Super Women (and Men)

March is Women’s History Month, and Edutopia has provided several lesson ideas teachers can use to help students examine “women’s contributions, struggles, and triumphs throughout history.”

In recent history, Marvel Comics has given more support to their female superheroes, with solo titles starring a new Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel (the old Ms. Marvel), Black Widow, Spider-Woman, and much much more . . .

An all-female X-Men team stars in the relaunched comic book X-Men.

Why not “X-Women?”

An all-female Avengers team will soon star in a book called A-Force.

Better than “FemForce,” although such a comic DOES exist.

Heck, even Thor is a woman right now, which hasn’t pleased everyone.

If I had a hammer . . . . I’d shatter the glass ceiling.

For their part, DC Comics has recently given Wonder Woman long sleeves:

Speaking of Wonder Woman, Harvard professor Jill Lepore’s The Secret History of Wonder Woman has earned all kinds of praise and prizes for its examination of the iconic super heroine’s creation as well as women’s history in the 20th century, which circles us back to the start of this blog post.

What does this have to do with teaching?

For better or worse, teaching has often been looked as a “woman’s profession.” In fact, another Harvard-based publication refers to teaching as “Woman’s ‘True’ Profession.”

While this notion may help to empower women and celebrate their impact on society, it can also lead to fewer men working as teachers, especially with younger grades. For example, a study in England found that 25% of all primary schools are staffed entirely by women. Is this good or bad? As a happily married male, I will respectfully and delicately sidestep that discussion for another time.

Another study in England found that women are disproportionally fewer in roles of “headteachers” and “school senior leaders” (translation: administrative and school leadership roles). Such a gender imbalance is probably not a good thing.

Male or female, super-powered or human, Marvel or DC, all teachers play a vital role in successful student learning. Or, as one new book says, “it takes team effort:”

“Men and Women working together to enhance children’s lives.”

That’s a wonderful thing.

Fantastic Teaching

The latest superhero movie teaser to hit the internet is that of Fantastic Four, a.k.a: FANT4STIC:

If a Fantastic Four movie sounds familiar, that’s because there have already been two big budget FF films since 2005.

For an interesting comparison, take a look at the 2005 Fantastic Four movie‘s trailer (starring a pre-Captain America Chris Evans and a post-Commish Michael Chiklis):

Now watch the teaser of the 2015 version:

Quite the difference in tone, don’t you think?

But to me, that’s what makes iconic superheroes so special. Building off a core of archetypal characters and themes, different creators can tell stories through a variety of styles. (And it’s always fun to see fresh new takes on superpowers.)

Like parallel universes in comic books, a parallel application exists in the world of teaching. In order to reach students and inspire meaningful learning, an effective teacher applies his or her individual personality and talents to a framework of fundamental research and established methods.

So let’s talk about some essential elements of ~~effective~~ fantastic teaching, using Marvel’s first family for inspiration (and images courtesy of artist Bruce Timm).

Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Egocentric name aside, Mr. Fantastic is known for his amazing intellect as much as his elastic superpowers. Two things we can take from the Fantastic Four’s leader:

1. Teachers must be smart. For those of us with normal IQ’s, we must do our best to study and develop rich understanding. This growing knowledge base should be limited to our particular subject(s), but all the arts and sciences, and–perhaps more importantly–research on how people learn and applicable teaching strategies.

2. Teachers must be flexible. You don’t have to wear a uniform made of unstable molecules (though it’d be cool to try), but you must be ready to bend, twist, and stretch if you want to stay sane.

Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

In addition to flexibility, fantastic teachers have a healthy sense of humor, much like the FF’s resident jokester. And figuratively speaking, teachers should be able to instantly “flame on” and fire up a jaded class into a group of enthusiastic learners.

Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards)

Here’s where we get more profound. Teachers are often most effective when they stay out of the spotlight. Instead, they put the primary focus on learning and encourage students to take responsibility and leadership in the process.

A common motto used among educators is to relinquish the classroom role of “sage on the stage” and be a “guide on the side.” Sometimes, that guide is so good the students hardly notice his or her presence.

In many ways, Sue Storm has the most powerful abilities among her teammates. Not only can she turn invisible, she also can produce invisible force fields for both offensive and defensive purposes. Teachers must also do their best to protect their students and colleagues from all kinds of dangerous attacks – unseen or otherwise.

The Thing (Ben Grimm)

In addition to protecting students, fantastic teachers also need to protect themselves. Like the ever lovable, blue-eyed Thing, teachers must exhibit some thick skin. We have to withstand a daily barrage of gripes and wisecracks that rival Dr. Doom’s black magic blasts.

Fool! Doom never does homework!

To use another metaphor, teachers should be judicious in deciding when “It’s clobberin’ time!”

Even fantastic teachers have students who occasionally act out worse than Mole Man’s Moloids. We can’t simply exile these misguided minions into the Negative Zone. But we can’t allow class clowns to ruin everyone else’s opportunity to learn, either.

Your teacher’s worst nightmare.

It takes wisdom (sometimes a Reed Richards-level of intellect) to know how to squash misbehavior without squashing the student (emotionally, that is). It also requires a mix of courage and compassion. Even the best teachers aren’t perfect in determining when and how to manage, discipline, and/or overlook student actions and attitudes.

Nobody’s perfect. But we can strive to be fantastic. Use insight from the “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine” to help you get there.

No cosmic radiation required.

Charge Up, Mon Chere

Add X-Man Gambit to the list of superheroes getting a new movie, starring hunky actor Channing Tatum. Here is Screen Rant’s review of the news and a brief bio of Remy LeBeau.

Gambit was a Marvel ‘90s superstar known for his Cajun accent and scheming ways as much as his mutant ability to charge objects with energy. (The trendy trench coat and headgear also helped enhance his popularity.)

Character issues aside, Gambit can inspire teachers with his superpowers. Instead of charging up playing cards, teachers should strive to charge up their lessons. (Minus the headgear and explosions.)

Take a look at your most recent lessons. What question, prompt, activity, application, media, or more could you add to energize students?

Non-Mutant Teachers

My favorite superhero team has always been the X-Men. I’ll admit, these mutant heroes first caught my eye with their nifty matching uniforms. Plus, “X” is the absolute coolest letter in the alphabet by far. (Uncanny Y-Men . . . just doesn’t cut it.)

The main reason I like the X-Men, however, is because this superhero team’s origin starts at a school. “Gifted youngsters” have gathered together not because they’re family or friends or famous heroes, but instead to learn and understand their powers and identities. And ultimately, these students strive to “protect a world that hates and fears them.”

A new generation of students has taken up the cause of Professor X, as featured in the series Wolverine and the X-Men. Unfortunately, headmaster Wolverine has recently died in the Marvel Comics world, leaving a void in the faculty at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

I bet Wolverine’s health will improve soon, but in the meantime another hero has joined the staff of mutant educators: your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

That’s Mr. Spider-Man to You

One potential problem, though: Spider-Man is NOT a mutant. In other words, he was not born with his extra-human abilities. Peter Parker needed a radioactive spider bite to get his superpowers. Remember this iconic scene?

Pre-Spider Bite Peter Parker = Lame-o

Differences in genetic background and superhero lifestyle could become a source of conflict not only between Mr. Spider-Man and his students, but also with the mutant teachers and staff at the school.

Such educational discrepancies do not occur in comic books only. They can also arise in real life.

Real World Research

Research studies have found a “racial/ethnic gap between students of color and their teachers,” something that has increased over the years (Villegas, Strom, & Lucas, 2012). With a growing population of minority students, teachers from similar racial/ethnic backgrounds are in high demand (Bireda & Chait, 2011).

Why is it important to match teacher and student demographics?

One may assume that students react more positively to teachers who share common characteristics. Likewise, minority teachers can serve as positive role models to minority students. However, clear empirical evidence of these assumptions is hard to find, understandable given the complexities of schooling and learning.

Some research studies have found learning gains when teachers and students share similar ethnicity (Dee, 2004; Klein, Le, & Hamilton, 2001). Nevertheless, these reports note an underlying factor that could have the greatest impact on student success: the actual quality of the teacher.

Mr. Parker

Spider-Man does have previous teaching experience. While plainclothes Peter Parker during the day, he did a stint as science teacher for his alma mater, Midtown High School, in Queens, New York.

250px-Midtown_High_School_from_Spider-Man_Season_One_Vol_1_1

Home of the Fightin’ Living Brains!

Mr. Parker’s public school teaching experience reflects real world trends. Typically, teachers like to teach close to where they grew up as students (Reininger, 2011). Or if not the same or nearby location, teachers may teach in a similar type of district or community.

That was me. I grew up in a small Nebraska town of ~4,000 people. I graduated from a public high school with a class of ~70 students. My first teaching job was in a small Nebraska town of ~4,000 people (about 130 miles from my hometown). Each graduating class at this public school had ~70 students.

What about you? Where did you go to school? Where do you teach?

One of the biggest advantages about the teaching profession is that it can take you anywhere in the world. Once I had a student encourage me to apply for a teaching job in Dubai. (Maybe he had selfish motives for introducing me to this opportunity.)

But one of the biggest challenges about teaching is that it requires extraordinary effort to assimilate the context and culture of the school when you first start. Even teachers who teach in their hometown must navigate through this transitional period. Moreover, imagine the degree of difficulty for teachers new to a community, culture, and/or country.

It makes sense that teacher recruitment initiatives focus on fostering “pipelines” to increase quality teachers from high-need urban and rural settings (CTEP, 2014; Darling-Hammond, 2011).

Mutant or Non-Mutant?

As much as I’d like, I can’t turn myself into a mutant, or even a super-powered human. (I’ve been bitten by spiders before. No wall-crawling abilities yet.) Still, I can be the best teacher I can be, no matter where or whom I teach.

Regardless of our ethnic, cultural, genetic, or other demographic descriptors, we can all work to cultivate meaningful relationships, creating memorable learning experiences for our students. Part of this work includes finding ways to connect with the kids and their community.

Don’t try to fake it, however. Students have a special (mutant?) ability to see through disingenuous teachers, even those with good intentions. Admit your differences, if need be, and authentically work to find common ground. A universal purpose in all schools is to expand understanding and appreciate learning.

Who knows how long Spider-Man will stay on staff at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning? You can read more about the creators’ plans for Spider-Man and the X-Men here, here, and here, if you’re interested. I hope Mr. Spider-Man makes a positive difference during his tenure, long or short.

Spidey may not be a mutant, but he does know a little about struggling to make it in the world (of both heroes and humans). Additionally, he has firsthand experience learning the importance of “great powers” and “great responsibility.”

And like the best teachers, Spider-Man should learn from his students as much as they learn from him.

Flex Plan

Where will you be in five years?

If you like superheroes, a good bet is you’ll be sitting in a theater watching the latest Marvel or DC movie. And chances are you’ll have seen multiple superhero movies between now and then.

A recent Warner Bros. shareholder meeting featured the announcement of several tentpole movie projects into the year 2020. This list includes TEN films starring DC Comics superheroes (and antiheroes).

Not to be outdone, Marvel Studios held a special shindig where they announced NINE movies set in their “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” involving the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Dr. Strange, and more.

“Infinity” sounds about right.

If you add in movies based on other Marvel Comics heroes (X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, etc.), that makes OVER 40 FILMS currently planned for Marvel or DC comic book characters.

And that’s not even counting additional comic book and superhero projects. So we’re headed either into the Double Platinum Age of Comic Book Movies or Major Market Saturation.

Of course, many of these projects may get derailed or delayed along the way. (Don’t hold your breath for “Unannounced Female Character Spider-Man Movie” in 2017.)

Plans change, and no one knows that better than teachers.

Adventures with Scope & Sequence

Those of us in the field of education know about something called “Scope and Sequence.” Not only does “Scope and Sequence” sound like a terrific crime-fighting duo, S&S is a general phrase given to long-term planning in the school year.

Here is an example Scope and Sequence from an elementary art teacher, courtesy of the smARTteacher website.

I think of scope as the overall main ideas and concepts students should learn in a class, and sequence is the general order in which they could learn, connect, and practice these main ideas.

Notice the language used here: “overall” “general” “could.”

It’s important to remember that long-term planning should be flexible, like the Ever-Elastic Mr. Fantastic!

Sometimes adjusting to curriculum guides can feel like deflecting bullets.

All kinds of variables arise during a school year that require adjustment and revisions: prior knowledge, curriculum mandates, assessment schedules, special events, weather cancellations, and–MOST IMPORTANTLY–student learning.

Districts often have a Pacing Guide that indicates the key content, units, and even activities teachers should use in their specific courses. Here are some pacing guides for science teachers in Mobile County Public Schools (AL), if you’re curious.

The key word here is “guide.” Classroom teachers know their students best, and therefore the best methods and schedules for helping students learn.

To coin a scientific-sounding mantra: Student learning should be the constant, with time as the dependent variable.

If students require more time to master a topic, give them more time. Don’t plow through a chapter just because you think you need to stay “on track” to finish a certain textbook. (Who said you had to finish the textbook in the first place?) Conversely, don’t slog through something the kids already know or don’t need to know.

A Super Biology Teacher

I met a science teacher who was just one of six teachers who taught Biology 1 in his school building. The basic requirement was all Biology 1 teachers had to get through Chapter 10 by the end of December. The reason was students could switch teachers at the semester break, so everyone needed to be at “the same spot” beginning in January.

Sounds logical, but not every teacher (or student) will work at the same rate or want to focus on the same content. Some concepts and skills are more important than others. So what do you do if you don’t agree with a prescribed schedule?

I love what this science teacher did. He made sure he was done with Chapter 10 by the end of December, but he shuffled chapters to create the most meaningful sequence for his students. Moreover, this teacher spent more time on some chapters and less time on others that weren’t as necessary for learning fundamental biology concepts.

Sound out of order? That’s nothing new to readers of comic books, where odd numbering systems abound (see multiple #1 issues, #0 issues, #-1 issues, backwards releases, flipped issues, etc.). Heck, there’s even a blog totally committed to the convoluted topic of Comic Book Numbering.

The bottom line in comic books is finding strategies and gimmicks to sell the most issues. The bottom line for teaching is arranging lessons and units to encourage the most learning.

So whether you’re talking about billion-dollar film franchises or the infinite potential of today’s students, do take time to plan ahead. But always keep your plans open to change.

And always leave the door open for a dynamite sequel.

It’s SHOWTIME!

The fall television season is upon us, and it’s full of several shows (some old, some new) featuring superheroes.

In fact, there are so many comic book-based shows on TV that you could make the argument it’s the “Golden Age of Television Superheroes.”

I’m waiting to see how these shows turn out and how the Netflix/Marvel deal transpires. On the surface, though, things look promising. Here’s a useful list summarizing all of the current, new, and future superhero and/or comic book-themed shows, courtesy of the fine folks at Newsarama.

Also from Newsarama, here are their 10 BEST and 10 WORST Comic Book Live-Action TV Series of All Time. (Animated series is a whole different category, but it’s safe to bet on anything related to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini.)

For now, I’d say the Golden Age of TV Superheroes was the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, which gave us gems like The Incredible Hulk, Wonder Woman, The Greatest American Hero, and Spider-Man on The Electric Company (with narration by Mr. March of the Penguins himself, Morgan Freeman).

As a bonus, this era also included The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, and preceded the wave of cool-vehicle-based shows like Knight Rider, Airwolf, Street Hawk, and Magnum, P.I., which featured the one-two combo of a Ferrari 308GTS and Tom Selleck’s mustache!

‘Stache trumps the car every time . . .

Getting off topic here, so let’s talk about television and teaching.

How do you use TV and videos in the classroom?

Shameless plug: I’ve done a little writing in the past about using movies and video clips to enhance science lessons. You can read a little bit about that here and here.

No matter what you teach, below are a few tips about sharing video clips with your students:

1. Decide WHY you need the video.

What does the video do that you can’t do in another way, including hands-on experiences, interactive presentations, collaborative discussions, outdoor investigations, role-play scenarios, and more? Sure, using a video clip is easy because you can pop in the disc or click on the computer. But what materials and activities will create the most meaningful and memorable learning? If it’s a video, then go for it!

2. Make it an active, not passive process.

Related to #1 above, students should not just act as passive audience members during the viewing. Give them something to do while they watch. Observe and categorize specific attributes, list examples and/or questions, answer questions or prompts on a handout.

With the handout approach, be careful that you don’t make it a scavenger hunt for trivia. If you do, students will pay attention to those tidbits only and not benefit from the overall experience. If you want them to complete a handout, be sure you emphasize just a few key concepts so students don’t get bogged down looking to fill in a mundane list of blanks.

Very rarely will a video by itself teach the students anything worthwhile. As a teacher, you need to be there to guide students’ thinking and foster discussion. This includes before and after the video, as well as during. (You’ve got that pause button for a reason!) Remember the ideal rating of “TG: Teacher Guidance Suggested.”

3. Decide WHEN you should show the video.

Videos are more than “rewards” students can enjoy at the end of a unit or after a test. What’s the value if you wait until then to show it? Instead, reflect on your unit sequence and consider when a particular video best serves the students’ learning. You could use it as an eye-catching opening, part of an introductory pretest or puzzler, a formative review or extension, a prompt for homework or application, or even part of a summative assessment.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

Very rarely should something as dull as a “movie day” occur in your classroom. A common rule of thumb in education is no activity or task should last longer than 20 minutes during class. By breaking things up, teachers can help students stay focused and motivated to learn. The same goes for video clips. Stick to showing the key scene or segment that matters, which may only be a couple of minutes at a time.

Furthermore, when using a clip from a popular movie or television show, I never show the ending. Sometimes I don’t even show the end of the scene, leaving the students with a cliffhanger and spawning a chorus of disappointed groans from the class. But consider how much this motivates them to think further after class is finished. What parent wouldn’t be thrilled if their son or daughter asked them to check Netflix or take a trip to Family Video so they can finish a movie they first saw in school?

Bus jump from “Speed.” Will Keanu and Sandra make it? Let’s do PHYSICS!

Another reason for using a specific clip is to edit out any superfluous or inappropriate content. Speaking of which . . .

5. Get parental and principal approval.

When using any entertainment-based media, or even educational materials that may be controversial, plan ahead and check with your supervisors (principal, department chair, etc.) to see if they have any concerns or advice. At times, they may recommend sending a note or email to students’ parents/guardians so everyone is clear on the content and purpose of the media. And for any sensitive topics, it provides the opportunity to opt out if anyone objects. It also is helpful to have a back-up activity or alternative task for those who may not watch the video, whether by choice or by circumstance.

6. Keep it legal.

All kinds of stories exist about the proper use of media by teachers and threatening lawsuits from corporations. If you’re not sure what is okay or not okay about using media, check with your school’s media specialist (a.k.a. librarian), who usually knows the latest.

Also, here is a terrific resource for teachers regarding copyright and “fair use” guidelines, provided by TechLearning. I’ve saved this PDF onto my computer and printed copies to keep in my teaching binders as a quick reference.

For me, the most important guideline is found in the “Fine Print” about videos: “use should be instructional, not for entertainment or reward.”

So will anything from the current crop of Superhero TV shows be worthy of classroom use? Tune in to find out!

Teachers for Hire

Happy Labor Day! (To all you Americans, at least.)

In honor of the “yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country,” let’s talk about the labors of teaching.

No, we’re not going to do some cheesy comparison between the labors of teachers and the legendary labors of Marvel Comics’ hero Hercules (but you can read here to learn more, especially if you need a new spin on teaching Greek myths).

First labor: Reenact He-Man’s “by the power of Greyskull!” bit.

Let’s talk about the work of teachers.

Back when I was in college, I told one of my former high school teachers I was going into teaching. His response was something like “Teaching is a noble profession. But it’s a terrible job.”

While this may come across as discouraging at first, my mentor went on to say that the work of a teacher is important and rewarding, but it’s not for everyone. If you just want a career to pay the bills, he explained, go find a different job. But if you want to make a difference no matter the cost, then teaching is for you.

It’s not about the money, money, money . . .

Most of us in the teaching profession know that you don’t go into it to get rich. Not financially speaking, at least.

Honestly, I never thought much about my future paychecks when I decided to pursue teaching as my college major. As a kid, I had always respected my teachers and thought highly of them (most of them, at least) as model citizens in our small town. Financial stability seemed to be part of that elevated status.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t until my “Intro to Teaching” class in college where on the first day our instructor told us, “Why do you want to be a teacher? The pay is lousy.”

Talk about a bummer way to start my adventure in teacherhood. I think this guy was trying to get us to realize teaching is something you do for more than a paycheck. His approach just wasn’t quite as polished as it could be. Or maybe he wanted to scare away all the undergrads who thought teaching would be a cinch job – summer vacations, 8:00 to 3:00 work hours, and all those notions.

Studies and Statistics

Depending on whom you ask, teachers are either overpaid or underpaid. If you ask me, I’d probably say it depends on the teacher. (If you ask the New York Times, it’s . . . complicated.)

Actually, someone DID ask me about teacher pay once. It was when I was teaching at my first job and the local newspaper wanted to interview various teachers about potential state legislation increasing teacher pay (the bill failed, by the way). At the time of the interview, my answer was basically, “I’m not in it for the money, but I’d happily take more!”

If I remember correctly, I also talked about how I was a single young teacher living in a small apartment and could easily get by on a modest salary. (Times have changed. Just ask my wife and five kids. And two dogs. And six cats.)

The only other thing I recall from the interview is I explained how there are multiple opportunities for teachers to increase their paychecks. Teachers typically “move up the pay scale” for taking graduate courses and completing additional degrees. Teachers can often receive stipends for attending workshops and other “professional development” opportunities outside of the regular school schedule. Teachers also receive a little bit of extra pay for helping out with extracurricular activities–coaching, sponsoring clubs and activities, leading committees, and so on.

Of course, all of this extra work does require extra minutes, hours, days, weeks, and more. Speaking of which . . .

Time after time . . .

Other studies report on the amount of time teachers spend working. Things are much more complicated than the notion that teachers get three months off for summer vacation. Again, I think it depends on the teacher. But here’s a neat “infographic” that breaks things down:

Of course, this image was brought to us by http://www.busyteacher.org, so it may be a little biased.

Other reviews are mixed, including ones that review similar data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (glass half-full vs. glass half-empty). There are also some interesting results from a teacher survey completed by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, summarized here in The Washington Post. You can find more details, including state-by-state results, at this link.

So how does this all relate to superheroes?

(You mean, besides the lame Herc reference above?)

Back in the 1970s, Marvel Comics featured a superhero team called “Heroes for Hire, Inc.” founded by Iron Fist and Power Man (Luke Cage, the original “Hero for Hire.”) The basic premise is superheroes will help out the common man–security, investigation, thwarting the schemes of villians–all for a fee.

Through the years, the Heroes for Hire team has undergone various incarnations, including several attempts at long-running series. Most of the series, though, last for about a year before getting cancelled. It seems that the idea of superheroes working for hire–albeit a realistic scenario–is not as appealing to readers as their pro bono colleagues with secret identities.

By the way, Hercules has been a member of the Heroes for Hire from time to time. Even the “Prince of Power” needs to pay the bills.

Teachers need to an income, too. But it’s more than a paycheck. It should be a labor of love.

Happy Labor Day to teachers everywhere. And remember how you can contribute to the “strength, prosperity, and well-being” of your students and community. It is a priceless gift.

Summer Break

It’s summer!

Time to hit the beach, hit the books, hit the links, and whatever else you find relaxing and refreshing this season.

Just chillin’

Same for this blog. Teaching is for Superheroes! (a.k.a. T4SH!) is taking a break until that other lovely time of year – back to school!

Use this “vacation” to rest and renew your mind, body, and spirit for a recharged start with students this fall. If you need some inspiration, take a look at some archived T4SH! posts:

– Most Powerful Weapon

– Favorite Superhero Teacher (Poll)

– Advocating the Profession

– Extreme Makeover

– Secret Origins

– What is Success?

Keep on learning – EDUCATUS!

Future and Past

Yes, this post will discuss yet ANOTHER super-hero movie that recently blasted into theaters across the globe. It’s the golden age for super-hero movies, so we might as well bask in it.

The latest super-flick selling popcorn and semi-satisfying critics/fans is X-Men: Days of Future Past. Bonus points (i.e. “geek cred”) if you can name every character in the following poster:

The basic premise of the film (and the classic comic book story it’s loosely based on) is that the future ends up being a mostly dismal place for mutants and humans alike. Those grizzled heroes that are still alive decide their only hope lies in sending someone back in time (or at least their mind) to stop events that ultimately cause social dystopia. Basically, they want to “reset” the world to make a better future.

It’s a story that is equally depressing AND hopeful, even if the title makes no grammatical sense at all (and created a wad of continuity problems in the X-Men cinematic universe).

Even if you have no interest in time travel or mutant oppression, I do encourage you to stop and think how teachers can learn a lesson from this story.

How many of us wish we could go back in time (the start of the school year) and try again to establish a positive, productive classroom environment?

The truth is, the “first days of school” are critical to creating a climate that will endure throughout the academic calendar. What you teach, practice, and reinforce (and what you let slide) will eventually shape the classroom setting. It’s so important, in fact, that the best-selling teacher book of all time deals with this issue.

My copy is a little more “used.”

Even though early classroom moments are so critical in establishing classroom expectations and habits, there is still hope for teachers who think they may have “lost their way” and lost their classroom to disorder and disrespect, confusion and chaos.

In fact, one of the biggest champions of this “reset” method is Harry Wong, co-author of The First Days of School. During one of his “Effective Teacher” videos (Vol. 4), Dr. Wong describes how at the end of each day, teachers erase the classroom board in preparation for the next day’s learning. This action should illustrate how we as teachers should view our work.

Every new day is a new opportunity to “start over,” so to speak. Even though it may be the middle of the school year, teachers can still erase past mistakes and memories and work to create a new classroom culture. This “reset” will most likely require more than one day’s work, but we can still purposefully cultivate the type of environment we know is best for teaching and reaching our kids. This endeavor also takes serious reflection, intentional planning, practice, reinforcement, and redirection–all in order to reestablish the classroom our kids (and we teachers) deserve.

On a larger scale, consider how the current “summer break” season is another a chance to reset your teaching expectations and actions. Don’t stop at reorganizing your desk drawers and replacing tattered posters with shiny new bulletin board materials. Revitalize your classroom procedures, routines, and attitudes to foster a refreshing learning environment.

The advantage to summer rejuvenation is that most of your students won’t know anything changed. They’ll assume you’ve always been a model educator who demands excellence and champions the cause of learning.

At times, such work may seem just as challenging as mutant time travel. But it’s definitely worth it.

What is Success?

It’s not even mid-May and we’ve already got two superhero movies out in theaters, with more to come. While Captain America: The Winter Soldier made record-breaking April box office numbers, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 recently opened and also topped the $90 million mark for its weekend debut. Not too shabby.

Or is it?

Such an astronomical income may look, well, amazing. But some entertainment pundits are asking, “Is it a success?”

Such a question is not so strange when comparing ticket sales among similar movies, including prequels and sequels. Another item to consider is how much money it takes to make the movie (salaries, special effects, marketing, insurance, craft services, etc.). Making 90 million bucks over a single weekend may not seem so spectacular when it reportedly cost triple that amount to make the film.

All this talk about multimillions may have you thinking about teacher paychecks, but that’s not the real purpose of this post.

Actually, the big question “What is success?” should be asked frequently in our schools and classrooms.

Report Card Time

Recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)–also known as “the nation’s report card“–show that American students haven’t really increased their success rate in the past five years. We’ve talked previously about how it’s important for teachers to closely review assessment data and speak out when and where they can (shameless plug). But it’s also important to examine results and consider what is success.

The NAEP report finds that for U.S. high school seniors, less than 40% are proficient (or higher) in reading, and only one fourth (26%) are proficient or better in math. Results also indicate that gaps in achievement among races/minorities are as wide as ever.

Ouch. That doesn’t sound like success to me.

So many factors contribute to assessment results, more than we have time or space (or attention span) to discuss here. But it is important to stop and determine our definition of success in schools.

First off, it’s essential we not equate 100% with success. Major League Baseball players are potential All-Stars if they get a hit one out of every three times at bats. Babe Ruth’s career batting average was .342. On the current list of active MLB players, the batting average leader is some guy named Joe Mauer, sitting at .322 (my apologies, Minnesota Twins fans).

I remember band directors telling us that we had to hit 100% of our musical notes during every performance, comparing our task with those slacker multimillionaires in ball caps. Full disclosure: I never played every note perfectly during every concert. Didn’t stop the audience from clapping. And it didn’t stop me from playing.

Winning Percentages

Even Spider-Man himself didn’t win every comic book battle. (It’d be boring if he did, wouldn’t it?) According to Marvel’s own statistics, the webbed hero was victorious less than 60% of the time, just below villain Nightmare (59.4%) and above Iron Man (57.8%). Check out the interactive and informative (and awesome) “Battle Breakdown” of Marvel Comics characters, courtesy of Wired magazine and author/designer Tim Leong.

(You should also check out Tim Leong’s website and Tumblr, along with his award-winning book Super Graphic: A Visual Guide to the Comic Book Universe, for some super-nifty graphical analyses of superhero stats. Here’s a sample, this one a breakdown of primary colors among hero costumes:

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Interestingly, anti-hero The Punisher (as in “The Ohio State University”) has the highest winning percentage (86.9%, and only 2 ties) above all the other Marvel heroes. This roster includes Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, the Hulk, Thor, Wolverine, and Daredevil.

Winning Tip #1: Bring a bazooka to a gun fight.

Still, I think I’d rather be rescued by many other heroes before seeking The Punisher’s help. It’s “Punisher” with a capital P, after all. In his quest for vigilante justice, Frank Castle puts a permanent end to bad guys (i.e. dead), as opposed to more noble champions who abide to a higher moral code. As teachers, we know that a little bit of mercy can go a long way.

Maybe winning isn’t everything. Maybe success depends on context.

In baseball, 33% hitting is great. In music, you aim for 100% (unless it’s jazz). In civil engineering, I hope it’s also close to 100%. I don’t want a bridge built by someone who earned an 80% in geometry.

So what is success in education?

According to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the goal was for EVERY child to perform at grade level in reading and math by the year 2014.

Have we reached that level yet? We only have half a year to go!

In one of my graduate classes, our instructor (a high school principal whose last name was Mann, so he was literally “Principal Mann!”) once told us the following with respect to student achievement: “You can feed a donkey the best oats, give it the best trainer and exercise regimen, and hire the best jockey. But when you race that animal in the Kentucky Derby, it’s still a donkey.”

Not every kid will be a straight-A student. If they were, what’s so special about straight-As? Success is different for each individual.

I remember sitting in one of my undergraduate science classes (astrophysics), and another professor had just posted grade results outside in the hall. A mob of students clumped in front of the list, eager to learn the results. Among the mumble and grumble, one jovial dude thunder clapped his hands and cheered, “D-plus!!!”

Success is relative, maybe.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t push each other (and ourselves) to get better.

Hopefully, you aren’t aiming for the plus side of below average. Hopefully, you aren’t hoping for 80%. I want all of my students to perform at a 100% level. I know that probably won’t happen. But it doesn’t mean I won’t try for it.

Another mentor of mine–Dr. Clough (rhymes with rough ‘n’ tough!)–used to say, “Aim for perfection, and you will reach excellence.”

Is that optimism? Or realism? Optirealism?

Let’s put aside our pessimism that some kids will just “never get it” and focus instead on what they can do. The results may amaze you.

I’m optimistic that another Amazing Spider-Man sequel will show up in the coming years. I’m optirealistic that it’ll be good.

	Bizarro Blues… on Looking Up
	Bizarro Blues… on Extreme Makeovers
	Bizarro Blues… on Weird Superpowers
	Bizarro Blues… on Secret Hideouts
	Talk with the Hand (… on Silent Issues

What does this have to do with teaching?

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Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)

Human Torch (Johnny Storm)

Invisible Woman (Susan Storm-Richards)

The Thing (Ben Grimm)

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That’s Mr. Spider-Man to You

Real World Research

Mr. Parker

Mutant or Non-Mutant?

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Where will you be in five years?

Adventures with Scope & Sequence

A Super Biology Teacher

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How do you use TV and videos in the classroom?

1. Decide WHY you need the video.

2. Make it an active, not passive process.

3. Decide WHEN you should show the video.

4. Keep it short and sweet.

5. Get parental and principal approval.

6. Keep it legal.

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Happy Labor Day! (To all you Americans, at least.)

Let’s talk about the work of teachers.

It’s not about the money, money, money . . .

Studies and Statistics

Time after time . . .

So how does this all relate to superheroes?

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Report Card Time

Winning Percentages

So what is success in education?

Success is relative, maybe.

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