The "I Was Given That Information" Lesson

Above photo by Ted Eytan

Teachers: Princeston Grayson (middle school gifted and talented), Maddie Burkemper (4th grade, “all of it”) and Jason Steliga (high school AP and honors science.)

By: Kyle Palmer and Matt Hodapp

The mainstream media has been doing a lot of hand-wringing recently about fact-checking and calling out Trump Administration officials on some of their more dubious statements. One reporter even seemed to get in a kind of Socratic-style back-and-forth with the Mr. Trump himself on the size of the president’s electoral victory.

In this episode, we ask: what can teachers teach the media about confronting liars? (Though we should point out, the use of term “liar” and “lying” has also been thoroughly hand-wrung, too.)

Maddie says point blank: “I think they [the media] need to learn how to diffuse the lie. I don’t see a lot of success in that. All the news segments I see just go back and forth, and then we say, ‘Let’s shake hands and move on.’”

Princeston puts it this way: “In my classroom, I do not accept it [a lie.] We talk about it and get back to that point, ‘Ok, you lied, now let’s recover from that.’ In the media, we don’t recover from it. We’re so nice about it, calling it falsehoods.”

Jason says the media can play the role of teacher for the nation. “The media can’t jump on everything that gets presented. It’s so important that we stay on course and educate to the best of our abilities. And the media can do that: just present the facts, again and again. People will start to listen and engage.”

Also, in this episode, we talk about what good came (or didn’t come) from protesters blocking Betsy DeVos’ entrance into a Washington, D.C. public school. Our teachers disagree on whether that was an effective oppositional tactic.

Finally, fifty shades of sex education. What does the success of the “Fifty Shades” movie and book franchise say about the state of sex and relationships for young people? What our teachers say may surprise.

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, Manele by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.

Extra Credit: Girls Vs. Boys?

Above photo courtesy of Daniel Arauz

By: Kyle Palmer and Matt Hodapp

This week’s No Wrong Answers ‘Extra Credit’ edition is all about girls. Specifically, girls’ academic self-confidence in class. A new report published in the journal Science concludes negative stereotypes of girls lacking high intellectual ability start to be ingrained in students as young as kindergarten. Girls as young as six are far less likely than boys their age to believe girls are “really, really smart.”

What do your teachers see in their classes? How do they try to promote girls’ self-confidence?

Elaine Jardon, a middle school math teacher, says it begins at home. “Many times at parent-teacher conferences, I’ll have moms sit down and say, ‘Oh, I just wasn’t a math person.’ And I’ve yet to have a dad tell me they weren’t good at math. I think that absolutely passes on to kids. I have to actively work against the idea that there are ‘math people.’”

LuAnn Fox, a high school English teacher, says her school has a robust robotics programs that includes many girls. She says these girls act differently around school. “These are the girls who seem to have a deal of self-confidence: they move about at school maintaining eye contact, they smile more, they don’t need to have a boyfriend, they’re forward-thinking.”

Princeston Grayson, a middle school gifted and talented teacher and a majority-minority school, says he would like the Science report to have a follow-up study breaking gender responses down by race. “Because in my experience in large African-American settings, the girls are the more highly achieving compared to their male counterparts. I struggle more getting my boys engaged in class. The girls are often top of the class, more ambitious, applying to college, in school leadership.”

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.

The "#ShePersisted" Lesson

Photo from PhotoAtelier

Teachers: Greg Brenner (high school government), David Muhammad (high school international relations) and Rebeka McIntosh (K-5 alternative)

The silencing of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) during debate in the U.S. Senate over the (confirmation of Attorney General-nominee Jeff Sessions) led our teachers this week to consider how they view gender dynamics in schools and in their classrooms.

“I just find that whole incident [silencing Warren] deeply disappointing for my female students,” said Rebeka, who admits the actual news of Warren clashing with Republican leaders is not on her 4th grade students’ radar now. “But as their teacher, I wonder what it will mean for them as they move on and graduate.”

Our teachers noted instances when subtle (and not-so-subtle) attitudes towards gender creep into their work in schools. From something seemingly benign as saying, “Ladies, first,” when a girl and boy both want to answer a question, to something more culturally profound like the concept of marianismo Greg sees often displayed in the Hispanic students he teaches.

“It’s a very strong sense of what a woman should be, and part of that, say, is it doesn’t often allow girls to play sports. And we have a female soccer team, and we first started it, none of the girls had played organized sports,” Greg says. “I think it’s gotten better. But I still see female students all the time getting shifted over to that role of mothering, nurturer at home.”

Our teachers also tackled the ongoing debate over refugees. Educators may have a particular lens to bear on that discussion, as they try to teach values of empathy and compassion in their classrooms.

David says modern education, at times, can be so focused on personal achievement and progress that conversations of empathy can get sidetracked. “They often don’t see that they’re part of a larger community because everything is ‘funnel them through’. Everything becomes about the individual, their ACT scores, their tests, their GPA. Everything we teach is about the individual, not we have an issue, how can we work together to solve it.”

We wrapped up with a discussion about the Common Core, which seems on the doorstep of its long-predicted demise with the ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency and Betsy DeVos to the head of the Education Department.

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, Begrudge by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.

The "High Five" Lesson

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

Extra Credit: Why Don't You Understand?

One of the most popular stories at the website of Education Week last week was a column by an instructional coach in Illinois named Lisa Westman. In it, she detailed the “4 Phrases All Teachers Say, And No Students Understand.”

The phrases Westman indicts?

• “Behave”

• “Work in your groups”

• “Study”

• “Finish your work”

Our teachers this week added to that list. Elaine Jardon, a middle school math teacher, says it hardly ever goes well when she tells kids: “Show your work.”

“I usually just get kids writing numbers in little thought bubbles on their paper,” she says. “Though what I really want is to see their logical chain of thought.”

David Muhammad, a high school government and international relations teacher, says something seemingly straightforward rarely is: “Put down your phones.” Seems students literally put them down below their desk. “And they can text without looking at it,” he says.

LuAnn Fox, a high school AP English teacher, has more theoretical problems. “We have lots of discussions about rigor. And my kids, I think, just understand rigor to be more. More work, more stuff to do. And it’s not about a deeper understanding,” she says.

Both Westman (at her website) and our teachers offer tips for being more concrete with your instructions in class. Elaine, for instance, suggests doing a Looks Like/Sounds Like brainstorm and writing good behaviors down on a T-chart before putting kids to work. And if kids get off task, she says, “I can just point back to the chart we made.”

LuAnn, though, haves philosophical advice: “I’ve been doing this more than 20 years, and you think you have it all down and know how it’s going to go. And it turns out they do something where you think, ‘My gosh, I’m not ready for that,” she 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.

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.