Trump’s election there’s been “an increase in conversation and awareness among colleagues” at his inner-city school. Likewise, Maddie says she comes to school every day with “more urgency” than before. “I got to school feeling this is huge.” (Note: huge, not yooooge.)

Meanwhile, the prospect of billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos becoming Education Secretary was received with unanimous skepticism. Grizzly bears aside, says Rebeka, the “fundamental ignorance” she displayed about federal education laws like ESSA and IDEA are “disturbing.” 

Finally, with Obama exiting stage left, our teachers considered his complicated legacy for schools. On one hand, Princeston points out, he was a “model of black excellence” who was neither an athlete nor entertainer. On the other hand, our teachers admit, his Race To The Top initiative created “No Child Left Behind 2.0.” 

In our “Kids These Days” segment, we learned from Princeston that Soulja Boy is in some kind of beef with Chris Brown. (Mind: NSFW.)  From Maddie, we learned that poop emojis are on everything now. And from Rebeka, we learned that YouTube channels are all the rage for kids. 

If you care about education and want to hear what teachers think about the big news stories of the day, subscribe and review our podcast at iTunes. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Send us comments and questions at our email: nowronganswerspod@gmail.com.

Music used in this episode is Inspiring Corporate and Scottish Indie by Scott Holmes, Filing Away and Outside the Terminal by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.