The weird thing about students is that they never really stop being your students. Some of them you're happy are still around. Some you wish would just go away. Regardless of how you felt about them when they were in your class, they always, for whatever reason, come back and stick around in your life. 

Here's an example many teachers will be familiar with. A student you no longer have comes in and asks for advice, guidance, or help with a new teacher in the same subject. It's great this student feels comfortable enough to come ask for help and it's double satisfying because on some level you know that student respects you enough to get your opinion. What are the drawbacks? You have 100+ new students you also have to worry about.

As happy as it makes me to hear from my previous kids, I feel like i've got a bit of a collection now and it's not all smiles and high fives. One of the hardest things about teaching some places is the lives of the students. Some people are motivated, driven, and rewarded by tackling the very diverse, complex, and difficult needs of our students. Others are weighed down and crushed by what can sometimes feel like the futility of it all. All of this also compounds as more and more students cross your threshold over the years.

Where am I today? So happy my students are coming back and seeking advice. I'm proud of them. I'm lucky to have been able to see them mature into young adults increasingly ready to take on the world. That said, I know I've felt the opposite before and I'm trying find a better way to help than internalizing all the problems of the world and trying to fix them myself.

Related Articles:
Student Fathers
Student Mothers
Taking DISD Home
Tough days in Dallas Education

Today I have a fun and engaging activity planned for my class. They are discovering for themselves the elements of a civilization by building their own city then breaking that city down into categories (using PEGS, SCRIPTED, SPICE, etc.) The classes that have done it so far have loved it. Here’s the question. Are they getting everything out of it that they need in order to be successful on the test and is that something I should care about?

Yes: It wouldn’t be fair to my students for me to throw out the concept or concern for tests so they can focus on the fun of learning and they perform poorly on their tests. Testing isn’t going away. Grades matter to the kids and people who will evaluate them based on their scores in the future. Yes enjoyment of learning is important, but they have to get the same essential information as everyone else.

No: I do feel that if the students begin to enjoy and become curious about the subject then they will seek the essential information on their own and through engagement will be able to do more than just regurgitate facts. They will have truly understood the material and formed genuine opinions rather than just taking on mine. They will be learning to think.

The true answer, I’m sure, lies somewhere in the middle. I sat down with my instructional leader who helped me resolve some of this for myself. Granted, this is still a work in progress as I fully form as a teacher, but mixing together these two halves of my thought process will no doubt be beneficial for my students. It’s a tough line to walk.


Related Articles:
Strong instructional leadership
Bored Students

This weekend I happened to discover a large alumni event taking place near my school. Rather than heading home to make some much needed dinner, I decided to investigate. This was the kind of event schools dream of happening and I hadn't heard anything about. There was a quick remark at the previous nights football game, which I now realized referred to this event, but at the time I had no idea.

This event was great. A few students were there. but mostly alumni with tents and BBQs celebrating having graduated from our high school. I found alumni dating all the way back to 1981. One thing we always complain about is community involvement in our schools, but what are we doing to help foster these relationships? This was a perfect example. Where were the representatives from my school and why was this event not publisized? These alumni have stories, they have experiences with the school, and most importantly these are relationships we should build. Clearly they have pride and are passionate about the school, so how do we get them involved in what is going on in the school right now. I'm even guilty of blaming the community for their lack of involvement, but as a school how easy do we make it for them to be involved? What do we do to help bridge the gap between the current school and the alumni? What do we do to help get to know the alumni?

It's a two way street. We can complain and complain about it but we also need to recognize there is a lot we aren't doing either.  

Welcome back teachers and education folk! This week was huge for us. Several days were the bigggest, most read, most visited days of all time. Maybe that means you missed us. Maybe that means you hate us so much that you visit the site ever day to be angry at us through the intenets. Whatever the reason may be, thanks for visiting.

Those of you who remember, we'll be doing a rundown of education news from around the web and our favorite/most viewed blogs from the week.

Follow us on Twitter; iTunes; Soundcloud

New Dallas Education Podcast Season 2 Episode 7

From Us:
When everything goes right for classroom teachers
Indirect phasing out of DISD Teachers
Strong instructional leadership
When teachers teach hard
Anti-teachers lounge GOP Candidate
Advice for new DISD and Dallas teachers

From Around the Web:
DISD Superintendent Hinojosa Listens
Missing DISD students
Eric Celeste Weighs in on the DISD Bond vote
State watching failing district schools -TT
Why are there teacher shortages - TNTP
Expulsion higher for black students - NYT

First Friday is in the books. You made it. Hopefully you're walking, not limping, into some well deserved relaxation. Do yourself a favor and check out the first football game. A little school spirit goes a long way. New teachers, you may very well find that things go more smoothly in class when the kids feel like you care what they do outside your classroom. If you don't, you'll at least look like you to. That way one day you may find out that you actually do even though you didn't think you did.

As usual, tomorrow you'll get a brand new DISD inspired Dallas Education Podcast. Subscribe on iTunes or follow on Soundcloud so you never miss it!

Yesterday I had a lesson that went pretty awesome.  Wednesday I was feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck on how to execute my lesson on Thursday.  So I went to another teacher, a history teacher, when I teach math.  Together we created a lesson that took a simple real world problem and made it more in depth by connecting math to food supply issues in the world.  We used our two subjects to create a lesson that not only addressed the math TEK for the day, but got kids thinking about what they are learning in other classes and the real world.  It was great. The students had great insight, they engaged in the problem, and were able to make significant conclusions after.  My questions, is why don't we do this more often? 

We have PLC every day with our subject teams.  Our minds are always focused on the same units, lessons, and topics.  I don't think I could have gone to another math teacher and created this same lesson.  Why don't we start developing grade level meetings once a week or even once a month.  Create the opportunity for teachers to share what they are teaching in their classes so lesson can overlap and we can connect our units to each other.  Whether it is a small writing prompt or a project that connects to two classes, lets get students relating the content in classes and thinking about the topics in new ways.  This is all based on my one day of success.  Share with us if your school does grade level or multiple subject collaborations and how it works in the school. 

For many who have left DISD, those that have considered it, and/or those that are perpetually dissatisfied often say the same things about why they feel the way. Some complain about the kids. Others about the parents. Many more complain about the administration. You even find a few who weep for the state of education in general.

The common complaint I have heard that, in my opinion, binds all of these teachers together is the feeling that they aren't appreciated by the people that should be thankful for the hard work they put in day in day out. Even amongst the teachers who say things like "I don't need convocation to pump me up. My light bill is my motivation." Still have an idea of how they should be celebrated as teachers.

I invited my content leader into my classroom today to observe what I was doing. Not only did I get quality feedback. He praised me on things I didn't even fully realize I was doing and provided me tips on how to be more effective. What else? A personalized letter thanking me for the invitation complete with praise and ways to polish my instruction. It felt good. It made me want to do better. It made me happy to be a teacher.

Generally speaking I'm not as upbeat and hopeful when it comes to education. I don't quite feel like myself these days. Perhaps I can encourage a kid to fight another kid or throw something during class? Maybe that would recenter me and we can all get back to "normal."

It's Day 4 and several teachers in my department have no voice. Why? They've been teaching hard from the jump. They are excited to get started and passionate about their students. Good on them. I feel much the same way, but I'm trying to save a little gas for the last bit of week we have left. Overall things are going well for this teacher in the school and classroom.

I feel like a teacher. Things are clicking. Kids are participating. In groups they are actually talking about the lesson and it feels good. How am I conserving a little more energy? Trusting my kids a bit more to teach themselves but also being much stricter in the beginning than I have been the past few years. Before this year I thought that "days in groups are days wasted," but thus far, that hasn't been the case. I started driving the learning more at the end of the year and that was effective, but it also involved strong discipline and management. Without support from my campus I took more into my hands like the veteran teachers around me advised me to do. It paid off then and it's paying double now.

Related articles:
Feeling like a Teacher in DISD
Changing my teaching in DISD Classrooms
When Dallas ISD Students get it

What does that mean? Does my department head or someone at my school help me become a better teacher. For the first time since I started teaching, the answer is yes. Never have I had the experience of someone coming to me mid day and just listening to how my classes have been going. Not from an observation, but from my perspective. My department head just listened. He didn't interrupt, he didn't talk, and he didn't impose his ideas on me while I was trying to explain my idea of how my classes went.

What did he do? Pointed me in the direction of some resources and told me what was working well in his class. I took decided, the past two days in a row, to try a few of the things he said he was doing. 

The result? They worked like a charm. My kids loved his idea. My class got better in the afternoon. Things went so well that I went back and used those same strategies to reinforce things for my morning classes. '

What made this a unique interaction besides it being fruitful? He asked me to put together some plans and materials so he could try some of what I was doing. BOOM! Two Way Street.

THAT is what instructional leadership looks like. That is how we move teachers from good to great. A little listening, a little respect, a lot of professionalism, and some good old fashioned conversation.

3rd good day in a row. I'm going to stop counting since it looks like this is becoming a pattern. Let yall know if the wheels fall off.

Related:
What makes a good teacher?
Watching a master teacher

"If I were not president, but if I were king in America, I would abolish all teachers lounges, where they sit together and worry about, oh woe is us." - Ohio Governor John Kasich

Wow. Way to attack a group of people not even at the center of the majority of presidential discussions. Why teachers? Are we easy targets? Is he grabbing for anything and everything Donald Trump is NOT talking about to try to catch a few headlines for himself? Who knows. The point is he doesn't know what he's talking about. At least not entirely.

Do many of us know teachers who complain all day everyday? Sure. Do we know teachers who have burst into tears and wallowed in self pity in the lounge? Yep. The part people don't like to tell is the high level of positivity and support that can also come from the teachers' lounge. My time in the lounge, even when i'm venting, is usually full of laughter and accompanied by helpful tips and tricks from my peers.

A lot of new teachers get the advice that they should avoid the lounge. I say nay. If the DFW Teachers Lounge facebook group is any indication, there's a lot of fun to be had in the lounge. Sometimes that's equally as important if not more than anything else.

Related Articles:
DISD Teachers Lounge
Original Huffpo article

I try really hard to give everyone the benefit of the doubt the first week of school, but somethings have just got to be better and one of those things is scheduling.  One, teachers needs students in their classes that should be there.  We are starting the curriculum, we are giving important pre-assessments, and some AP teachers are already 50 pages into their books. The kids that aren't supposed to be there because they already took the class or are not ready for that class are not only creating behavior issues from boredom, but are missing out on the classes they need to be in.  Just yesterday I spoke to a student that said sophomore year he was switched classes so often he was not able to get any credit for his classes first semester.  WHAT? How in the world did that happen.  We know who the majority of the kids are, we know what they need to take, why don't we start on this process in the spring.  Second, There should never be 60 students in a classroom.  I do not care if it is day one or day 151, you can not teach 60 students in a classroom with 24 chairs. What happens is half those kids get removed and taken to the gym to be babysat.  They have been in the building all day, there must be somewhere for them to go.  Third, if a student picks an elective, they should be in that elective. Okay maybe not their first choice, but at least one of their choices. Giving them a choice, and then completely ignoring it is counterproductive to giving them a choice at all.  Its like saying, we care about your opinion, we just wont listen to it. Why would a student be motivated to work in an elective they have absolutely no interest in when they picked they were interested in. 

I know it is easy to complain when I have never done scheduling, but I also know more could be done.  When people in the building can't teach because of their classes its a problem. It's not just me frustrated, from first years to veterans, everyone is struggling with their classes. 

Yesterday, Tawnell reported that Dade was doing well. Newly an ACE school, Dade has been struggling since it opened. The big question here is "will it continue to function?" I sure hope so. The parent that was interviewed was also hopeful. What will it to take to be successful? Consistency. If it is successful, why will it be? It's ACE designation? Did the children causing the issues go somewhere else? Did teachers / administrators increase in quality? I'm looking forward to getting the answers. For the kids' sake, I hope it's a huge success.

DISD ACE Schools
Dade has a good Day 1
Dade falls apart
Being Honest on schools in DISD

I talk a good deal about how important veteran teachers have been to me in my formation as an educator. Teachers that have been around for the long haul are essential to a successful and functional school. Period. Full stop. 

What do veteran teachers need to do to continue having the impact they've had over the past 2, 3, 4 decades? Continue to get better. Don't stagnate. What does that mean? Master technology. 

The concern that districts are trying to phase out older teachers is not as much of a myth as some people make it out to be. By the same token, it's not as much of a nefarious plot either. It's much more subtle than that. The shift to more technology on many campuses, intentional or not, is a soft push that changes the makeup of a campus. Can't keep up with the times? You get left behind. Refuse to comply with campus requirements? OK, bye! This is the wrong way to use technology.

It doesn't make sense to spent an absurd amount of money on technology when several of your staff members have barely mastered email. This isn't being dramatic or speaking in hyperbole. It's a reality that we have teachers that are barely able to use the internet. Despite that some DISD campuses are spending so much money on technology that is trading off with the ability to buy basic supplies for faculty.

I hate this. It hurts teachers and ultimately the students when it isn't done thoughtfully, purposefully, or compassionately. Teachers that have been making a difference for longer than I've been alive are finding themselves on the outside of education because the way people want classes to be taught is changing. I want veteran teachers, especially those who have helped me so much, to be "unleavable." What have I done about it? Trained them one on one to use the technology begin implemented by DISD. Off days, planning periods, and other times they've needed it, I've personally helped veterans learn to use their technology. What did they do in return? Helped me become a better classroom manager, group work facilitator, faster grader, and so many more things that I can't name them all here. We all have something to offer. We're all in this together. So use us as your best resource. Younger teachers are happy to help you just like you help us.

Maybe a little less ceremony and more effective PD would change this. In the mean time, we got you veterans.

Related Articles:
End of Year Reflection - Veteran DISD Teachers
End of Year Reflection - Novice DISD Teacher
Watch a Master Dallas ISD Teacher
Churn of DISD Teachers
DISD PD Reflection Week
TFA helps develop all DISD teachers

We made it through the first day and got a glimpse at what the year will bring. Hopefully for most of you it was positive.  I seem to always forget how hectic the first six week is, when we don’t know our students names yet,  when we have 40 person classes followed by  6 person class, and when all the school talks about is LO, LO, LO.  Come one, day one in the school 2015-2016 school year and we already had district employees visit our classrooms.  They asked our students about the LO/DOL, how it connected to the lesson, and interviewed teachers to understand how their lesson activities addressed the LO/DOL. It is Day ONE!!  For many teachers, it was their first day teaching ever.  While they are trying to figure out what in the world they are doing, the district is going to bombard them with visits and confrontations.  Something about it just seems wrong to me.  I am even a fan of LOs.  I think a strong LO sets the direction for the class.  Plus, its not that anyone is trying to hide anything, our doors our open, and I am happy to have people visit, but to step in with the focus on how is each activity connected to the LO/DOL annoys me. One, on the first day teachers have to review expectations, going over procedures, and start creating a positive culture that will last the year.  If we didn’t do that, come back in 6 weeks and see if you can even see a lesson being taught.  Second, the focus is all on the LO and DOL again, what about the whole classroom?  Is the teacher engaging the students? Are they able to get the attention of their class? Are they creating a welcoming environment for their students? These are questions we should be asking on day one. Just because you can plan to align a lesson to the LO/DOL does not mean you can execute it well.  To me, day one we should focus on the execution then come back day two if you must and let’s talk LO.  

I love it when a plan comes together.

Day 1 is in the books and everything went much better than expected. My best laid plan went off without a hitch and I even got to try a few things I hadn't planned for, but came up with on the fly in response to my students. Will everyday be this way? Probably not, but it's a fine way to start a new year. Couldn't have asked for a better one. Good day? Bad Day? Share out!

Also, why not unwind with a new Dallas education podcast featuring our special guest special guest, Trustee Joyce Foreman? Subscribe on iTunes or follow on Soundcloud so you'll never miss out!

Related Articles:
When everything clicks in a DISD classroom
Making time for yourself as a DISD Teacher
Getting better as a DISD Teacher
Positive Dallas ISD Teacher Student Relationships
When students make your day
When Students surprise Teachers
Find your own style as a teacher
Why Teach? 

The best thing to do is be humble and acknowledge it. Whether you got your undergraduate degree in education, just finished your student teaching, got your masters, or are being alternatively certified, you have no idea. Nothing wrong with that. You're never as good at something the first time as you are the 100th time.

Even if you've taught before. DISD is a different place. If you come in cocky, DISD will help you understand that you are not the king or queen of all teachers. Meet your kids. Learn from your coworkers. Ask for help when you need it, not when it's already become an emergency.

If you need to relax after the first day, don't worry. We released a new Dallas education podcast over the weekend (as usual) with special guest, Trustee Joyce Foreman, stopping by. Subscribe on iTunes or follow on Soundcloud so you never miss it!

Related articles:
Welcome Back DISD Students and Teachers
Confused? Watch a Master Dallas ISD Teacher
Things New DISD Teachers need
Things New DISD Teachers don't need
End of Year Reflection - Veteran DISD Teachers
End of Year Reflection - Novice DISD Teacher

To many teachers welcome back today, to those that have been back happy Monday. We have been planning all last week for this day and now it's here. No matter if it's your first year or your twentieth, it's still exciting. Veteran teachers help out the newbies. Whether it's making copies, turning the projector on or just a mid day pep talk, we all remember our first day jitters.

The day probably won't be perfect, systems are probably already failing, but first days only happen once a year. Get to know your kids and have some fun, 4:15

Is around the corner!

And if you're really struggling, here's what got me up this morning.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlhUcSGqgs

Miss the Roosevelt meeting about the bond proposal?

The crowd was alive tonight. Event with Dr. Blackburn as the MC for the event, the crowd was vocal, attentive, and full of energy.

The +$1b bond proposal up for a vote by the board, and potentially for tax payers in November has been hotly contested in Dallas education discussions lately. The night started off pretty dry with Paula Blackmon, who handles intergovernmental relations and community engagement for DISD, and others from central staff prepared to present a few powerpoints to the roughly 50 concerned community members that showed up for the event.

That didn't last long. Not 5 minutes into the presentation a community member interrupted saying the whole presentation was in the packets and handouts given to people that showed up and that they didn't need the "dog and pony show." The crowd, largely in agreement, agreed to hear about the programs the bond would focus on which included Early Childhood Education, Choice Schools, and Career and Technical Education. Afterward, the audience began to pepper the presenters with thoughtful question and concerns.

Does this read like play by play to anyone else? Of course it does. That's what it felt like watching. A pretty vibrant back and forth.

What was the main concern? That Roosevelt would be closed. Everyone in attendance, including Dr. Blackburn promised that wouldn't happen. But what was this such a huge concern? Why did so many people have the same question?

It seems that there is quite a bit of information out there on this and other issues, some true and some just kind of made up and accepted as fact. This is not the fault of the askers, but a bigger symptom of a lack of information and mistrust of the district by some its patrons.

Trustee Foreman is one of the most vocal opponents of the bond saying that it is unfair and ignores her district, D6. Of the roughly $700m being spent on school improvement, between 10-15% will be going to schools in her area. That's rough math based on looking at the charts and math isn't my strong suit, but of does that portion seem fair? Up for debate especially if you bring in historical spending patterns. Fairness is subjective, but there's an argument.

What's not up for debate? Dallas schools need some serious work. The no equality no bond argument to some seems selfish and petty and just to others. In the last DISD town hall I went to, Trustee Eric Cowan urged folks to vote for the bond and then argue about how it's split up after we have the money. Tonight, Lew tried to calm fears saying that in 5-6 years the district is going to come back and ask for another bond because you "can't fix every school" in one go. Who is making the best argument here?

I for sure believe in Dalton Sherman.  Although I wasn't  in the district when the 5th grader Sherman spoke, I have seen his speech numerous times, even before I entered the classroom for the first time.  Just like the first time, he was inspiring, motivational, and reaffirmed to the teachers the power we can have to classrooms.  It was clear he was the highlight of the show.  All afternoon teachers were sharing the impact he had on them the first time he spoke and how he great it was to learn about his life since. 

Can I just say what a smart move that was from Hinojosa! He stands up for 10 minutes, drops four big lines, then brings in the kid the teachers remember so highly to remind them about the old days.  The conversations on campus transitioned right from reminiscing about Dalton Sherman to "the good old days", pre DOL;s and when PD was beneficial.  I do not remember much about these before but the pulse after convocation was excited for potential changes.  It was very clear from the "I will not be dancing" to the "some people like to beat up the teacher," that Hinojosa is attempting to distinguish himself from Miles.  

So lets talk about the big four initiatives Hinojosa brought up. 

1. Modify DOLs.  Clear applause from teachers all around the auditorium.  No clear direction on how they would be changed, but hinted at less regulation regarding DOLs.  Honestly excited about this.  A strong teacher will evaluate their students continuously throughout every lesson.  The focus should be on what I am doing in my class, not the language I use in my DOL . 

2. Doors can be closed at times.  Honestly, I have no strong feelings about this one.  My room is hotter than the boiler room so this will not affect me at all.  However the bigger picture I got here is that teachers will not be on display as much this year.  Teachers will have more flexibility in their classroom and not have to worry about putting on as much of a show for outsiders to walk past and see.

3. Visits on Wednesday.  Similar to closed doors, Hinojosa mentioned he will visit campuses but will not be going in classrooms.  Unlike the Miles days of 10 person classroom walkthroughs (which I fell victim to my first semester teaching ever), Hinojosa will visit schools for teachers to see him, not the other way around.  I see a theme of building teacher respect through trusting what they are doing in their classrooms.  

4. Lastly, but certainly not least. A week for thanksgiving.  Que the teacher screams. Like others, I am all over this idea, even if it means getting less PD days during the school year.  Give me my week! 

Interesting day all together.

Is everyone ready to get pumped up for the school year at convocation? "No." - Every teacher I've talked to about convocation.

What will be different from last year? Probably less dancing (particularly from the Superintendent). Probably. No guarantees.


As much as I've tried to dig up some positivity around today's event, I've turned up nothing. Excited for teh school year? Sure. Excited for convocation? For sure not. 

At a time where DISD is about to ask voters to approve a billion dollar bond because we're so desperately in need of funds, events like this seem like a waste of money. What is more concerning? That it is a waste of time. The vast majority of teachers would rather spend the next 4-6 hours planning and getting ready for their students that will be arriving in less than a week than seeing a long, drawn out presentation and performance. 

Based on the community meetings and town halls about the DISD bond proposal and the Oak Cliff DISD districts, nobody is focused on making sure there's a big kickoff for the year. In fact, many communities already plan and put on smaller, localized back to school events that are well received and attended. So why do we do this every year? Who is this really for?

Either way, go (because you don't have a choice), talk with your fellow teachers, and try to feel the energy. Stay positive. It will all be over soon.

Buses leave at 8!

Related:
TFA DFW DISD Summer Institue
Superintendent Mike Miles leaves DISD

I face a new issue, and surprisingly it doesn't have to deal with my students at all, it's about my peers. Like many teachers, I eat my lunch in the teachers lounge, I enjoy hanging out with teachers outside of school, and honestly besides my mother, most of my contacts these days are all teachers. This year though I am stepping into a more leadership role and I have to learn to balance those relationships. For some it's a piece of cake. An established friendship has transitioned into a great team that can communicate and collaborate smoothly. Others, it's already more challenging. It pushes me to question can you be friends with your boss?

There's a needed balance. Obviously it's important to build culture and relationships with all employees. I have seen the power in my classroom. In my mind I was thinking that having a prior friendship would allow us to jump start the year and bypass all the getting to know each other. That I have definitely been able to do, right to point where I need to have a hard conversation with a friend in day four. Right now I'm wishing that friendship wasn't so strong.

Plus here's my trade off. I want to approach the conversation as "let's talk about what's going on. Here's where we need to be. How can we get there?" My goal is to help the teacher improve. Yet so many conversations in the past that teachers have faced are not that way. They are gotchas, here's a punishment. So as a friend can I come in and reset the tone or will I be ignored because I don't have a threat behind me? I have never threatened a student so I have no intentions of starting by threatening a teacher.   Maybe this will work.  I can build on what I know about that teacher to have a conversation with them about what is going on.  The concept of sitting down and talking with a superior about how to grow based on you and where you come from though is such a foreign concept.  It shouldn't be, but so often the conversation is how we can make the teacher follow DISD requirements not help the teacher where they are.  That's another blog entirely though.  

In the real world (not education), yes I think you can have a relationship.  In education it may be harder or easier, I'm not really sure but it is definitely different.  The work we do is so personal and receiving feedback on it can be hard.  It is hard to be open to and receptive to growth feedback, especially from a friend.  This is not a blog where I have the answer yet (although I rarely never do).  I am just curious, can I command respect as a boss from a friend? And if so how? Share with us your experiences and I'll keep you updated on mine. 

We were lucky enough about a month a go to have a sit down interview with Chef David of Brain Dead Brewing, the same location where we'll be having our  Welcome Back to School event for Dallas education folk from 3:30 to 6:30pm at Brain Dead Brewing on Wednesday, August 12th.

He's a top quality, extremely creative, and passionate chef who, like the best teachers, considers himself to be constantly learning and perfecting his craft. 

Things to take note of in my opinion are his knowledge of biology and chemistry as well as his deep study of his art that he uses to continue to improve. It was a real treat. My only wish is that I could record every conversation we've had because I learn something new every time we go in.

Listen to the podcast and interview we put out this morning with the interview. The restaurant/bar/brewery was crowded so it's loud and can be difficult to hear. It's a popular place with great food. Sorry I'm not sorry. You can read a rough transcript of the interview below. Follow us on iTunes!

Hope to see you all tomorrow at the Welcome Back to School event from 3:30 to 6:30pm at Brain Dead Brewing tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12th.


Is this the first place you’ve been in charge of creating the menu?

No, I was executive chef at Palomino and Henry’s Tavern in Shops at Legacy in Plano so I redid all those menus, ran all the features, and here I did the whole menu top to bottom

When did you first start cooking? When did you start wanting to cook?

I always wanted to cook. When I was young, 3 or 4, I was in the kitchen rolling out biscuits with my grandfather, or cooking chili, or out by the smoker making fajitas. So I was always interested. Both my parents worked and my brothers and I would get home from school and would be left to our own devices until they got home from work. There’s only so much pizza and hamburger helper you can eat you can eat so I started watching the frugal gourmet and some of those other TV cooking shows and started cooking.

Most people say their mom or grandmother taught them to cook. You said grandfather. That’s very unique.

Yeah, he lived in Tyler and we’d visit a couple times a year and I always remember being in the kitchen with him the whole time. My dad cooked a little bit and my mom couldn’t really cook and so I kind of just took it upon myself to figure it out.

What was his signature dish?

Biscuits and gravy

Pimento cheese

Brisket

 
Which is the most difficult?

I think brisket just because of the patience it takes to make it. He would smoke his for upwards of 18 hours and it would take him all day to do it.

What makes a good brisket?

Depends on the cut honestly. Different parts of the cow react differently to heat and different things. The higher the connective tissue content, like brisket, the higher the collagen content the tougher the meat will be and the tougher the muscles work while the cow is alive, the tougher that it will be. Brisket comes from the chest plate. Think of it constantly doing a pushup. That’s why its’ rich and flavorful and has a lot of intermuscular fat and flavor, but it’s really tough. SO usually it requires a long slow cooking like a braise or smoking that has a high moisture content that will break down the collagen and turn it into a nice tender meat.

One thing a lot of people don’t realize about cooking is that it is a lot of biology and chemistry. Where did you get all of that knowledge? Naturally or books?

 I read a lot of books. On Food and Cooking by Herald McGee is a phenomenal book. Molecular Gastronomy (Hervé This) which was just a fun book to read. The Culinary Institute of America’s The Professional Chef is an awesome resource book There’s a lot of good information in there, James Beard’s American Cookery. A lot of different cooking books.

Did you go to culinary school?

I did not.

Where’d you jump from home cook to professional chef?

I was going to school for computer engineering at the University of Oklahoma on scholarship. I broke my ankle in my final year of school. I had 13 credits left to graduate and I couldn’t go to school and had to drop all my classes.  Got a little depressed, and always loved to cook. It kind of ignite4d a fired under me and I decided I’m going to do something I love. I started out as a dishwasher and prep cook when I was 21, became a kitchen manager by the time I was 22 and I’ve been running kitchens ever since.

How did you come up with this menu?

When I was thinking of the menu for here, I wanted us to be busy for happy hour. I think we have a good opportunity for business lunches so I put on several sandwiches. Because I thought we’d be busy for happy hour, not just lunch, so I put on several appetizers. Caldo de pollo is a soup my grandmother used to make that is awesome and delicious. I’ve always love chicharrónes. That’s basically just pork rinds, but we make them here in house.

Queso, were’ in Texas. I use real cheese, fresh roasted tomato salsa, grass fed beef, and the chips are fried in freshly rendered lard. It’s basically like a trip to Mexico without booking the flight. Popcorn is just fun. When you’re drinking, popcorn work. I use the chips and salsa to make the queso. So, it’s fresh every day and the next day it goes in the queso. That way I always have fresh salsa, and the lime and cilantro flavor kind of die off the next day so I make it make it fresh every day then the next day it goes in the queso.

Steak salad I designed as a guy salad. I wanted that for business lunches. Our house salad I wanted to have a nice small salad for someone that wasn’t very hungry. Our market fish salad, I love fresh fish, so all the fish I get is wild gulf caught, sustainably caught, or Texas farmed raised. So I don’t have tuna, I don’t have salmon, I don’t have any of that stuff. I’ll have grouper, I’ll have flat fish, I’ll have flounder. I’ll have tile fish. That kind of stuff.

What advice do you have for people that want to cook fish?

Most people if you have a whole fish don’t have the basic butchering skills to break down a whole piece of meat. That’s I think a big issue in terms of going form a home cook to an experienced chef. Those butchering skills just come with practice. Until you break down 10, 15, 20 catfish you’re not going to get real good at it. Until you break down 15, 20 pork shoulders, you’re not going to understand where the bones are and how to break them down.

There’s’ different types of fish, different ways to fillet them. Flat you fillet different then round, but once you understand where the ribs are and you have a nice sharp knife, you can do just about anything. It just takes a little practice

As a teacher, we have students who are interested in knowing if it’s possible to be successful without everything school demands. Is it possible for students to come work, learn, and watch chefs?

They’d have to be at least 18 because of the slicers, the floors we have, safety purpose. I don’t mind when we slow down bringing someone in and walking them around. I love teaching people. That’s something we can definitely do. At least 18 to work in the kitchen then we can go from there.

Is there a particular type of music that centers you / gets you in the zone?
Classic rock. 

We're on itunes! Subscribe and never miss another podcast. Only takes a second. Also, follow us on soundcloud. To celebrate, we have a special Tuesday Dallas Education Podcast with an interview, food talk, and a "data" discussion.

Summer is nearly finished. You can tell by how busy this week is already. DISD teachers are reporting back to school on Thursday, but many teachers across Dallas are already back in PD, instructional coaches and department heads are back at school planning, students at Uplift and other charters are already back in school, and others are getting their uniforms and supplies ready. What's left to do this summer? A few things:

TODAY: Stand for Children is putting on an Educator Advocacy Summit. We've been invited to participate in the afternoon panel. Thanks! It's being held from 11am-3:45pm at the Frontiers of Flight Museum (6911 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, TX 75209). There's a community resources fair immediately after.

TOMORROW: We're hosting our Welcome Back to School event for Dallas education folk from 3:30 to 6:30pm at Brain Dead Brewing on Wednesday, August 12th.. First 20 people will get a beverage on us, and some appetizers will be provided for snacking and conversation. It's in Deep Ellum and there's plenty of parking near by. Metered parking is free until 6.

Thursday: Staff Development starts for DISD.

Welcome back teachers. We appreciate you (also ourselves because we're teachers). 

Related: Dallas Education July Rundown

Like is not a bad word.  If you need to compare something like is the perfect word to use.  For example planning in the summer is like ripping off a fresh band-aid that clings to every hair, you just got to do it.  I am not an English teacher, but I believe we even call that a simile.  Like gets a bad rep because we over use it.  We put it into sentences it does not belong in and fall back on it when we loose our train of thought.  The main purpose for like is not bad. Tracking data is the same thing. 

No one in education can argue that tracking data is pointless or a waste of time.  I fully support data tracking data and had positive results after rethinking how I used data in my classroom.  Tracking data allows teachers and students to assess what they learned and make adjustments to their lessons.  I have always tracked summative assessments at the end of unit to see trends in classes, student growth or decline, and have a reliable measure of each students mastery per TEK. I track that information over the year and make decisions on class wide vs individual review throughout the year. It takes more time after an assessment than just grading, but the information I can analyze from it is extremely valuable. 

While formative assessments are extremely important to use to see students day-to-day mastery and either adjust lessons or review misconceptions, I would not track daily lessons.  From a daily formative assessment I need to know WHAT the students had trouble with, not only how many passed.  I also want the student to see what was expected from them that day and apply their learning to know if they got it or not.  Tracking this data daily over the year would provide over 150 individual pieces of data per student in addition to assessment data.  Just like,  if you like, kinda like, use the word like to much, the message looses its importance.  Too much data can loose its important. In addition this data may not be the most reliable.  Maybe that day was the fire drill, the rainy day, the day you were sick, or just confusing, you can review it in the do now or a quick mini lesson the next day in a new way.  The goal of a daily assessment is to get information, to make adjustment to future lessons with, so that students understand the topic and do not have those misconceptions on a summative assessment, which can then be tracked to make larger unit adjustments on a class wide and student level. BOOM! (now take a deep breath)   

So lets be really honest for a second.  Who are we really tracking here.  To me it seems like another teacher compliance test.  Are teachers giving DOLs and are teachers having good results on those.  Teachers will need to rethink how to design their DOLs to be tracked easily or take some time to grade each one and post this information.  How long before every teacher miraculously has between 75% and 85% mastery every day? Second six weeks?  

It is time to get back the basic purpose of tracking. Helping students learn. 

Pulled over for an hour to sit and really listen to this interview regarding the superintendent search and a host of other issues. Yes, pulled off the road. Why? It needed my full attention.

The next superintendent will inherit a divided district with a good amount of resources, poor management, and a great deal of potential.

What stood out? An encouraging recommitment to English language learners. It always sounds good anyway. A caller asked the question about black student achievement and why nobody seems to care or focus on it. Trustee Solis routinely answers this question the same way,  but theres truth in it. While the assumption is that because he's Latino he's biased and that this bias is exacerbated by the overwhelming majority of students being Latin@, he's right that DISD has dozens of languages represented in its classrooms. It sounded genuine to me.

No surprises from Trustee Cowan. The three Cs. Calm, cool, collected. No fireworks, just an hour of Cowan. He did raise one eyebrow claiming that it may take a decade or more to see the fruits of the Miles era reforms. Many opponents would say we've waited long enough and characterize it as another attempt to cover for Miles, but for me it was a perfectly reasonable middle of the road response. Sure. Might take time to prove one way other the other if the reforms were good or not. Had he skipped that talking point, Cowan's comment that we need to respect and listen to our veteran teachers would have gotten the emphasis it deserves. That's real Cowan. Committed to kids and teachers.

Rena Honea injected her opinions about listening to teachers and stopping what she calls experimentation on our kids. The bigger question is what she and her organization do for teachers in Dallas. the popular opinion is that teachers pay into it and get nothing in return. AFT doesn't have the same teeth in Dallas that it does other places. That's a fact. What I anticipate and look forward to seeing is AFT trying to reassert itself now with the Dallas education scene a bit unstable and ripe for organizations that try to bring teachers together.

Big takeaway? All three of these folks care about our students. They disagree over the best way to do so, but none of these people are just in it for themselves as they are sometimes portrayed.

Biggest question? When are yall coming on our show?