“WHAT should we focus on in the context of “too much information” in “too little time” requiring “too many intended outcomes?” Content or Process? Factual Information or Conceptual Knowledge? Linear or Holistic Thinking? Analytical or Creative? Recall or Understanding? The Basics or Higher Order Thinking?…Educators are seeing in practice and in the research that these tools for transforming information into knowledge are facilitating diverse learners who require differentiated instruction, multiple intelligences, habits of mind, and higher-order thinking. But most important, students are transforming information into knowledge using “mapping” in dynamic congruence with what is already going on in the brain.” —David Hyerle, 2009.
“I teach them as if they are my children, so I am willing to do more. I want them [students] to have confidence, I want them to work hard, I want them to be responsible, respectful and I want them to be happy. I want to teach each of them, not the lesson. I am replicating myself, learning from them. —Imelda Rodriguez, 2015.
Imelda Rodriguez is a 4th-grade teacher of language arts (spelling, vocabulary, reading, grammar and writing), math, social studies at Valinda School of Academics in the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. She describes her new workplace, “All the factors are there to be great – an administrator who values you and sees your potential, colleagues who are supportive and students who are respectful, helpful , and hardworking and staff members who are helpful. How can you fail in that positive environment?” She serves on Valinda’s leadership team, representing upper elementary teachers. She taught third grade for three years, middle school for seven years, and high school for nine years with a master’s degree in elementary education and a multiple subject clear credential.
With her credentials, why choose the 4th grade? She quickly responded: “It is to teach them the foundation for critical thinking and for good study habits that will be part of them. By the time I get them in middle school and high school, bad habits have set in and I spend more time, not in teaching but in helping them unlearn the habits.”
A well-known psychologist once said that the best indicator of future behavior is previous track record. I became Ms. Rodriguez’s middle school student for half a day, observing her teach multiple grade-students history, using a Jeopardy Game. The students eagerly participated with answers to her questions and everyone got excited to win. This was at Incarnation School in Glendale, a private Catholic school.
Now, at a public school, she has continued her techniques of four bricks, building a strong foundation for learning: building self-confidence, working hard, being responsible and respectful and doing all that, being happy. Her priority is teaching writing, being the weakest skill.
It seemed such a simple dynamic, but when done consistently, her students turn in their homework at a high percentage rate, and even takes primary responsibility for their assignments and if needed, negotiates for extra time to turn them in. Homework submission is at a high 90 percent, with Valiant awards given to students who became role models for their classmates. Even the students who donate school supplies of hand soap, baby wipes, sanitizer to be used before recess and after, are acknowledged.
Teaching with a heart and objective data
In her 4th grade class of 33, she shows by example that homework and accountability go hand in hand.
Through the use of diagnostic tests (not an assessment test), on the second day of school, she gets to know her students’ proficiency levels in language, reading and math, enabling her to know who are at risk, average, above average and gifted.
Each child has a portfolio, which guides her and can be examined by parents at any given time. Each week, she sends the parents a letter on what their children learned that week , with graded homework papers, including the Aeries Parent Portal with specific log-in to check for students’ grades , as each week progresses.
She creates a community of learners, but also leaders, and teachers. Each month, a student is highlighted as student of the month, for example, “Marissa R’s for her sense of responsibility, consistently being on time, being ready for school, listening, taking down notes, turning in completed homework, reviewing notes at home, studying for assessments, and doing other assigned tasks.” The reward: an hour of fame, spaced out into four days, in front of the classmates, a space to share her talent, a forum where she answers questions from classmates, a poster with positive notes from the classmates, and then laminated for student of the month to take home to share with family. Ms. Rodriguez programs all her students to succeed. This week’s letter to the parents gave them good news: 97.99 percent in attendance, 90 percent in homework compliance, and 90 percent in their good behavior, where the entire class is made accountable for one another.
Looking for what students do right
“Who is the kid who needs me the most?” That question animates her teaching throughout the day and on Sunday afternoon, when she writes her lesson plan, she is thinking of the “deaf, old lady in the back of the classroom, who I need to reach.”
Each morning, she greets her potential scholar with a smile and a personalized good morning to each student, acknowledging who they are, by name. By recess, she reminds them to wash their hands and before they go home, she thanks them for a productive day.
In her class, she has identified 5 to 10 are critical synthesizers, who are smart but impatient. By teaching them the art of patience, she gets them to become effective teachers to the other students, “the gifted takes over the class in explaining the concepts they quickly learned.”
As to the problem students, one that was a repeater and bullying kids, she has managed to turn him around and he now turns in his homework. How did she do it? She told him about the complaints from his classmates and that she only half-believes them. The other half is she believes him. She then gives him a choice, “Do you want me to lose half of my belief in you or do you want to build up on something that is good in you?” By conferencing early with his dad, this student has now come in on time 3 days in a row, by motivating him that his math abilities can make him a computer wizard, if he so desires.
She makes everyone realize that she is noticing the good in the students and if a student is “calling out” a classmate, she reminds them that “he has feelings too” and the complainant whispers to her ears what he has done. Students then become more responsible and those who were formerly late an hour and a half, gets to class much earlier.
Not only does she shape the attitude, she develops the skills for them to have a solid foundation of knowledge, with the parents very much aware of the students’ progress daily and weekly.
Teaching them responsibility and respect
Instead of bad-mouthing a student as no-good and to stay away from him/her, she encourages her students to get to know everyone. One student was a loner, but when he shared his interests in biking and skateboarding, he gained appreciation from his classmates and befriended them. By teaching inclusivity and curiosity about all her students, she increases the atmosphere of positivity and respect for one another.
In her classroom, she has parceled out responsibilities to volunteers: line leader, uniform monitors, door monitor, attendance chart monitor, homework monitor, office messenger, timekeeper, paper passer, paper collector, supplies monitor, ball monitor, birthday card makers and trash monitor. All in all, she has 15 volunteers daily helping her with the classroom logistics, an active way of teaching teamwork and leadership skills. By Friday, she sends home the parents’ envelope, which contains her weekly letter, her students’ graded work and weekly behavior report. She encourages parents to be her partners in educating their children, her students, and invites them to communicate to make sure that her way of teaching is positively in support of their children.
What she has done is create a community in her classroom, revolving around her and guided towards good behaviors.
Can you teach being happy?
Ms. Rodriguez emulates it by singing, acting, drawing and entertaining them. She sings the numbers to have them remember, hits high notes to remind students about rounding out numbers and even waltzes, to remind them about commas in thousands.
In her classes, she considers diverse categories of students: artistic (she will use drawings for them and gives them time to draw), musical (she will sing math parts to make them remember), physical (she will make everyone stand up for north, south, east, west directions) and even theatrical (to get the points across).
“You need to know what appeals to the kids and you need to connect to their minds, their multiple intelligences and remind them I am simply the visual aid. I want to teach them, not the lesson. Task before talk,” she said with enthusiasm.
I left with a secret wish: I hope in my next life that I get to have a teacher like Ms. Rodriguez. I bet all my classmates and I will become Students of the Month and we will get to be so happy, together and with one another!
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for Asian Journal Press for 8 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in the field of science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium and Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.