Yes, Mentors!

Yesterday in a third grade classroom I saw a teacher’s viciousness on display. She was shouting at a young nine year old, let’s call him Joey, in a way that can only be described as vile.

As a close friend used to say, “Those teachers who are so full of mean? Why don’t they just work at the cosmetic counter. They will do far less damage.”

Well, unfortunately, this specimen decided to enter the teaching world, a place where she can scream, insult and feel superior, while emotionally destroying our young people.

Most of the students in this class are poor, black and living in the neighborhood housing projects. About one half of the students receive special education and the other half are regular education students. After over 25 years of teaching, I can report that special education students tend to be far sweeter and more sensitive to negativity than regular education students.

Elaine PerlmanDecember 15, 2015 Comments

Stand-ing Against Stand-ard-Despised Testing

How many tests are students taking? “Preliminary research by the Council of the Great City Schools, which represents large urban districts, found that students take an average of 113 standardized tests between pre-K and 12th grade.”

How do I know it’s such a problem? I was a New York City public school teacher, and I am currently teaching 520 public school students a week in addition to mentoring six new teachers in New York City public schools and charter schools. Along the way, I talk with everyone, teachers, administrators and students. I work in the South Bronx, Harlem and Crown Heights. As I gather information through observations and conversations, it’s clear that testing is the Darth Vader of these students’ lives. Here are some examples of testing’s destructive effects:

standardized testingElaine PerlmanNovember 27, 2015standardized testing, barbell effect Comments

Those in Rags, Those in Riches

I have taught those in rags and those in riches.

Having spent my formative years in a small town of 16,000 neighbors in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, I still awaken every morning surprised and delighted that I live in a gigantic metropolis of 8 million city-mates. Just yesterday, I spoke with people from Tibet, Jamaica, the Deep South and Hungary, all of them representing a global slice of good cheer.

In my 17 years of Gotham living, I have taught and mentored teachers in a preschool, 13 public schools and a private school with tuition now topping $45,000 per year. My students have been in every grade but first and twelfth, including toddler classes and adults.

Rags & RichesElaine PerlmanNovember 25, 2015UCLA study, segregation, testing Comment

Partnering Actors with Teachers

The most engaging teachers have a little Hollywood in them. They are playful players, making learning engaging through storytelling, dramatic language, suspense and humor.

Teachers stand amidst a tough audience. Just picture yourself in front of 30 young people who believe strongly that life is elsewhere. A few of your students may choose to be in the classroom. But most would rather be anywhere but within the confines of the classroom walls. All of your students are accustomed to being entertained and so the seven hours in your presence may feel tiresome and dull.

Actors teach teachersElaine PerlmanNovember 23, 2015teachers, actors, test prep Comment