teaching

Here comes The Scarlet Letter!

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon We’re back from Winter Break, so now it’s time for my second favorite book of the year, The Scarlet Letter.

It’s been fun to teach so far. My students and I are taking things slowly at the beginning to make sure everyone’s comfortable with Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing. The language, of course, is undeniably crazy. It’s not your normal book, after all, that combines “physiognomy” and “ignominious” and “countenance” in the same sentence. I’ve even had to pass out dictionaries, which elicited bewilderment and wisecracks. One student pretended he was an archaeologist. “This is a very rare find,” he said, “We haven’t seen one of these in years.”

Despite the ornate prose and the long, complex sentences, my students like the book so far. I mean, who doesn’t like a good telenovela? Today we got to the part where Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s cheated-on husband, promises revenge: “He will be known!–he will be known!–he will be known!” (Yes, he says it three times.) I made my students repeat this proclamation in appropriately melodramatic fashion.

So everything’s going great. But there’s only one problem — which is an ongoing issue for me. How do you teach a great but challenging book? When the words and sentences themselves are so tough — and when you can spend an hour on just 10 pages — what’s the best way to proceed?

In high school, when I first read The Scarlet Letter, I remember my teacher expertly leading us in close reading and line-by-line analysis. (I also remember feeling proud after finishing the book because I’d understood it.) So how did we finish in just three weeks? It seems impossible. I’m devoting four weeks — a long time in an AP class — because I want to make sure my students are successful, but I worry that even a month isn’t enough.

If you have ideas or questions, please leave them in the comments! favicon

teaching/technology

Talking about Kindles in schools on The Kindle Chronicles

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon Last Friday, one of my students and I were lucky to be guests on The Kindle Chronicles, a weekly podcast by Kindle enthusiast Len Edgerly.

My student Antonio highlighted some of the positive and negative aspects of using a Kindle in the classroom. I was hoping he would be more effusive in his praise, but instead, Antonio was measured — and sometimes critical.

According to Antonio, the Kindle’s novelty wears off, and the device is confusing to use. Besides having a few advantages to a book — for example, its weight and its ability to annotate  — the Kindle cannot compete with its physical, non-digital counterpart, Antonio said.

Here’s the podcast in full. The interview begins at 16:08 and lasts about 15 minutes.

Mr. Edgerly’s questions and Antonio’s responses got me thinking about how to improve my Kindle program next semester. Since September, I’ve used my five Kindles in both Advisory (for independent reading) and in AP English (for assigned books). It’s pretty clear that this strategy backfired. I assumed that students would like the Kindle automatically and be able to use the device without orientation. This was a wrong assumption.

Next semester, I will devote all of my Kindles (now seven!) to Advisory. After all, the Kindle is much better for immersive, rather than academic, reading. Instead of looking for volunteers interested in using the Kindle, I will make sure all my advisees have a chance to use it for a month, and I will do a better job connecting my students with books they’ll enjoy. In addition, because I received a small grant through DonorsChoose at the beginning of the year, students can purchase a title of their choice. That said, it’ll be important to conference with my students to get a better idea of what books they’re interested in reading. After all, as I said on the podcast, a Kindle is great, but only if you already know what you’re reading.

Overall, it was an honor to be on The Kindle Chronicles. Mr. Edgerly does an excellent job following the Kindle, and the experience got me thinking about ways I can change my program to get more students hooked on reading. favicon

everything else

Leadership High School: “The first day, my life changed.”

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon As Leadership High School goes through its charter renewal process, it is important for the community to get a full sense of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

In June, Sam Mende-Wong did a piece for Full Circle, a program on Berkeley’s KPFA radio station (94.1 FM). This nine-minute broadcast offers an excellent introduction to Leadership High School and provides specifics about its differences from a traditional public school.

Please listen — and feel free to leave comments.

[audio:http://www.iserotope.com/audio/LeadershipHigh-Sam.mp3]

Thank you, Mr. Mende-Wong, for your work. Also, thank you to teachers Jacob Aringo and Mark Segado and students Edwin Carreto and Nina Garde for your comments. favicon

teaching

The power of one teacher

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon I’ve had many excellent teachers who have helped shape my life.

Miss Milanesio protected me from the bigger kindergarten kids. Mr. White made me a math whiz in third grade. And Mr. Ferentinos taught me to write clearly.

Yesterday I visited Mrs. Podich, my childhood piano teacher, for the first time in six years. She exemplifies the power that one single teacher can have.

Mrs. Podich is the reason I know how to play the piano.

When I was 6, I told my parents I wanted to take piano lessons. Nobody in our family played the piano. My parents got me one for my birthday and enrolled me in lessons with Mrs. Podich.

Every week for 11 years, I walked to Mrs. Podich’s house, rang the doorbell, and entered her studio. Her grand piano and her husband’s paintings introduced me to the world of art.

Mrs. Podich taught me everything I learned about piano as a kid, all the way from the basics to Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Until I took lessons again as an adult with another skilled teacher, there was no one besides Mrs. Podich responsible for my piano education.

When I think about Mrs. Podich, now 86 and still teaching, I think about the power of teaching. She expanded not only my musical skill but also the way I look at the world. I am hopeful that I can do the same for my own students.

I also think about the importance of relationship. Mrs. Podich and I met more than 500 times, week after week, on schedule. We’d focus on piano, of course. But Mrs. Podich also watched me grow up. She has more knowledge about my childhood than anyone besides my mom.

When our visit ended, Mrs. Podich reminded me to visit her more often. That’s the least I can do. My goal is to return in the summer and play a little Beethoven for her. The music — from her to me, then back to her — will make sense. favicon

everything else

Another great dinner with my 2008 Advisory

Posted on by Mark Isero

favicon One of the best things about Leadership High School is our Advisory program.

A few days ago, my 2008 Advisory and I had our seventh post-graduation dinner (we meet twice a year) to catch up and see how everyone is doing.

You can see some of my advisees to the right!

This time, the main thing my students wanted to talk about was college. Marilyn, first in her family to attend college (like nearly all LHS students), just graduated a semester early from UCLA. Now she’s applying to a master’s program in social work. Amy, finishing up at UC Santa Cruz with a double major in American Studies and Psychology, said she “really likes school.”

Angelica just got a B in Microbiology after studying the hardest she’s ever studied in her life. When Jeremiah said he wanted to take a semester off to get a job and take care of finances, Ja’Nay warned him that if he did, he’d never go back. Despite facing health issues, Jason said he feels best when he’s in school. And Franklin somehow fits in a full-time load at San Jose State while working 40 hours a week doing security in Hunters Point.

Another topic of conversation was the recent news reports about Leadership High School. I told them about the California Charter Schools Association’s public call to close our school. We got into a good conversation about the influence that LHS had on their lives. Everyone spoke highly of their experience and wanted to find out how they could help with the school’s charter renewal. Franklin was certain that he wouldn’t have attended college had he gone to another high school. Others talked about how the school taught them the importance of social justice.

It was heartwarming to see my advisees again. They are good people doing good things. I always look forward to our dinners, and I hope we continue our tradition for years to come.

It’s clear that the Advisory program helped my students navigate high school. But it’s also clear that it’s offering them a way to stay connected in adulthood. After all, growing up doesn’t end at 18. favicon