

A Year in the Cave

By Rob Guyette

SMASHWORDS edition

****

Published by:

Rob Guyette on Smashwords

A Year in the Cave

Copyright 2013 by Rob Guyette

Thank you for downloading this free SMASHWORDS book. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced for any use without permission from the author. If you enjoy this book, please share it with friends.

If this book inspires you, and you would like to make a financial contribution to the book fund for the all-boys reading classes at De Pere High School, checks can be made out to:

De Pere HS All-Boys books

Attn: Rob Guyette

De Pere High School

1700 Chicago Street

De Pere, WI 54115

100 percent of all donations will go toward purchasing books for the boys in my classes to read. Thank you.

The author can be reached by email at ayearinthecave@yahoo.com

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all of my teachers at Abbot Pennings High School. Thank you for taking less money so that you could work at a place that made such a tremendous impact on boys like me.

Introduction

"You _liked_ being in an all-boys school? _Why?Really?_ "

This is usually the first reaction I get today when I mention to my De Pere (Wis.) High School students that I attended Abbot Pennings High, located about two miles away across the Fox River, back in the mid-1980s.

When I tell them that single-gender education is a superior setting for learning, they immediately question whether my hormones were functioning in my teenage years.

No girls? All day? My god!

"During the week, our focus was on school," I always say. "And by the weekend, the girls couldn't wait to see us. And vice versa."

I wink. Then they get it.

At the very least, the kids are intrigued.

I cannot say that every trait I possess as a 42-year-old with a wife and two kids can be traced to my experience in a single-sex high school. Those four years at Pennings did shape me, though, especially in the areas of competitiveness, leadership, responsibility, and loyalty. I was surrounded by people much like me – athletically determined and academically focused. Making the golf and basketball teams my freshman year was instrumental in the development of my self-confidence. Running the student council as president my senior year tested my character in ways I never could have imagined. The lessons I learned at Pennings were difficult sometimes, but anyone who can make it through an all-boys school is a survivor. No one went four years without his share of feeling as though he was on the wrong side of a _Lord of the Flies_ situation at least once or twice.

Today, I am sure that my experience was unique to kids growing up in this area. The triumvirate of Pennings, its all-boys rival Green Bay Premontre, and all-girls Green Bay St. Joseph's Academy closed in 1990, ending an era in northeastern Wisconsin.

When the closing announcement was made, I was 1,000 miles away, living as a sophomore and bleeding orange as the assistant sports editor of the school paper at Syracuse University in New York, and way too into my own life to realize the impact the shutdown had on the community. Selfishly focused on my future – one that didn't include my hometown – I was not too concerned, for my brother and I made it through Pennings (I was the class of '88; he was the class of '89) and for everyone younger ... well ... too bad. Mostly, I wondered what would happen to my favorite teachers and my principal, Fr. Meehan, whom I had grown close to and who poured his life into making the school a desirable, sought-after place for boys to attend.

When Green Bay Notre Dame Academy became co-ed in 1990, absorbing the three single-sex schools, and the Pennings building became part of St. Norbert College, I mostly disassociated from my past. I had no alma mater to root for during basketball tournament time and no journalism class to share my college experiences with. I believe I speak for many Pennings grads when I profess that Notre Dame just is not my school. I am not anti-Notre Dame, but I am not a Triton and never will be. My sister and youngest brother went there, but the fact it is located in the old Premontre building still makes me a bit ill.

As I grew older and took a job after college as a sportswriter at the _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ , avoiding my past was easy: Pennings was never in the news and, despite living in the area, I rarely ran into former classmates. When I did go back into the school and saw how it was changed into an office building, a miserable feeling swept over me.

I knew Pennings was officially dead and not coming back.

Change in direction

Professionally, I made a career change in my late 20s, leaving the newspaper business after six years. I re-entered the world of education by pursuing a teaching certificate at St. Norbert. I saw the old building, now renamed Pennings Activity Center (ugh!), every day. One of my classes was actually in the former library on the second floor – right across from my old locker. I spent many a study hall in that library. It was strange being surrounded by classmates who were just out of high school – at least eight years younger than I – and not married like I was. Some of them, I guessed, had no idea that the building used to be a high school.

I was fortunate to land a great job immediately after my two years of schooling, teaching seventh-grade math and language arts at Bay View Middle School in Howard. Three years later, a job came open at De Pere High School, which is one mile from my home. Luckily, I got it.

Seven years into teaching high school English, I had seen enough: too many low-achieving boys who did not think reading was important; too many high-achieving boys who were not excited by the curriculum materials and simply went through the motions; too many class discussions that went nowhere; and too many guys who acted like knuckleheads instead of scholars and leaders.

My frustration level was high.

About this time, as I was pursuing my master's degree, I took a course about trends of boys in our educational system. Most of them were not positive, ranging from lower reading scores to higher special education rates to fewer college attendees to more high school dropouts to greater behavior problems to higher teen suicide rates. Researching the problem closer to home, I found that many of the same issues existed in Wisconsin, my own district, and my own school.

Boys were falling behind.

As an educator, I figured I had two choices: Continue teaching the same way and producing the same results, or try to make changes.

My first thought? My dad. He's not a teacher, but a businessman. One of the greatest gifts he has ever given me is a cassette tape (yes, this was back in the 1980s) from a corporate outing he attended in which the keynote speech was given by the late Jim Valvano, coach of 1983 NCAA men's basketball champion North Carolina State. In the speech, Valvano spoke at length about struggles and all the losing he endured in his first few jobs at small colleges. While at a low point, he was given a piece of advice that changed him forever. A friend said to him: "You know, Jim, things can either get better, or they can get worse." That was it. The audience laughed, because the message sounded so simple and obvious. I have always loved that advice, and in this case, for me, it meant I could either continue as part of the problem or look to find the solution.

Thus, I dipped into my single-gender past, learned about laws passed in 2006 that allowed single-gender classes in public schools, and dove into a radical project that has greatly added to both the gray hairs on my head and the satisfaction with my job.

My initial brainchild wondered what a single-gender setting would do for boys at the freshman level. A successful freshman year is vital to four years of high school success, and I speculated whether a different type of learning environment would help put some of those borderline kids on the positive path.

Start it up

Getting the project off the ground had its ups and downs. The easiest part was convincing my principal, Annette Deuman, that the idea was worthy. In short, she loved it. I am extremely lucky to have a progressive principal who rewards teachers trying to make changes. She even helped me find additional statistics of the growing divide in boys' and girls' reading scores at De Pere that supported the case for the class.

Step two was finding a female partner to teach the all-girls class. Again, no problem. Our literacy coordinator, Angela Wachtel, knew the gender trends and statistics as well as I did, and she also taught a women's literature class at the high school. She was on board. Angela and I did the initial recruiting in the middle school and made our pitch to all 13 of the Grade 8 language arts classes before registration.

Despite all of the statistics of the decline of boys' reading scores – the data is easy to find – my peers were mixed on the idea. I would be lying if I said that every conversation I had about establishing the program was a pleasant one. Anyone who has ever worked in an office can probably imagine some of the behind-the-scenes politicking, but I felt strongly that I needed to fight for this idea. My background in all-boys education is something that few other teachers have, and I believe many of the objections were likely based on their own positive experiences with co-ed education.

Eventually the venture passed, and the project unveiled on September 1, 2009. Angela did not end up with the all-girls class due to a scheduling conflict, so Kirsten Missall decided to take a flyer and try it.

We haven't looked back.

Create it, and they will come

Four years after starting with 39 kids (25 girls, 14 boys) in an English 9 class, we have more than 275 students enrolled in the program for 2012-2013, an increase of more than 600 percent. We expanded the single-sex option to English 10 for Year 2 after the first group signed and presented a petition to the administration, asking to remain together for another year.

Kirsten and I were flattered.

A total of 130 students were registered in single-sex English 9 and English 10 for the 2010-2011 school year, and we adjusted as much curriculum as we could to fit the needs of our troops.

By Year 3, the word was out that the single-gender classes were working. Not only did we have data to back it up – better grades and increased reading lexile levels – but students enjoyed being part of the group so much that it felt as though a fraternity and sorority had developed.

We brought the boys and girls together every once in a while for book talks or projects, created class t-shirts with everyone's name on the back, and added a community service element. About 250 boys and girls came on board for 2011-2012. Kirsten was suddenly teaching all-girls classes all day, and I had two all-boys classes of each grade.

Combined, we had nine sections.

In all, Kirsten and I experienced many joys and frustrations throughout the year. The bottom line, though, is that we are determined to continue to make this program better, more attractive, and more productive.

For Year 4, more than 75 freshman boys registered, requiring us to add a third single-sex teacher to take one of the English 9 all-boys classes. (Sara Herr, whose room is next to mine, enthusiastically accepted the challenge.)

So, why write this book?

During the summer, I enjoy reading books about high schools and education in general. The "boys are failing" books are out there in force in your local bookstore. Ever since the turn of the century, prominent education writers have been pointing out what many in the education world are hesitant to admit: Boys are not only falling behind girls, but they are doing worse compared to boys of previous generations. Most education data that gets media attention – and rightfully so – revolve around the learning gaps involving race and income. The gender gaps are usually brushed off as being secondary or insignificant.

All gaps, to me, are worthy of examination.

So what can I offer?

First, I offer my humility. Writing a book has a certain egotistical component to it, but I am just one of many educators in Wisconsin and beyond who run classrooms that work. Anything I do can be duplicated and likely improved upon. My greatest traits are enthusiasm and passion, and I am willing to put myself out there, susceptible to either criticism or praise.

Because I am by nature a contrarian, the idea for this book was born by the teacher bashing that has persisted in Wisconsin for the better part of the last 18 months. All of a sudden, the public was at war with teachers, and every statistic out there was trying to be spun to prove how under-skilled, overpaid, and under-worked we are. Yes, teachers as a whole made their fair share of mistakes during the political rumble in Madison. Yes, there are bad teachers who do not work very hard, and yes, there are some teachers who cannot wait for weekends and summers off. But they are not the majority; they might be the most vocal or visible, but most teachers I know put in multitudes of extra hours to improve their skills, curriculum and classroom.

The other side of the "schools are sinkholes" rhetoric needs to be told.

My purpose in this book is to give you, the reader, a first-hand look at how we can craft and build programs that will turn boys on to language arts. This is a not a book of research; instead, it's a book of how we do it at De Pere. I would love for every school district in Wisconsin and beyond to replicate the success we have had here.

Of course, not everything I do works, and not every boy who comes into the class finds the fire to read and succeed. Many, however, do, and every positive story is worth the effort. Few parts of this job are better than the words of a joyous mother who is grateful that her son is suddenly reading again. I have shared some of these letters in this book.

I am proud of what we have done at De Pere, and I want to share it. I invite you into Room H108 – the Man Cave of reading and writing – for a year, and I hope you find the journey worth your time.

\- Rob Guyette

De Pere, Wisconsin

July 23, 2012

Chapter 1: In the cave, first quarter

Obviously, the crux of our job is communication with the students – teaching them the curriculum, interacting with them on a daily basis, and attempting to teach them lessons that go beyond essays and grammar.

My schedule is unique because it consists of two classes of all-boys English 9 and two classes of all-boys English 10; for my fifth class, the school has combined the journalism and yearbook rosters into one hour. Neither has enough interest to warrant a class by itself, but joining the two makes the effort viable. Our administration has always believed in the value of having student publications, even if the overall interest is not at the level of other courses. The quantity and quality of the products are not what they could be because of such low enrollment, but the publications are always available for the student voice.

My goal in these first four chapters is twofold: First, I would like to share what makes the all-boys program at De Pere successful. Second, I hope to provide an impression of what the classroom is like today. Many adults, when they think about education, relate mostly to their own encounters as a student. But, as any teacher will concur, the view is a whole different ballgame from the front of the room.

Because I know all of the sophomores, little time is wasted in the first few weeks. We get into the reading and writing immediately. The freshman transition will not be too difficult, either; I coached 11 of them in basketball last year and know several more from summer-school chess.

(All references to "Kirsten" are Kirsten Missall, who teaches the all-girls classes for both English 9 and English 10. References to "Sara" are Sara Herr, who teaches one section of all-boys English 9. Sara's all-boys class runs during the same hour as one of my English 9 classes. All of the boys' names have been changed, though I know they will have fun trying to figure out who is who. Have fun, fellas.)

9-5-12: Tear 'em down, then build 'em up

Those of us old enough to remember Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" to drugs campaign from the 1980s are also smart enough to realize that the best way to get a young person to do something is to perform reverse psychology.

On this first day of school, I showed the boys statistics of male failure that keep growing. Girls are kicking your butts, I told them, so if you want to continue that trend, keep slacking. Most of the girls will be more than happy to get better grades, gain acceptance into better colleges, rake in more scholarship money, and achieve greater honors. After all, boys everywhere else are letting it happen.

Challenge delivered.

Will the boys respond or cower? The next 179 days will tell.

Content-wise, Day 1 had three steps:

First, visual. A CBS news piece from this summer featured the decline of boys in academics that went as far as debating whether colleges should have affirmative action admissions for boys. Ouch.

Second, auditory. I need to show them right from the start that I love to read. Lisa Bloom's book _Swagger_ is a perfect starting point, for it outlines the problems of young males in school and beyond. For the freshmen, I read a section focusing on the negative attitudes of boys toward reading; for the sophomores, I read the pages that mirror the book's title, which refers to the extraordinary level of unjustified overconfidence boys have in themselves. Ironically, two of my freshmen playfully told me during attendance today that they would like to be called "Mike the Great" and "King Tony" during roll. I'll play along until it becomes old. _(Update: It became old after three weeks.)_

Third, written. The freshmen reflected on their attitudes toward reading, while the sophomores played a guess-that-number game with statistics from Bloom's book. Both groups composed short musings on the day's issue – them.

The morning highlight was an ovation I received as I entered my first sophomore class. Talk about a welcome! Seeing them so excited to be back in H108 was extremely satisfying. Honestly, it seems as though we picked up right where we left off last June, except they have all grown taller and I have grown wider. The next best part of today was the frank talk about boys and their place in society with the sophomores, as they reflected on the statistics.

Here is a sample of their comments (grammar mistakes are not fixed):

>> "It is shameful to me that women beat us in all three levels of reading. It is because young men think it's more fun to play the newest 'Call of Duty' game than to read the newest best seller."

>> "The fact that only 10 percent of boys read for pleasure really hits me. It doesn't astound me, though, because everything is technology-based. A lot of kids have smartphones, flat screens and video games, and if they don't, they go over a friend's house that does."

>> "Women today feel more academically inclined to prove to the men that she is equal. Men feel less inclined because he knows he can make almost enough with a high school education."

>> "Men don't care about doing good. We just want money and women."

>> "I think it's ironic how more women graduate but more men are CEOs."

Patrick, however, was already in mid-year form:

>> "I find it easy to believe that (Americans) account for 25 percent of the world's prisoners. We're terrible people. We have too many stupid people who do stupid things. If we would just bring back Sparta's rule and throw stupid people off the cliff, the world would be perfect."

Good to be back.

9-6-12: The choice is theirs

_Muchacho_ by LouAnn Johnson is my choice for starting LA10. Johnson does a fantastic job speaking in the voice of Eddie Corazon, the main character, who must choose whether he wants to use his brains to impress and keep his girlfriend, or head to the streets, screw off in school, and live on the road headed nowhere. Along the way, Eddie has people who pull him in each direction, and he must decide whose approval is most important.

The fork in the road is one many boys relate to.

I can.

Growing up, I was always one of the smartest kids in class. This was not always such a desirable gift, especially in middle school. Teasing came my way quite often from kids who mocked me for using higher-level vocabulary words and getting special, advanced assignments that pulled me out of regular classes. At a small, Catholic middle school, word spread quickly when those types of events happened. Furthermore, as someone with a mid-August birthday, I was always one of the youngest ones, and I didn't hit a growth spurt until high school, so my being short and intellectual was a double whammy. Throw in my lack of interest in girls and the middle school social scene, and one can see why I was an easy target.

But I would never dumb down.

Unfortunately, many guys do, for a variety of reasons.

I am not a psychologist, so I am not going to expound here and analyze society's ills. All I know is that as a teacher, I see it. I see the boys who think academic achievement is for losers. I see the boys who scrape by with C's. I see the boys who brag about not doing homework or not reading for pleasure. It's not that girls are graduating with 4.0 GPAs across the board, but the amount of underachieving coming from boys extends much further.

I present a statistic from the homeland: One hundred fifty-five students at De Pere High have qualified for the honor of ranking in the Top 10 percent of the graduating class in the past five years. Amazingly, 111 were girls and 44 were boys (72 percent to 28 percent). That discrepancy has to be more than coincidence.

Not every boy at De Pere is facing a life of crime if he doesn't study, but more than a handful just plain do not try very hard with their schoolwork. One look at the summer school remedial rosters is more than enough evidence. My point with _Muchacho_ is to bring this issue to the forefront at the start of the year so that the boys can see themselves as Eddie and decide which guy they want to be – the underachieving smart aleck who does the minimum, or the mature young man who maximizes his academic potential and makes "winning" in the classroom as important as victory in athletics. As Eddie figures out, of course, triumph in school can sometimes mean catching the hot girl, too.

Showing a skillful Youtube clip of Johnson becoming Eddie gives the guys a flavor for the author and her quirky style. Reading the start of Chapter 2 and leading a discussion about what is the best way to get a teacher fired is scary but entertaining. Getting the guys to read and enjoy this book is relatively easy.

9-7-12: Evolution of 'The Board'

Outsiders must understand that the most important and passionate topic of conversation in the class IS the class – most specifically, "The Board".

During the first quarter of 2011-12, the constant poking and grabbing and slapping and prodding and jabbing by the freshmen of each other drove me crazy. Nothing major, but these guys could not stop physically annoying each other. The idea originated from Sara, and soon we developed the concept of The Board, which started with a simple premise: If a student touched another student, he would have his name put on The Board. At the end of every week, all of the names would go into a hat, and the "winner" picked out would face a choice of penalties: stay after school for 25 minutes or write "I will behave myself in Mr. Guyette's class" 50 times.

Let me emphasize: This is how it STARTED.

As the year went on, students got "boarded" for a variety of infractions: cell phone usage, farting, dumb comments, rude behaviors, shooting a piece of paper at the waste basket and missing, and more. The whole system grew into a mixture of discipline and entertainment. Students cheered wildly when someone got boarded, and the Friday drawing of the names (similar to Prim getting picked for District 12 in _The Hunger Games_ ) had the suspense and excitement of a million-dollar lottery.

Some students were boarded regularly yet lucked out and were never picked on Friday. Others, especially Derrick, somehow suffered the bad luck of getting picked almost every time their name was in the hat. Just about everyone in the room was put on the board at least once. Our class T-shirt, purchased and worn proudly by about 80 percent of the boys, had the word "Board!" in huge font on the front and all of the boys' names on the back. Because the guys had great attitudes – we were able to turn discipline into a contest or game – feelings were not hurt. (Some guys, when chosen, would pay girls in study hall to write the statement 50 times for them. This way, the girls loved it, too.)

When classes started this week, most of the discussion was about whether The Board would return. I put it to a vote, and 53 of 59 said "yes", many following their answer with large numbers of exclamation points. The six against it are the more serious, well-behaved students, but truth be told, even they get caught up in the excitement and hilarity that The Board often brings. If they hated it that much, they would not have come back for another year. (After all, there has to be some consequence for Derrick's first-day question: "How many Fortune 500 CEOs are there?")

To revive interest this year, we needed new consequences, something more creative. Circulating a blank sheet of paper today brought about the following ideas:

>> If caught using a cell phone in class, Mr. Guyette gets to read the latest text to the class. (Well, that could be dangerous.)

>> Clean the room in front of everyone in a sexy outfit. (Um, I'd rather not witness that.)

>> More homework for that person. (I'd hate to make homework a punishment.)

>> Kill him. (Possible legal concerns, though I would have fewer papers to correct.)

>> Sing a song chosen by the class in front of the girls' class. (By far the winner.)

So, after much debate and discussion, we shall start the year as follows:

**Rule #1:** Board drawings will be held every two weeks.

**Rule # 2:** You must be on the board twice in order to be entered into the drawing. This allows everybody one minor slip-up every two weeks.

**Rule # 3:** Technology offenses (cell phone, music, games) are automatically in the drawing.

**Rule #4:** Single offenses deemed serious enough by the Boardmaster (me) can be placed in the drawing.

**Rule #5:** We will pick one name for every 10 people in the drawing. Each person picked will have three options: singing a song in front of the girls' class; reading a page from _Twilight_ or some other "chick lit" book or love poem in front of the girls; or bringing in a treat for the class. If the punishment is not carried out by the following Thursday, the student will be given a traditional school detention.

This is how we handle discipline in H108.

The emphasis is on "we".

9-11-12: Getting through grammar

Teaching grammar to 30 freshman boys in the hour before lunch ranks fairly high on the degree-of-difficulty scale in this profession. The easy way out, especially in the days before the Common Core, was not to do it. Unfortunately, some teachers at a variety of levels took this approach, likely because they do not know grammar well and they enjoy teaching it even less. Truth be told, many students come into high school with minimal knowledge of grammatical concepts and terms. I am optimistic that this will change in future years as Common Core standards become must-teach content in the schools. _(Update: At the time of this book's release, the state politicians have put the Common Core on hold. This would be a huge mistake. Whether it's the Common Core or something else, a standard curriculum is like insurance for students and their parents.)_

In H108, grammar days are made as painless as possible.

First, I use a fun, brain-activating trivia quiz. If I have learned anything about boys, it is that young men treat any kind of contest seriously. The guys take out a sheet of scrap paper and prepare for 6 or 7 questions. I find the questions from a variety of sources, usually from a magazine or book. The topics relate to sports, social media, history, geography, or just plain wacky facts that raise curiosity (i.e., "How many inches was the longest beard ever grown by a woman?").

Today, interesting facts from this summer's _ESPN Magazine_ money issue did the trick. The guys took guesses on questions such as player salaries and ticket prices, and the person in their group who gets the fewest correct has to go to the whiteboard with an assignment (such as "write 10 prepositions on the board" or "create a compound sentence using a coordinating conjunction") that serves as a kickoff for the lesson.

Asking boys to voluntarily put their grammar knowledge on display usually turns their feet into cement blocks. However, when they lose a contest, and the buddies they sit with start rubbing it in, the "loser" goes to the board willingly, acknowledging the penalty of paying the price. Either that, or the "winners" force him up front. Besides, there is little shame in losing a trivia contest. The best part is that everyone has an equal chance of winning – it is never the same kids grabbing a marker.

The cheering that erupts when I read the answers is staggering. Beating your buddies at anything – even a stupid, meaningless trivia contest – is enough to get the boys riled up.

It takes 10 minutes. Then they are hooked for the last 40.

9-12-12: Never fear going deep

I know what all the research books say: Guys do not like to share their feelings and opinions, and that is why they do poorly in language arts.

I taught co-ed language arts, I saw this every day.

Teaching an all-boys class allows me to knock down that wall. _Muchacho_ makes several references to _The Four Agreements_ by Don Miguel Ruiz, so I incorporate many of the life-advice statements Ruiz offers. The boys may not show it on the outside, but they DO have in-depth thoughts about life and the world around them, and many are dying to share those views, either to be rejected or accepted by their peers. The H108 environment is a perfect setting, especially since these sophomores have been together for a year and have a certain sense of acceptance and community that encourages openness.

Here are some of the boys' comments from today, reacting to statements I pulled from _The Four Agreements_ for our daily discussion:

>> "Most of the time we are oblivious to the problems going on outside of ourselves. We focus on what we want to see in ourselves and others, not reality. When we see what we want, we aren't allowing ourselves to branch out."

>> "Many people believe their opinion is what other people need to believe. This is especially true when it comes to religion and politics. This unwillingness to accept leads groups of people into wars and discrimination. This can also be seen around election time."

>> "I can completely agree with, 'We are addicted to what we are.' People are hardwired to themselves. That's why it's so difficult to change our daily habits and routine. The human nature is simple – find something that works and run with it."

>> "When Republicans and Democrats debate, they think everyone has the same life and viewpoints as them, but they don't. Everyone's life is different."

>> "It's been said that we see ourselves twice as good as we really are. Maybe we love the way we are, and we think we're so perfect because it's so fulfilling."

>> "If you just look at life with the glass half full, you will be happy with what you got. I think a lot of people who are sad are sad because they focus so much on what they don't have that they never appreciate the things they do have. Also, too many people think being rich will make them happy, but true happiness comes from having great friends and family."

>> "It is hard to see or imagine what another person is going through or feeling, so we don't take the time to see life through their eyes. If everyone took time to look from another person's point of view, we may not have as much fighting and anger in the world."

Many more essays read like these. I confidently went home today knowing that each one of my sophomores underwent 30 minutes of serious thinking and reflecting about life and humanity.

Go deep. They'll dive.

9-21-12: Non-fiction that's non-boring

I believe in books.

I believe they are deeper, more memorable and more powerful than anything else I can give the boys. Not that newspapers, magazines, and short stories are worthless, but a boy should always have a book to read. Few comments produce a louder groan than saying, "OK, everyone, grab the literature book!" (Although I am guessing that, "Hey guys, let's do some standardized test practice" would be right up there.)

One aspect I like about the Common Core is its emphasis on informational text. I am sure many literature-loving teachers are scrambling to find materials that hit these standards. Me? I am all set. I have been infusing a considerable number of non-fiction books into the all-boys curriculum since the program began four years ago. Often, when the boys take our end-of-the-year surveys, they say that one of the best parts of this class is the books.

Plus, they love having choices.

The freshmen have a selection among three non-fiction books to begin their year:

>> _Escape from Saddam_ by Lewis Alsamari. The author tells a fantastic adventure story about how he fled the Iraqi army in the hope of finding a life of freedom for him and his family. Readers inevitably compare life in the United States to life in Iraq, and Alsamari gives us Americans reason to be thankful for our lifestyle and government structure.

>> _Not Without Hope_ by Nick Schuyler. This is the story of the 2009 boating trip that went awry and resulted in the deaths of three men, including two NFL players. Schuyler tells the events of his 43 hours lost at sea, describes the eventual demise of his three friends, and chronicles his just-in-time rescue.

>> _Get off Your Knees_ by John Robinson. A congenital amputee who stands just 3-foot-9, John was a college friend of mine at Syracuse University. His inspirational story resonates with even the hardest of hearts, is only 135 pages and appeals to reluctant readers. Showing short video clips of John doing a variety of "normal" activities such as driving, golfing, and mountain climbing helps to create a sense of awe before the boys open the book. We all have obstacles in our lives to overcome, but few people have bigger ones than John.

This week, we will spend time in class discussing and evaluating all three choices. The boys all have an essay from their book that meets the same Common Core standard.

Sometimes having everyone in class read the same book is best, but options are nice, too.

9-24-12: My momma told me there'd be days like these

I would be dishonest to write a book that ignored the negative, for not everything in H108, as the late Marquette basketball coach Al McGuire liked to say, is all "seashells and balloons."

Some days, having a book discussion with 30 boys can be maddening.

Today was one of those days.

_Muchacho_ presents so many appealing teen issues for boys (violence, girls, teachers, police, school, parents, character, morals, etc.), and many of the guys came prepared today to talk about them. But even with 15 guys on the ball, that left 15 who had a difficult time controlling themselves.

I like to get all students up and moving, and today the boys had to claim a spot in the room based on the topic they liked best. When these guys get up and about, though, some still cannot resist the urge to badger their buddies. (Quick recall: Their lack of physical control is why The Board was established in the first place.)

Days like these are No. 1 on my frustration list. Educational data hounds like to look at reading or math scores and say that intelligence in America is down, but my experience says that our students' main shortcoming is the art of listening. I worry much less about our boys having the academic skills to compete in the work world than I do about their ability to listen and follow directions once they get a job. Obviously, much maturing occurs between now and then, but helping them get there is exasperating at times.

I will spare you the details. In a nutshell, the 15-year-old brain can be quite egocentric. Half of the boys did a fantastic job of sharing their observations and ideas, despite the efforts of the other half to conduct large amounts of silliness and tomfoolery.

The optimist in me would like to focus today's reflection on the insights the boys gave about the world as they see it; the perfectionist remembers the negative. Tomorrow, I will try again.

10-3-12: Ethical standards are important, too

So, what are kids like today?

Behavior is a mix of good and bad, a mix of annoying and uplifting, a mix of disgust and delight.

Sometimes a teacher's defining moments in a classroom come at totally unexpected moments. Today was one of them. I know many people believe that students' test scores are the best barometer of an effective teacher, but I am guessing that few of the boys in one of my classes today remember anything about the academics.

In the course of a lesson about how to create dialogue in narrative writing, we had time to share the conversation each boy created with his partner. The goal was to get the boys thinking in terms of dialogue when they sit down to write their essays; I also want them to see how quotes add emotion, personality and passion to a piece. One of the more popular boys in the class was eager to read aloud his creation, and he proceeded to read a mock conversation that ridiculed gays. And it wasn't just one off-handed comment. This paper made repeated remarks that ridiculed homosexuals; because this was a well-liked student, many of the boys chimed in with laughter and approval.

The situation caught me off-guard.

Most boys who share papers take playful jabs at the other guys in class, criticize celebrities like Justin Bieber, or boast about their own magical prowess on the football field. Anything to get a laugh.

Anti-gay rants are not the norm.

But they happen.

I let the laughter settle down, paused for a moment, and then did what any good teacher would do. I don't remember every word I said as I spoke for the next five minutes, but this is pretty good summary:

"I think everyone here knows that what was just said was inappropriate but is probably afraid to show it. Your laughter is likely just a cover for not knowing what to do. So I'll say it. Mocking homosexuals and gays does not make you more of a man. It is wrong. It is not funny. It should not increase your status in the eyes of other guys. Not only is it unfortunate when we don't accept all people as they are, but if you make comments like this on the job some day, there's a good chance you'll be fired and possibly sued for workplace harassment. You all would be wise to treat everyone with respect, always be polite, and handle yourself as a young man who treats people fairly."

The room got quiet. A young person's physical maturity does not always match his or her emotional maturity.

Then one of the boys raised his hand and said, "Mr. Guyette, we live by the rule that what's said in here stays in here, right?"

To which I responded, "Yes, but I expect you to take the lessons you learn in here out into your lives. That's why you are here."

As a teacher, I can only hope that my lecture made an impact on the boys. It was by far my most important act of the day. The feelings are still with me as I write this entry 10 hours later.

I do not remember much else from today.

10-5-12: I love music, too, but ...

Elsewhere in the world of behavior, the biggest obstacle we teachers face on a daily basis is the battle against electronics.

Cell phones, music ear buds, gaming systems, and other technological distractions are everywhere. I could probably include a "students are obsessed with technology" story every day in this book if I wanted to.

Let me present an example from earlier this week:

Students were giving short, one-minute presentations about a banned or challenged book that they had researched in conjunction with our reading the classic _Of Mice and Men_. Sammy came to the front of the room, holding his book and notes sheet, with an ear bud playing music in one ear and the other bud hanging down near his waist. Before Sammy started, I told him to take the ear bud out. He did. Not more than 10 seconds later, he put it in again.

Incredulous, I put Sammy's name on the board for classroom electronics use. Unfazed, he continued to give his presentation. By now the class was clearly engaged in the defiance and watching for my reaction more than listening to the speech. Sammy finished his presentation, headed back to his seat, and plopped down with the music still flowing into his brain. I boarded him again and wrote an office referral after class. Admittedly, I probably could have handled the situation better, but sometimes frustration gets the best of me.

I have to tell kids every day to take the music out of their ears, stop playing games on their calculators or phones, and resist the persistent urge to text, text, text and game, game, game. Many teenagers today are obsessed with their electronic devices; I am not breaking any new ground with that statement.

What I fail to understand is how parents can allow their kids to take these objects to school. My guess is that approximately 85-90 percent of kids are carrying something, with many holding two or more gadgets. Are parents that naïve to think that their kids are only using their phones for academic purposes and emergency contacts? Why do parents give their children something to take to school that is guaranteed to hurt their academic performance? PARENTS: IF YOUR CHILD HAS ELECTRONICS AT SCHOOL, HE OR SHE IS USING THEM MUCH MORE THAN YOU THINK.

The process of slipping a cell phone out of one's pocket, hiding the device under the desk, and sneaking a quick glance at the screen has become a talent many students are trying to perfect.

Students often argue that they can multi-task, or else they will say that music in one ear helps them relax and focus. They are so sold on this idea that they actually believe it. I am not sure, though, of any job that lets its employees meet with customers while listening to headphones.

I do not get it.

I do not own a cell phone or an ipod. The only time I listen to headphones is when I work out on the exercise bike in my basement or when I mow the lawn. Technologically, I live in the Stone Ages, and I am quite happy there.

My colleagues in the H-wing and I discuss the issue of student electronics at least once a week. What are the solutions? A complete ban is not the answer. It's too late for that. As Packers coach Mike McCarthy once famously said, "That train has left the station." We are not going to stop 1,300 kids from bringing electronics into school or keeping the devices in their lockers. Kids and parents alike would go ballistic if we did. Heck, parents text their kids all the time during the school day. Instead, we have to teach our students social etiquette. Many of them are not getting it from home; or, if they are, they are leaving their manners at the front door in the morning.

My emotions range from irritation to empathy. In my weaker moments, I take the electronics use during my classes personally. When I am more clear-headed, I feel bad for these kids that they are addicted to their machines and lacking in respect. (Seriously, some students cannot go more than five minutes without checking their phones.)

As often as students grate on our nerves, though, they create laughter with their spunk and spontaneity. Two happenings this week made me smile and showed the splendor of this age.

First, I was having a conversation with Sara about last week's school dance and told her about how much everyone enjoyed the _Gangham Style_ dance. She had no idea what I was talking about. So, six of my freshmen boys volunteered to go into her classroom and perform. With joy on their faces and enthusiasm in their actions, they got up in front of her class and danced as if it were a Friday night.

Hilarious. Brilliant. Good-humored.

Next, the four girls in my freshman study hall and I were having a conversation one day early in the week about dogs. I don't like dogs – I have been bitten three times and sniffed more often than I care to count – but several of the girls have them as pets. They cheerfully gave me a tough time about it, and, after granting them permission to work on the computers for 20 minutes, I found a trio of dog collages on my bulletin board.

Teachers who can't laugh at themselves won't last long in this business.

10-9-12: Write on, as best you can

Writing skills today are weak. That's the most precise way to say it. Teaching writing is probably the most difficult part of my job.

Teaching reading is not as arduous, for most reading lessons can be developed for a mass audience, and most reading activities can be done in large groups. I find that reading success often depends primarily on effort – not totally, but for most of my students, the amount of time he is willing to spend and the level of concentration he is willing to put forth are the deciding factors.

Writing, however, is personal. Each student has his own set of issues – strengths that need enhancing and weaknesses that require upgrading. Students can put a great deal of effort into writing and still not have a masterpiece. I can lead all the group grammar lessons I want, and I can dazzle with all the writing lectures I want, but those will only have moderate positive effects. The best way to teach writing is 1-on-1. I do not have any scientific studies to back that up, but after 14-plus years of teaching I have a hunch.

The 1-on-1 part is the issue. Sitting down with kids, going over their papers, and giving them the attention they deserve is one of the best parts of this job. Fulfillment abounds when helping a boy improve his skills through a mixture of praise and constructive criticism. All kids want to be better writers; all kids love knowledgeable feedback delivered with care.

The difficulty comes with what to do with the other 29 boys. Keeping them "under control" – I cannot think of a better term – is extremely challenging. Usually when I have writing meeting days, I spend too much of my time monitoring the behaviors of the others. They are smart enough to see that when I am having a 1-on-1 with a student, the chance of them getting away with something increases. Even if they have a book to read or an assignment to work on, the thought process is the same. Whether it is sending a text message, playing games on the computer, throwing papers and pencils across the room, wrestling, pushing, or generally being immature and annoying, they will try it.

Today, I collected several rubber bands, told three boys to stop lying on the floor, ordered another who was hiding behind the door to get back to his seat, dealt with one boy who cannot stop farting, and stopped a bullying situation with a five-minute sit-down talk in the back of the room. This was all during one hour. These boys are in ninth grade. And I work in one of the _best_ high schools in the area.

Let me be clear: Two thirds of all the boys are fantastic. Two thirds of the boys would make their parents proud. Two thirds of the boys come to school to learn. If my classroom were limited to these 20 guys, the amount of learning done in class would increase significantly. However, when a classroom is crowded with 30 kids, and when 10 of them are unable to keep themselves on task, everyone's education takes a step backwards.

This is not a complaint, but more a matter of fact. The difference between having 20 kids in a class and having 30 kids in a class is extraordinary. Most studies will cite teacher quality as the most important factor in a student's learning, but class size cannot be far behind.

10-14-12: Where are the red pens?

The "paper" season has begun. For the next four or five weekends heading into Thanksgiving break, I will be spending probably 7-to-8 hours correcting papers.

And yes, I usually correct papers on Friday nights. It is one of the more grueling parts of the job. I do not know how much correcting time other teachers put in, but I would say high school English teachers are near the top of the list.

The challenging part is the sheer volume. With 114 boys in my four language arts classes, any time rough drafts and final drafts come in, I am going to have a stack of homework measurable in inches. Papers are 750-to-1,000 words apiece and take about 10 minutes each to edit and make suggestions for improvement. Concentration levels on my end must be high, because if I do a lazy job the boys are smart enough to tell. Besides, I owe it to them to give beneficial feedback about what they did right and wrong. That's my job.

Obviously, some papers are better than others, but every once in a while a kid will make me laugh and inspire me to correct a couple more before I go to bed. To wit, this "how to" gem from Patrick is worth sharing:

" **HOW TO SURVIVE LA10 BOYS"**

Putting 30-plus teenagers in one room together may sound like a scene out of a spine-chilling horror flick, but for the inhabitants of Room H108, it's a daily occurrence. So how does one survive this jungle of insanity? By following a strict code of conduct that in and of itself isn't exactly sane. There are three key guidelines. First and foremost, do not under any circumstances (argue) with Mr. Guyette. He is the dictator, the judge, the jury, and the executioner of his domain. He holds all the power in his hand. ...

... _When any individual defied Joseph Stalin, they were exiled to Siberia for the remainder of their days. When someone rebelled against Robert Mugabe, he killed them slowly by unleashing a famine. When a subject turned on Idi Amin, he ate them! Fortunately for everyone, Mr. Guyette settles for public humiliation. The easiest way to avoid this is just to stay out of his path! Don't argue with anything, especially the board. Know your place!_

It went on like this, describing actions of various people in the class with one inside joke after another. He concluded with the following:

" _Life can be very simple. All it takes is a decision to follow the rules to survive LA10 Boys. Now, I know it isn't in the nature of males to follow rules, but it's the individual's choice. Some find it more fun to ignore them. Others have found that somewhere in the middle is more enjoyable."_

Classic. I love these guys.

Most of the time.

10-19-12: Memorable memoirs

To get boys to read, I have to give them great stories.

My sophomores read a memoir in October, and I gave them five books to choose from:

>> _The Diving Bell and the Butterfly_ by Jean-Do Bauby. A well-known French fashion magazine editor, Bauby suffered a stroke and developed locked-in syndrome. He wrote his memoir by blinking his right eye as a nurse recorded each letter; knowing this compels all of us to appreciate life a little bit more.

>> _A Long Way Gone_ by Ishmael Beah. As a 12-year-old growing up in Sierra Leone, Beah was forced into a brutal life as a child soldier. He eventually fled and reached the United States, where he encountered Americans who don't truly understand what a modern-day civil war is about.

>> _Half a Life_ by Darin Strauss. As a senior in high school, Strauss was behind the wheel when a 16-year-old girl on a bike abruptly swerved in front of him (maybe intentionally), and he killed her. Some students who are just starting to drive can relate to the idea that life can change in an instant.

>> _The Burn Journals_ by Brent Runyon. After getting into a couple of sticky situations as an 8th-grader, the author irrationally decided to end his life by setting himself on fire. He survived, but his body was terribly burned. Runyon's story of recovery is loaded with f-bombs, but the message is appealing, too.

>> _Basketball Junkie_ by Chris Herren. A basketball star in high school who eventually was drafted by the NBA's Denver Nuggets, Herren fought a drug addiction that nearly ended his life. Herren almost lost his wife and kids as well, but he has found sobriety and inspires kids never to give up on themselves.

Today we finished up the ESPN documentary _Unguarded_ , a special about Herren. Finding videos that keep 30 boys quiet for a class period is not easy, but this one does because it is powerful. Herren's honesty and admission about his past errors are fascinating; if his story does not convince kids to avoid drugs, nothing will.

The boys can switch books at any time, and many take me up on the offer. As I have stated before, giving the boys choices goes a long way in getting them, especially reluctant readers, to open a book and enjoy it.

10-30-12: Extra! Extra! Who wants to write?

The first issue of the school newspaper came out today; putting out four pages took seven weeks. One of the articles was my traditional back-page column in which I gave students a number of reasons not to vote for me for President next week.

Laughs aside, though, overestimating the decline of journalism at our school would be impossible.

When I started as the newspaper advisor 12 years ago, I routinely had 16-to-24 students in class. One year I had an abundance of ambitious reporters and photographers, and we divided into two competing papers. Between the two staffs, we produced a new issue for the students every two weeks.

Those days are long gone.

This semester, my staff has three full-time members. Yes, three. One. Two. Three. In a school of more than 1,300 students, we have three who want to learn journalism. Furthermore, only two of them wrote articles for these four pages. I am still waiting for an article from my third less-than-motivated member.

What has happened? The reasons are multiple. My hypothesis:

First and foremost, newspapers are virtually irrelevant to young people today. If information is not electronic, and if they cannot find it on their phones or tablets, it might as well not exist. I do not have research on what percent of them read a newspaper on a daily basis, but I would bet the number is a single digit. We as a staff put every story on-line, but the district restricts our web site in that we cannot publish any photos or video, and we cannot use last names in our articles. When students can put all kinds of that stuff on-line to share with their friends on Facebook every day, why would they want to take a course that takes them backward instead of forward with technology?

On a practical level, Wisconsin colleges do not accept journalism as an English credit. This leads 99 percent of our college-bound students in a different direction. They steer their schedules toward courses that will enhance their likelihood of being accepted into a four-year school. For that, I cannot blame them.

Finally, when I feel pessimistic about the issue, I wonder if a lack of courage and confidence has infected our youth. I question if kids just lack the guts to put themselves out there.

In 12 years, I have had two students who spent multiple years on staff that have thrived in the field. One became the editor-in-chief of her college paper and holds a reporting job at a Gannett paper in northeast Wisconsin. The other has free-lanced and interned for both the _De Pere Journal_ and _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ in the past few summers and has a bright future ahead of her once she graduates from Northwestern's journalism school.

I could not be prouder of those two. I just wish I had more stories like theirs.

Journalism teaches terrific skills needed in today's business world. Students learn interviewing techniques and practice them on people they do not know; they discover assertiveness and consistently step outside of their box; they write concisely and persuasively for an audience; they analyze ethical issues when deciding what to report on and why; and they get trained in layout and design principles.

I try not to take low enrollment numbers personally. As someone who worked in the newspaper business for 11 years before becoming a teacher, I am way more qualified than the average high school newspaper advisor.

That fact, however, does not matter much.

11-10-12: End of the first quarter

Reflecting upon the first quarter, I remember many of the little moments that make this job rewarding and exasperating at the same time. That said, here are the cheers and jeers from the first nine weeks:

**Cheer:** Seeing the first group of the all-boys program, who started with me as freshmen in 2009, mature into seniors has been a joy. My relationship with those guys, whom I refer to as the "Original 14", will always be unique. Five of them came to me this fall asking for a letter of recommendation for college. One of them came to my house on a Saturday morning in September to rescue hidden files when my home computer was devastated by a virus. Another stops by frequently to play chess after school. I root for all kids, but the 14 who blindly signed up for my first all-boys class are special. _(See Second Passing Time for their reflections.)_

**Jeer:** Race is still an issue with some kids. Personal property is still an issue with some kids. Respect and common decency for one's peers is still an issue with some kids. Teaching these lessons, which usually come in the form of a firm scolding or an office referral, is my least favorite part of the job. I have intentionally excluded the details of some of those events from this book.

**Cheer:** While keeping the score clock for an 8th grade football game on a fall afternoon, five of my sophomores wandered over to say hello after they finished with JV football practice. They came up to me during halftime, and I figured they would stay for a minute and then head home for dinner. Instead, they hung out with me for the entire second half, engaging in conversation and telling me about their season.

**Jeer:** I teach 130 kids on a daily basis. Twelve of them received F's for the first quarter. _(Update: Six eventually failed the semester.)_ We teachers want all of our kids to achieve, work hard, and learn; unfortunately, some are not motivated even by grades, and their lack of participation in school activities such as sports or clubs curbs their interest in obtaining a minimum GPA. Even if college is not in their future, I tell them that graduating from high school is nearly mandatory to get any type of a job as an adult. Not being able to reach some kids academically is problematic and sad. Some kids expect me to pass them even though they do nothing, but I (and most other teachers) refuse.

**Cheer:** Strangely enough, the parents. Several of them are sending me the younger siblings of former students. I know that many critics of educators and government spending argue that first-year teachers are better because they are cheaper and have more energy, but it is tough to put a price tag on the value of knowing families and establishing relationships over a period of time.

**First passing time: My favorite teacher**

Writing this book gave me a great excuse to reminisce with former classmates and teachers who still live in the area. Not only did we talk about the good ol' days, but we shared philosophies about teaching, something I know much about now but knew nothing about then.

At the top of my list was Mary Jo Diedrick, the person I always refer to as my favorite teacher ever. We met on a Tuesday morning at the De Pere library during Spring Break; she took a respite from caring for her 4-year-old grandson to meet.

She is still awesome.

A math teacher, Mary Jo made me feel as though it was OK – fantastic, even – to be smart. She was one of the few female teachers at Pennings, but that didn't stop her from pushing us and demanding that we succeed. She would always make sure we met the goals of the course, but then she would create more difficult extra credit problems to challenge us. Mary Jo had the power to make us feel as if a 100 percent wasn't good enough. Her expectations were high.

I was the co-captain of the Pennings basketball team as a senior and played in a state tournament. However, I often tell people that some of my fondest high school memories are the nights I competed for my school at the Metro Math meets. The guys on the team all loved mental competition, and when we did well, Mary Jo seemed happier than we were. The camaraderie we had was similar to that of a tightly knit sports team.

In discussing Pennings, Mary Jo confirmed many of my thoughts about single-sex settings and why our all-boys school was successful: the openness of communication, the smaller school size, and a caring faculty that believed in the overall school mission.

"I have great memories," she said.

Not so much at the beginning of her 12 years, though.

"The year before I was hired was a really hectic year," she said. "They hired some of the wives of the faculty members of St. Norbert. Kids were jumping out of the windows, it was so bad. One lady quit after three half-days because she couldn't stand the boys. When I started, one of the boys came up to me and said, 'We got rid of three women teachers last year, we can get rid of you, too.'

"I cried every day. I would go home and my husband would say, 'Just quit.' I'd think about it and figure that I could last at least until the semester. Then I thought I could last until the end of the year. Once I got through it, it was heaven from then on. They were very hard on new teachers, but once you got established with the boys, then you were in."

Mary Jo spent 12 years at Notre Dame Academy after Pennings closed. Surprisingly, the discipline was easier at Pennings, she said, because boys do not hold grudges like girls do (her words, not mine!) and are quicker to move on.

"It was not the same," she said. "I'm not sure if it was the smallness of it, or the single-sex of it. I knew the kids better at Pennings than I did at Notre Dame. When you have all boys, they often have a lot of the same interests, so maybe that's it."

I hope everyone is lucky enough to spend time with their favorite teacher once they are a generation removed from their teenage years. If I can have the same impact on one of my students that she had on me, then I will consider my career a success.

Chapter 2: In the cave, second quarter

Second quarter is always a strange one.

It begins amid two nights of parent-teacher conferences, is broken up into three pieces by two long breaks – Thanksgiving and Christmas – and painstakingly concludes with a week's worth of final exams. For me, second quarter also contains the bulk of my basketball season. (I coach middle-school boys.) Long days, road trips and late dinners are commonplace during these nine weeks.

This year, the tragic incident at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut triggered not only a bevy of emotions but also changes to security policies that will likely impact schools across America for years to come.

My yearly observation also occurred in this quarter. Teacher evaluation is a strange process in great need of modification. The sooner we bring students into the process the better; for some reason, we exclude the people with the most accurate information.

Throw in giving a performance task to the sophomores, teaching the greatest novel of all time, and orchestrating a day so that all the club pictures for yearbook are taken, and the second quarter is a 45-day span packed with assorted experiences.

Enjoy a taste.

11-12-12: Books for boys

In November, our freshmen boys have the option of reading either _Black and White_ by Paul Volponi or _No Limit_ by Pete Hautman. Both are modern fiction with high school boys as the protagonists. _Black and White_ focuses on basketball, guns and crime, ethics, and the juvenile court system. _No Limit_ is about gambling, friendships, addiction, success, and happiness. Sara and I handed out the books five days ago (we are going to teach the books together to the 6th-hour classes), and some of the boys are already finished.

The topics align themselves to many excellent conversations. Today, we held a pair of discussions that got the boys going in the right direction.

With _No Limit_ , we read from an early chapter in which the narrator discussed his dad, who taught his son several need-to-knows about life before leaving his wife for a young girlfriend and moving out to California.

Thus, we had the boys brainstorm to the prompt, "A father is responsible for teaching his son ________." The most popular responses are as follows:

>> "How to use tools and fix things."

>> "How to play sports."

>> "Everything about cars and driving."

>> "How to be a good person."

>> "Never waste your money on something you don't need."

>> "How to get ladies and treat them."

>> "How to ride a bike and how to shave."

>> "Your father should tell you what you want to know, but he shouldn't tell you how to live your life, though."

>> "How to be a man, and how to do outside work and earn money."

Sara then took her class and asked what they expected their moms to teach them. Overwhelmingly, the top answer was how to cook.

Meanwhile, our _Black and White_ students read an article, written soon after the Aurora, Colo., shooting at the Batman movie this past summer, about the pattern of maleness when it comes to mass murderers in our society. Why, oh why, are those who open fire on large crowds always men? Again, the boys' viewpoints were worth reviewing:

>> "I'm not surprised because from a young age boys rough-house with each other, and that could lead to worse things. Girls don't usually wrestle or fight."

>> "You would think that if men are killing out of depression, then more women would, too. Women get bullied just as much, and from what I've seen, women in general get more depressed at this age."

>> "I watch a lot of murder cases on TV with my mom. When it comes to women killers, they aren't really violent while doing it. They will drug, poison, or set it up with someone else. Men are the ones that are violent."

>> "It really surprises me that women are the less-violent sex, considering all of the cat-fights that go on."

>> "Males have played violent roles in the past and also play violent roles in nature over territory and other prized things. Also, in school it is very evident that girls will often degrade others' personal opinions but will do little else aggressively."

>> "Violence and aggression among men has been a part of our culture as long as we have been around."

>> "Why are men like this? This is why women shake their heads at us."

Regardless of where they stand, part of the objective of this class is to get the boys thinking about their lives in terms of being men.

It's never too early.

11-14-12: Observation day

I was observed yesterday.

If I ruled the educational world, teachers would always be observed on a surprise, drop-in basis. Additionally, we would be evaluated more than once a year. Currently, what happens is this: The teacher gets notification about a month in advance when an administrator will be coming for a formal observation. Lots of paperwork is done on both ends in preparation for this 50-minute exercise. Out of the 900 classes I will teach this year, my rating as an effective classroom teacher will be dependent on what happens in this one lesson.

Seems rather silly, doesn't it?

As a former newspaper worker, this method is akin to picking one story from a random day and forming an entire review. I can only imagine if my job performance at the _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ would have been based on my story from covering a 1-0 mid-season high school soccer game.

Even the worst teachers can hit a home run when he or she knows the owner is sitting in the box seats. Furthermore, once that observation is over, the accountability for the remaining lessons that year greatly diminishes. No matter how good or bad a single observed lesson is, I question how accurately it reflects a teacher's overall effectiveness. Nevertheless, this is the system we have, and these are the rules everyone has agreed to. I am sure our administrators do the best they can with the given set-up; their hands are tied until the system is overhauled.

Students should have a significant say in a teacher's evaluation. They are the ones in the classroom every day, and they are much smarter and more honest than we give them credit for. Administrators can comment on many parts of the evaluation, but students know how effective each teacher is on a day-to-day basis. They know how engaging the teacher is, how fair the teacher is, how prepared the teacher is, how passionate the teacher is, how fast papers come back, and how much learning went on throughout the year. Administrators cannot possibly know these answers from one 50-minute observation. Colleges ask for student evaluations, and high schools should be no different. Even though a few students might be less than honest, the evaluations would be much closer to the truth than what we currently get.

As for yesterday, my class of mayhem acted like kitty cats. I hardly recognized them. When I received notification that my administrator was going to observe my third-hour sophomores, I cringed. Many days this year, I have felt like driving an anvil into my head when third hour ended. This class of 30 has so many characters that it is worth a book in itself. I decided not to warn them ahead of time about an administrator coming, for I feared what direction that would lead them.

In the end, I played it right.

These boys are the craziest group of kids I have ever had in class in my 15 years of teaching. (My senior grammar class about eight years ago was similar in attitude and humor. I'll never forget some of them, either.) As strange as this might sound, though, they love each other in their own silly way – complete with behaviors that might mystify adults not familiar with teen boys. The camaraderie that has developed in this class is remarkable. Of course, they do annoy the heck out of me some days – hence my fear of yesterday being one of them – but they also provide me with several belly laughs per day. We have so many inside jokes that a first-time observer would have a tough time figuring out what was going on.

That same observer might also sit in on one class and immediately walk to the principal's office and demand the school stop the insanity of putting 30 boys in one classroom. The noise volume of this hour stands out to my neighbors; the walls are not thick enough to contain them. Case in point: Today, two of them began to verbally joust across the room before class even started. Per usual, the 28 other boys started to chant "ARM WRESTLE! ARM WRESTLE!"; soon, the two boys cleared out the middle of the room, set up a desk and two chairs, and arm wrestled. The cheering and screaming for the next 15 seconds was Lambeau Field-like. Both participants went back to their desks smiling about the attention they received and the commotion they caused. I do not have to get this group going; they come with energy in extra supply.

In spite of those negatives, the "Third-hour 30" generates the best discussions, produces the highest-quality written work, and volunteers the most often for our community service projects. It's hard to argue with their results. They are fully engaged, and a teacher gets the good and the bad when that happens.

Yesterday, they seemed to recognize as soon as they walked in that I was being observed. They did not fool around. They immediately followed every instruction I gave. They listened to each other. They did not spend the hour poking and provoking their neighbors, as if the principal sprinkled them with magical behavior fairy dust. It took about 35 minutes for someone to make a rude comment of any sort; Mark was immediately "boarded" to the delight of the crew as the ice was broken and class eased back to normal.

Today, after the arm wrestling, the first question they had for me was how my review went and what the principal said to me. They were sincerely concerned with how "we" all did under the microscope. So, we drank Dr. Pepper together – we have a stash left over from first-quarter late-work penalties, but that's another story – and opened class with a discussion of what songs our "weekly board winners" were going to sing for the girls on Friday.

11-20-12: Battling student apathy

I understand misbehavior.

I don't condone it, but I understand it. Most misbehavior in a classroom setting is a product of class size and human nature working hand-in-hand. Sit in on a few classes that have 30 kids in them, and then watch a few classes with 12 or 14, and the differences will be dramatic. As humans, we try to get away with as much as possible without getting caught (see politicians, sports stars, actors, etc.), and teenage boys are no different. I know before each day starts that I will not catch everything that goes on in my classes, but as long as I stop the mean and hurtful bullying actions, all is OK.

Playful teasing is how most boys show positive friendliness toward one another. Instituting "The Board" has been a blessing and a curse: On the positive, major issues are almost non-existent because the boys tattle on each other so readily in the hope of getting their buddy boarded that trouble rarely gets very far without my attention being gathered; on the other hand, they have so much fun trying to get one another boarded that often they will tease in an attempt to get a "boardable" reaction back.

It's all part of the game.

Apathy, though, I have a tougher time with. Today, it took all of my energy to stop Mt. Guyette from rocketing volcanic ash out my ears.

I am not wired like some of my students. My approach to work is all-out; I hate wasting time, and I take great pride in getting a job done and done well. Students do not always see it that way, and teachers who think like I do often handle these clashes in one of two ways: silent frustration or vocal scolding. Four out of five times I choose the former, for anyone who yells all the time loses the respect and attention of the kids fairly quickly. (Same goes for my philosophy of coaching basketball.)

Today, more than half of my yearbook staff simply decided they were not going to work. Forget about the fact that we have about 30 senior photos to scan in, another 150 signatures to enter into the computer system, and many feature pages that have not been started; they decided before they even got to class that they were not going to do anything in the last hour before a five-day Thanksgiving weekend. Their minds had shut down. Two of my worst workers sat on the couch in my room, asked if they could go take pictures, got my approval, and then decided that they really didn't want to. Four of my best workers chose to talk about issues at work, plainly ignoring my plea to get their projects done. Two others were off-task, so I sat down with each one for five minutes and instructed them about what they should do next; as soon I left, they went back to their off-task activity. Another pair, working on the football pages, asked me to get them the rosters a week ago. As of today, they still hadn't typed in a single name. I found them in the work room playing with their phones.

Ugh. Deep breath. OK. Go.

For sure, these students (and these hours) are not the majority. When I began teaching 15 years ago, these types of happenings made me lose sleep. I took everything personally. Whenever a student failed to finish an assignment, performed poorly on a test, disobeyed a request, or, you know, showed that he or she wasn't _perfect_ , I interpreted it as a flaw in my ability. In those first five years of teaching, I beat the heck out of myself. I left a career in the newspaper business in 1997 as a competent professional who produced award-winning work and made contacts all over the state; subsequently, as I began a second career, I spent years going home each day struggling to handle extreme disappointment with myself.

Teaching can be a lonely job – it's basically the kids and I all day in a classroom. Ninety-five percent of my feedback comes from adolescents. At the end of each day, I know, for the most part, how I did. I know what I did right and what I need to fix for next time. Finding the balance of accepting what I can and cannot control is easier said than done. New teachers need more coaching on the emotional aspect of educating than the nuts and bolts of a lesson plan.

Hard workers will always figure out how _to do_ a job. Dealing with the emotions of young people and the intensity of a classroom is much more challenging. Many beginning teachers have a tremendous toolbox of instructional lesson strategies; however, the unique and personal nature of unpredictable issues that constantly pop up on a given day baffles even veteran teachers. Sara, Becky (Hawley, who teaches across the hall) and I talk every day during passing time about specific incidents and look for feedback from each other. _Did I handle that right? Did I say the right thing? Was I too tough or too easy on that student? Was there anything else I could have done?_ I know most workers in most jobs have these questions, but the fact that we deal with children intensifies our worries, I believe. All of us who have gone through high school know how influential – positive or negative – a teacher can be.

In all, the aggravation was a terrible end to a wonderful day. In LA9, I showed the freshmen classes the ESPN _30 For 30_ film about the life and tragic death of basketball star Len Bias, relating his demise to the mistakes and addictions of the protagonists in both books, _Black and White_ and _No Limit_. The boys are too young to know much about Bias, who died of a cocaine overdose in June of 1986, two days after being selected by the Boston Celtics as the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft.

The story has great impact.

Beyond the obvious lessons of "Don't do drugs" or "One mistake can kill you", it is a good day to talk with them about the value of choosing the right friends and making sure that the boys surround themselves with people who will hoist them up and not bring them down. I am not with them when they make these decisions on Friday and Saturday nights, but I hope my influence is in the back of their brains somewhere.

Though I am frustrated, I will not beat myself up tonight. I will simply look for ways to improve the situation, or else I will find Stuart Smalley for some daily affirmations on the Internet.

11-28-12: Never a dull moment

Here is how we build a fraternity:

Singing to the girls' classes has become a regular punishment for our bi-weekly Board drawings. Two weeks ago, Marshall, a sophomore who began last year as a quiet, unassuming kid who always sat in the back and was barely noticeable, belted out a rendition of _Girls Just Wanna Have Fun_ that became an instant classic. His confidence in class has grown exponentially over the past 14 months, so much so that he is now telling jokes when called on. Of course, most of the jokes in his off-beat manner are lame, but he enjoys the attention.

Another student, Brian, has made his goal every third hour to get his friend Wayne boarded. Of course, many of his nefarious tricks backfire on him, and he has suffered his share of boardings. Early in the month, he was picked, and he chose to read a mushy love poem (yes, I literally Googled "mushy love poem"), made even better when one of the girls volunteered to sit next to him in front of class as he read. Another classic.

Today, Paul and Henry, two of the best athletes in their grade, sang a duet to _I Will Always Love You_ , made famous by Whitney Houston. They sang soprano the whole way, hamming it up and hurting their vocal cords as the crowd of 55 boys and girls packed into the classroom cackled. I consider this a high point in the brotherhood of H108. Athletes and non-athletes alike get the same treatment here. I know I will never wipe out that chasm, but for at least an hour a day no one really cares how many points those guys will score in the big game on Friday night.

Once we got back from the performance, we shared two pans of brownies courtesy of Barry, the third outlaw whose name was selected last week. Not wanting to join the singing crew, Barry made the brownies himself and was especially proud of them. Last week, we ate Krispy Treats from Peter and continued quenching our thirst with the "late work" Dr. Pepper from first quarter. I know critics will wonder when we get any work done, but they would be amazed how attentive the boys are to 40 minutes of _To Kill a Mockingbird_ Chapters 11-14 after they have had a good walk, a hearty laugh, and a tasty snack.

We work with human beings, not robots.

At my performance review earlier this week, my principal talked about the progress of the all-boys program and how some of the success likely can be traced to coaching middle school basketball the past six years. Anyone starting a single-gender program should have his or her mark somewhere in the middle school.

In an uncommon way, it is like recruiting. Through coaching and a summer-school chess class that is usually filled with boys, I get to know many of the males in each grade before they get to high school. Eventually, when the eighth-graders are registering for that first year of classes in the big building, they can pick the all-boys program knowing they will start their high school journey with at least one adult in the building who knows them.

12-12-12: The mighty 'Mockingbird'

One of the highlights of my job is reading _To Kill a Mockingbird_ with the sophomores every year. In my biased opinion, this is the best classical novel for teens and pre-teens. Obviously, older students and adults get more out of the book due to the abundance of sarcasm and language nuances, but upper-level middle school readers can still comprehend its basic messages and history lessons. Harper Lee, the author, makes everyone think about America.

(Case in point: I read an article in _Time_ magazine this week about NFL commissioner Roger Goddell. In it, someone said that Goddell "was no Atticus Finch" when growing up. If the boys are not familiar with great literature, they will have no idea what that comment meant.)

To generate interest in the book before reading, I assign the boys to interview a parent about the most memorable jury trial in his or her lifetime. Then, I group the boys based on their parents' responses and have them research and present the nuts-and-bolts of that trial as well as its societal, long-term impact.

About one half of the parents usually choose the O.J. Simpson trial, which the boys love to learn about; the other trials are a pleasant assortment of local history and obscure cases that had personal significance to that boy's family. Those two days of research, presentation, and discussion are gold, for the kids connect with something that their parents find important. And, as I have discovered through the years, boys love trials. You can insert your own psychological analysis here as to why that is, but I just know what I see.

When the novel's Tom Robinson trial comes up, and we are finished acting it out in class, I show a documentary about the O.J. trial. Many of our students believe that racism is dead and no longer an issue in our world. That's why, for some boys, the Tom Robinson case or other pre-Civil Rights occurrences are no longer relevant. Most of them do not live with anyone who was alive during that era. Showing them reactions to the O.J. verdict has two purposes: first, they make the connection to the novel and gain a better understanding of the emotions of many African-Americans in Los Angeles and beyond in 1995; second, they consider whether a racial divide in the United States still exists.

In a nutshell, the curriculum makes them THINK.

After the Robinson trial is over, the final one third of the book tackles social issues and attitudes of the past, ones that obviously frustrated Lee and motivated her to write this gem. The lead character, nine-year-old Scout, starts to see the hypocrisy in her fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama – first with the ladies in the Missionary Society, then at school. In both cases, racism and discrimination were being decried in other places but supported at home, and supposedly the only person who realized this was an innocent child.

As a warm-up activity, I began class yesterday by having the boys pair up and put ideas on the board where they see hypocrisy in our world, whether it is our school, our community, our country, or our global society. The more immature boys – maybe 25 percent – were unable to handle it, and they put inappropriate answers on the board in a sad attempt at comedy.

Overall, though, the boys produced lots of great answers, and the 20 or 25 minutes we spent in conversation was the best part of my day. Most of their observations centered on government, and those boys are smart enough to frame their comments in non-partisan terms to keep the discussion civil. (Politicians, are you taking notes?) Beyond that, though, the boys wanted to talk about bullying in school, nuclear weapons, religion and war, the separation of church and state, whether an anti-Christian sentiment exists in our country, gender roles, and numerous others.

Today, to prepare for the Chapter 26 discussion of Scout's teacher's comments about Hitler, I opened class asking the boys if the United States should have boycotted the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a protest of Hitler's use of power. If they said "yes", they had to stand on one side of the room; a "no" vote put them on the other side. Usually, finding a topic that can evenly split 30 like-minded 15-year-olds is quite challenging, but this one did. Best of all, many of them were passionate about their answers. My guess is that approximately 12-to-14 boys offered a productive answer to the discussion in each class.

In addition, we talked about the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games in 1980 and the Soviet Union's retaliatory boycott of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Not many kids know this part of our history, but today they were interested in learning; hence, the distracted behavior I sometimes have during these conversations was absent. Best of all, some of the upper-level thinking boys were motivated by the subject matter. Many boys are bright enough to analyze global issues and make keen observations about our political world. My job is to validate their ideas, help them clarify their own thoughts, and give them a chance to interact with each other and discuss topics that they otherwise would not. I do not think many boys are having conversations about race in America either at home or with their buddies on Friday nights.

I love teaching this book. I love having great conversations. I love getting young men to think on a higher level. We English teachers have a tremendous role to stimulate young minds. Few parts of this job are better than seeing a kid take a risk with a comment in class, or knowing that by the time the boys left class that day, they will have considered viewpoints they had not thought about before.

To finish off the day's conversation, one of the boys asked, "Mr. Guyette, what do you think are the controversial topics in the books of today?"

Great question. I was not ready for it. My first instinct was politics. So I went to the bookshelves in the back of my room and started looking for the most contentious current books I have on display.

Most of them are still about race.

12-15-12: A terrible time

It is the day after the tragic shooting at the Connecticut elementary school. I needed a day to digest the information and process my thoughts.

The heartbreak and sadness are universal and foremost. I look at it first as a parent and cannot imagine the grief of those who lost a son or daughter in senseless violence.

Unfortunately, I do not think the rest of the conversation being bantered about in the media is on-target.

This issue, in my opinion, has nothing to do with gun control or tougher gun laws. If a guy wants to shoot up a school, he's going to get the guns and ammunition to commit the atrocity whether the acquisition is legal or not. Even if we lock down the schools, the crazy person will go to a mall or a movie theater or some other place where hundreds of people (kids included) gather. The accumulation of the weaponry is only the final act in a long series of events that pushed the man – and it always does seem to be a _man_ , doesn't it? – over the edge.

Here's how I see it, based on what I see in schools and what I read about the young men who kill in large numbers: They are disconnected. They don't feel like they belong anywhere. Certainly, people like the Connecticut shooter have severe mental issues as well, but these shooters do not seem to be hardened criminals with long rap sheets, nor are they stupid. These crimes appear to be well-planned and strategically organized. My theory is that maybe, somewhere along the way, their talents or interests were not confirmed or supported by people in power, and when I say "power", that term is relative. Power might be held by popular peers, by teachers, by parents, by the media, or by the community at large.

I see disconnected kids every day. All high school teachers do. Making all 1,300 kids in a single building feel valued is a monumental task; I can only imagine how many disconnected kids can be found at schools bigger than ours. Sure, some of it has to do with home life and personal matters beyond our control, but every sizeable problem has many roots. These shooters do not snap after one incident or a single bad day. (I do think we reach about 90 percent at De Pere, thanks to a top-notch sports program, a popular drama club and other teachers who volunteer their time after school. French teacher Bob Mohar, for example, runs 13 after-school clubs, serving a wide variety of interests, and doesn't get an extra penny.)

Obviously, we have enormous societal issues.

First off, any boy who doesn't play in school sports is automatically at a disadvantage to obtaining any "status" or "power" among the student body. That burden can be overcome by a few boys, but it is not easy. Most of the socially powerful boys in a school play a sport. As a society, sports rule, especially at the high school level. The media covers the games, and the community gathers to watch the teams play; because of this, we are more than willing to put our tax dollars to support them. This is what our society deems important. I don't think I'm stretching too much by saying the previous sentence is closer to fact than opinion.

With all the public education cuts going on in our state, sports remains largely untouched. Meanwhile, most advisors of non-athletic clubs have had their stipends removed. Any teacher who wants to help kids develop talents in a non-athletic realm will most likely do it for free on his or her own time with little-to-no credit or fanfare. Some coaches' salaries have been cut, but they still get the respect and notoriety that sports brings. Many teachers still run clubs, but some have quit.

We, as a society, cannot continue to put the almighty premium that we do on sports and then act surprised when non-athletes get angry or feel left out of the culture in which they spend most of their lives. Having taught the newspaper class the past 12 years, I have seen first-hand the anger that students have toward the athletic aristocracy. Many students are disgusted by the flattery given to athletes; I have learned not to suggest sports features for the newspaper.

I say this, of course, as a person who loves athletics; heck, I coach! And my wife is the athletics secretary! So I am not saying that athletics cause school shootings. Nor am I saying that cutting athletics will miraculously stop gunmen from going on killing sprees. Quite the opposite: Quality athletic experiences are instrumental to a young person's development. Being a part of my seventh-grade basketball team these past two months has been one of my son Mike's best life experiences.

What we as a society have to do is figure out how to make non-athletic aptitudes equally valued. That, I realize, is an undertaking of colossal proportions. It requires a culture shift that might be impossible. The sports obsession in our country is an unstoppable locomotive. I have long been astounded at the amount of money people are willing to spend on Green Bay Packers tickets or apparel, and the time that parents devote to their kids' grade-school tournament teams – games every weekend! – is just as staggering.

No one knows for sure why these young men lose their minds and figure that mass murder is the best solution. My analysis might be very low on the actual list of reasons for the proliferation of violence in our country, but at the very least I know it is above gun control.

We need to make everyone, even the "oddballs" in our society, feel important.

12-19-12: Work time

One of the more recent philosophical trends in education is the idea of a "flipped classroom". In this scenario, students view the daily instruction or lecture on a video at home, in the classroom, or on their own time. Then, during the class hour, the teacher works with the students on practice problems or "homework", supporting the students like a coach who is there to guide students through the material. This idea certainly has its merits; theoretically, it should delight parents who struggle to help their kids with homework and students who learn better in a one-on-one situation.

There is just one problem.

The flipped classroom assumes that all students are on-task at all times. Those of us who work in high schools know the unlikelihood of such a scenario. The past two days in my class could serve as Exhibit A for anyone wondering if this idea would work. In my estimation, it would succeed for one half of the students. Until class sizes get smaller, though, teachers will not be able to coach 30 students at once.

My freshmen are working on their first high school research paper, learning how to organize a "works cited" page and do high-school level research. My sophomores, now that they have finished _To Kill a Mockingbird_ , are working on their evaluation essay, which requires quite a bit of textual analysis and high-level thinking. In other words, I have spent a majority of my last two days in the computer lab working with kids.

These hours are the ultimate in highs and lows. Many of the kids NEED this time to talk with me for guidance. They will ask for help because they want to get the formatting right, or they need clarification of the assignment, or they have an idea and want to see if their thoughts are on the right track. Their work will be better because of the time they spent with me, and they are learning.

Interactions like these define education.

On the other hand, one half of the boys lack the discipline to work. (I am putting this as nicely as I can.) The millisecond the teacher is not hovering over them, they are searching the Internet for games or other entertainment sites. Or, they are digging in their pockets for cell phones, gaming systems, music headphones, or other distractions. Or, they will do their best to annoy their neighbor and look for someone to goof around with.

With 30 people in my classes, stopping all of the off-task behavior in the computer lab is impossible. I could spend the entire hour disciplining, arguing, taking away phones, deleting web sites, and scolding teenage boys who clearly know that they are misbehaving. Doing this, though, would take the time away from the 15 who need and want my help.

This is one issue for which I have no answer.

12-21-12: Holiday mayhem

Nothing says Christmas like having four police officers at the holiday assembly.

Such was the case today, a Friday, as ridiculous rumors of guns and threats flew through the school a week after the Connecticut shooting. The day before the holiday break is always a crazy one, but the recent weather and news events made today even weirder.

First of all, yesterday was a snow day, throwing off teachers who were trying to wrap up units before having the next 10 days off. Then, today we had a two-hour weather delay, meaning students reported at 9:55 and skipped the first two classes. Add to that a Student Council-sponsored assembly at the end of the day, a bathroom vandalism case that limited the hallway passes we teachers were allowed to sign, a gun threat at a Green Bay high school today that students found out about on their cell phones (prompting frantic parents to call the school and ask about their students' safety), and the mixture was mayhem.

Today is over. Whew!

Due to the late start, freshman study hall was my first class. Amazingly, several of the girls thought it would be hilarious to start making jokes about school shootings, guns, and overall safety. Because we were limiting passes, the girls started making comments about gunmen in the halls, hiding under their desks, and asking me if I would step in front of a bullet to save them.

I gave them two warnings. They persisted. Then, I couldn't hold back any longer.

"THAT'S ... NOT ... FUNNY!" I screamed, pounding my fist on the desk. "It's just not funny! So knock it off!"

The insensitivity was staggering.

The room was silent. I dislike yelling, but sometimes it is the only way to get a message across.

As if on cue, though, the bad was followed by good.

Three minutes after the study hall ended, during passing time, one of my boys from two years ago came to give me a tin filled with baked goods and a "thank you" card for writing him a letter of recommendation for college. Later, during my lunch hour, I found a note in my mailbox in the teacher's lounge that came along with a bag of candy.

It read, "Dear Mr. Guyette, I just want to say thank you for all of your time and effort to teach me all the things I need in life and LA10 in general. ... LA10 was fun, and you put up with all of my crap too. ... Thanks again, and have a Merry Christmas as well."

I was officially cheered up. This student had a rough sophomore year, and his classroom immaturity worried me greatly. He is not gifted academically, and I was not sure if he was making good choices in his personal life. I saw him on a walk back in September, and he told me about his transfer to another high school; he seemed happy about his new surroundings. I don't know what will happen to him down the road. All I can do is hope that he makes good choices with his life.

Of course, the end-of-the-day assembly was a hit, as our Student Council organized a variety of joyous surprises and serious gifts to amuse the student body. Five guys singing a One Direction parody for a group of senior girls was the highlight for me, but the genuine musical performances and tug-of-war battles (I sat this one out) are always entertaining as well.

Last year I was asked by the Student Council to be Santa for the assembly, and ho-ho-ho-ing was a memorable part of my year. This year I happily sat back and watched kids at their best.

Having all the police security made for a strange scene, though.

1-5-13: Tests of work ethic

Besides playfully getting under the skin of as many guys as I could today by wearing a Minnesota Vikings shirt, the story of this week was the start of the English 10 performance task. From what we teachers understand, one half of the renovated state test, which will first be given to juniors in the spring of 2015, will take the form of a reading-writing-research project. The other half, allegedly, will be computer-based multiple choice questions. This new writing portion, we are told, will be heavy on organizing information and likely include interpretation and evaluation of historical documents.

In other words, the new test will be much more difficult than filling in a bunch of bubbles.

We as an English department are designing projects in the LA9 and LA10 classes to get our students prepared for the new format. After reading _To Kill a Mockingbird_ , our sophomores are reading two historical speeches from the 1800s about race in America and then finding a speech from 1960-present that also focused on race. Their assignment is to take the four items (three speeches and a book), analyze their messages and themes, and assert how race in America has evolved from 1840-present using these texts as a guide. In trying to replicate the process, the teachers act as proctors: We can clarify questions but not advise on what to write or whether their ideas are "right" or "good" as they go.

This alteration, as most changes are, is being met with a variety of reactions from the boys. Watching them work on this mission has been a frustrating yet fascinating process.

The top-notch students are diving in and accepting the challenge. They are focused and determined to produce a tremendous analytical essay. If a business executive were watching this exercise, he or she would hire these kids in a second. My estimate is that about 10 of my 59 students fall in this category.

Probably one half of the students are giving a 75-percent effort. Because the papers are graded, the boys will make some attempt, but they are not going to overwork themselves. They will read enough to get a general understanding and write enough to earn a 'B' or 'C', but picking up the nuances and details of each text likely will not happen. Reading speeches by Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglas does not light their fire.

Another 15 are clearly overwhelmed by the project and the concept of having such few rules. They are stalling, asking an excessive number of questions, commiserating with their neighbors about the difficulty of the task, and struggling with decision-making. (To our discredit, we teachers hand-hold too much when it comes to reading and writing. We probably make our writing outlines too structured; consequently, when students have to create something for themselves, panic sets in.) These guys will probably cram something together on the last day and hope that it makes sense.

The final five are probably not going to hand in more than a paragraph. Reading and understanding speeches by Washington and Douglass demoralize them so completely that they would rather spend their time playing video games, checking their cell phones, or listening to their music. They'll take the 'D' or 'F' rather than put up a fight. As the hour progresses, I talk to them and attempt to convince them to try; they'll say all the right things and pretend to get back on track, but as soon as I turn away, they go back to the distraction. I feel bad for them.

From my perspective, these performance tasks are not so much a reflection of what they know as they are of the students' work ethic; the process shows where the students are as far as employability.

We teachers are taking four of our 180 instructional days to give the students this experience. I'll be honest about it: WE ARE TEACHING TO A TEST.

I am not a huge fan of it, but we would be stupid not to. With the school report card and teacher evaluations depending on this test in the very near future, we would like our students to know the format.

When they are finished, I will have them reflect.

Stay tuned.

1-9-13: Honest feedback

Now that the four-day performance task is over, I asked my sophomores to reflect on how they handled the assignment. In both LA10 classes, we had engaging 20-minute discussions. This is the best part of having kids for two years: honesty and openness. The boys will tell me what they like and do not like, knowing critical comments are welcome, not ignored. Our high level of trust leads to excellent sessions of give-and-take.

Here is a smattering of their thoughts:

>> "I enjoyed doing it. It gave me responsibilities to finish it because we had to do it in school."

>> "Not allowing kids to take it home was ridiculous. This was probably more difficult than a paper you usually get 3-4 weeks for."

>> "This performance task stressed me out so much I could hardly sleep at night. It's not easy for a slow reader like me."

>> "I liked it. It was a good assessment of our abilities, even though I would say I did horrible on it."

>> "With the distractions and time limit, it did not reflect my abilities as a writer."

>> "I didn't like that we had to do the entire project in class because it's hard to concentrate when you are in a room with a lot of your friends."

>> "It is an extremely high-level project where you have to think more than you usually do."

>> "I could've done a much better job had I been alone at home with no one to talk to and distract me."

>> "I don't think we should be tested like that again. We have enough to worry about."

>> "I enjoyed this performance task. I've always liked doing research papers."

>> "I thought it was a good way to see how smart you actually are instead of just guessing on some multiple choice."

>> "It tests your knowledge rather than just getting lucky and filling in the correct answers."

>> "I did not enjoy the last four days, but I do believe this is a better type of assessment. It was much more challenging, but completely unenjoyable."

>> "It was horrible, useless, and took the love out of learning."

>> "It was more difficult, but it shows how much of a difference there is between people. You can't just be a good test taker. You need to know what you're talking about."

>> "If this wasn't graded, I probably wouldn't have tried."

1-11-13: The fraying of nerves

Today was a lesson straight from the "If-you-truly-want-to-know-what-it's-like-to-be-a-teacher-you-should-do-this-for-a-day" file.

Each year, the yearbook staff works with Harmann's Studios for a day to shoot the club picture photos for the yearbook. The process goes like this: We set up risers in the back of the commons and call the groups down on the public address system two at a time from 8-11:30 a.m. before breaking for lunch.

At De Pere, we have 39 school-sanctioned clubs; the number of students in each club ranges from 4 to about 200. When the group gets to us, they arrange themselves in a relatively straight line from tallest to shortest. The photographer then places them on the risers so that everyone is visible and the picture looks good. After lunch, we head to the auditorium to take photos of the band, chorus, and orchestra groups.

The day is chaotic on many fronts. To the teachers' chagrin, students are coming in and out of classes all morning; in addition, many of the faculty members are leaving class for 10 minutes or so if they are the advisor of a club. This is the political part of my job. Because distractions are at a maximum, and the disturbances are caused solely by the yearbook, some teachers who thrive on control hate this day with a passion. My role is to be apologetic, sympathetic and enthusiastic. Luckily, those who despise Club Photo Day do not take it out on me; they understand that working at a high school comes with disruptions. As long as they know a couple of weeks ahead of time, they can mold a lesson that fits a hectic day.

Most teachers are wonderfully supportive. They recognize the organization and energy that I expend, and they appreciate the greater good that comes with each club getting its place in the yearbook. In an indirect way, the day celebrates the wide variety of student interests, all the way from the Gamers Club to the Math Team to the Robotics Club to Student Council and many more in between. Bottom line: For students of the smaller clubs that live on the fringe of social "coolness" in a school, this day is EXTREMELY important. A yearbook photo is validating.

We had two major issues beyond the norm.

First, we had finger problems. One student thought he would leave his mark on his junior year by sneaking into the Ecology Club photo, which has about 80 people, and flipping the bird. Thankfully, the photographer checked the photos immediately after the final shot – we take three pictures per club – because he thought he saw strange movements out of the corner of his eye. Yep. Same kid was giving the camera the finger in all three shots.

By this time, most of the club members had dispersed in the hallways back to their classes. I found the offender, who was lingering in the photo area probably figuring he got away with it, and verbally lit into him. (Last year, I had to yell at kids for flipping sweatshirt hoods of the person in front of them just as photos were being clicked.)

The Ecology Club advisor was equally angered and took the kid to the office. The boy approached me about 20 minutes later and offered an apology, admitting his immaturity. Our assistant principal took care of it right away; I cannot express how valuable that kind of support is to us teachers. Kids need to be corrected when they have major lapses in judgment.

The second issue was more predictable. The National Honor Society advisors did not come to the commons for their photo, so a slew of sophomores snuck into the picture. None of the real members said anything to me while everyone was standing in line, but afterwards they told their advisors what happened. About 30 minutes later, I spoke to an apologetic advisor who asked if we could re-take the photo, and she promised to be there to check kids off.

I agreed.

At about 11:15, once we made it through the original list, I went on the school intercom and called those two clubs back to the commons for re-takes.

Doing my best to create a dual feeling of humor and frustration, I warned students that if they came down for these photos and were not members of the club, they would "face the wrath of the yearbook czar and maybe worse." My philosophy is that if we are going to spend the whole day doing this, we might as well get it right.

When we wrapped up at 2:45, my head hurt so much that I could hardly remember my name. Thankfully I do not drink alcohol, or I would have likely had a few too many at happy hour.

I need a Dr. Pepper.

1-21-13: Time to reflect

As this book proves, I am a big believer in reflection. Even though self-evaluation is not usually a significant part of the teen-age lifestyle, I ask my boys to analyze themselves at least twice a year.

Today, a Monday, was the last day of regular classes for the first semester. The final three days of the semester will be spent on final exams. Therefore, I asked the boys to take five minutes and share their feelings about their effort in this class. _How much work did they put into their papers? How thoroughly did they read their books? How well did they participate in class discussion, treat others, and listen?_ About 95 percent of the boys took the exercise seriously, so it has value. Here are a few of their responses, with my comments in parentheses:

>> Cory: "I worked hard and got my grade higher than it's ever been in here, and I'm really proud of that. I didn't get picked once in the Board drawing, which was also nice." (Cory is one of the boys whose personality thrives in the all-boys setting.)

>> Morton: "I did a proficient job but I could have been advanced, and part of that is because of the temptation to mess with Connor." (Morton's honesty and sense of humor will serve him well in life.)

>> Eric: "I was respectable to my peers, even with Harry sitting next to me." (I find hilarity in that they will tease each other on a private note to me simply for my laughs.)

>> Derrick: "I didn't feel I tried my absolute hardest. I got decent grades on my papers, but not 'A' worthy. In the future I would like to see myself take the next step." (I could not agree more.)

>> Zane: "I am very happy with my year so far. This is the best I have ever done in an English class." (Zane is on the lower end of natural ability, and the all-boys structure is perfect for him because he does not get embarrassed or self-conscious about his performance without girls around.)

>> Arnold: "In this class I worked harder than any other class. Even though it's my only B out of all my A's, I had fun and learned some things." (I believe him: Arnold works hard just to be at grade level. Writing does not come naturally for him.)

>> Roland: "This semester was pretty enjoyable. Being able to relax on a couch as soon as I got to school was great. I felt like I did well on my papers, this all coming from a guy who doesn't love language arts." (If the couch gets him to do better work, I am all for it.)

>> Frank: "I don't think I did very well. I didn't participate in group conversations. I basically just acted like an idiot in the back of class." (Yep. He's right.)

>> Kevin: "I could have put way more effort into this class. I'm most likely going to be retaking this semester next year. But I do believe I earned the grade I got." (Kevin has not gained much academic knowledge this semester, and he did earn his 'F', but he has clearly learned something about accountability.)

Second passing time: The Original 14

I told the Original 14 about my project in February. Each of these boys will always have a special place in my teaching heart; they signed up for the class not knowing what to expect. The class had no reputation, they did not know me, and they could not ask their older friends whether it was a good idea. The result was a wild mix of personalities that produced the best year of discussion I have had in my 15 years of teaching.

Eventually, two of the 14 dropped out before graduation; many others, though, I still see every day in the English wing as they make their way to class. Nine of them visited me after school to reflect about their two years in H108. Some spent 10 minutes, while others stayed for 40.

Perhaps the topic we laughed most about was the rapport between two of the boys – Cooper and Steve. Back in freshman year, these two would constantly argue, and some days the dialogue turned nasty. I came to school every day wondering if this would be the day that Cooper and Steve came to blows. As it turns out, most of the guys had the same feelings. The kicker to the story, of course, is that today Cooper and Steve are good friends.

Here is a summary of the comments from the boys:

**Ray:** "One of the things I remember was that if you have a girl present, you kind of filter what you say. But if it's a bunch of guys, what do I care? You say what's on your mind. When you get stuck academically, you think, What do I care if Cole thinks I am dumb? You don't want to look dumb in front of the cute girl. You might pretend to know what you are doing and not ask questions. I felt it was good for me."

**Cooper:** "In previous schooling, you are kind of told not to voice an opinion that might not be agreeable. You have to be agreeable. You have to be friendly. Looking back, I realize that I made friends with people by learning how to disagree. Just because you disagree with me does not make you a bad person. I learned that by being in an all-guys class where you have the chance to argue. ... To people who say it's a bad idea, I would say that it allows you to express ideas that are not threatening. As a freshman or sophomore, you're trying to find your way in the world. Who am I? What do I think? What are my opinions? A single-gender classroom allows you to figure that out a little bit faster."

**Mario:** "Being able to speak your mind has a lot to do with what you're going to do in real life. When I work at a Boy Scout camp, I have to be able to stand up for myself. Most teachers these days don't let you do that. In the all-boys class we would talk about things that would piss us off, and it worked really well. We were able to talk about almost anything, particularly because there were no females in the room and we didn't have to worry about offending anyone. I think it was a way to get to know a different section of people as well. I don't think I would've ever talked to any of the people (in the other rows) if it wasn't for this class. Frankly, I don't even know if I would know their names."

**Blaine:** "It was my favorite class because it was more open with no girls around. You could be yourself more. Conversations were more fun, and we laughed a lot, but you have to be able to take a lot of crap. ... The critics should not judge it before they try it. Look at the benefits before jumping right into the negatives."

**Wayne:** "School is very repetitive, and I thought it would be a different, interesting experience. It really became its own little community as it got going. Obviously, it's had an impact or I wouldn't be here talking to you. There was a lot more debate than the traditional English class. It was a combination of the different viewpoints, the different background, and personality types and the atmosphere of the class. There are no regrets whatsoever. It taught me a lot about other people, it was a unique experience, and I am glad to have taken part in the trial run of the program."

**Shaun:** "The whole literature part was a lot different. It wasn't all this poetry or other stupid books that we would get in other classes where the stories are so ancient that it's hard to comprehend. We were able to read stuff that was more relatable to what kids our age want to read and had going on in their life. It's not a slack-off class like you think it would be. We actually worked. It wasn't like we sat around and talked about sports all day. I wish we could've gone all the way through senior year with all-guys classes."

**Bobby:** "The fact that I was surrounded by my own gender made me more comfortable in about everything I did. In a classroom with guys and girls, I like to keep to myself more. It's more guarded and serious in a mixed-gender class. In those classes, you do exactly what you're told, but in here we got to work with you to make our own guidelines. We could be obnoxious and rowdy and still learn at the same time. I've heard many people – guys and girls – say that they need guy time or girl time, and having one hour of the day was perfect for that."

**Steve:** "In eighth grade, my classes seemed biased toward the girls. The girls seemed to get to pick everything we did and talked about. Even in high school, many teachers view boys as slackers and think that we don't care. There's still gender bias in a lot of co-ed classes. In (the all-boys) class, the options were open for the guys. ... Every school should have it. It's totally worth it."

**Scott:** "We weren't always trying to impress anyone. The more open conversation helped to get everyone involved. People were more willing to give their opinions. In my last two English classes that I've taken, I tended to zone out during the lectures, didn't learn much and wasn't paying attention. It was hard to stay active in those classes. I don't think I ever zoned out in your class. It was easy not to. I recommend it to anyone, or at least to try it."

Chapter 3: In the cave, third quarter

By the second semester, students know us teachers better, and they are more familiar with their classmates. Consequently, Kirsten, Sara and I take the opportunity to work with texts that offer more challenging subject matter.

With the freshmen, we start with a book tailored to their gender, with the stories having the same themes and tone. The boys will work with _Inexcusable_ by Chris Lynch, a fictional story written from the perspective of an egotistical, hedonistic high school senior boy. The girls read _Speak_ by Laurie Halse Andersen, a story about a 14-year-old girl who is sexually assaulted at a party the summer before her freshman year. Both stories center on boy-girl relationships, including sexual assault, cliques, and narrator reliability.

The books are a perfect pairing. The issue of sexual assault might seem to be too heady for 14- and 15-year-olds, but the discussions we have are more influential because, as the Original 14 members explained a page ago, kids this age are still forming many of their personal beliefs and character traits. They are trying to figure out what kind of people they are going to be in this grown-up-like world of high school, which is so different than middle school. By the time kids are seniors, most of their social attitudes have been established.

Involved, proactive moms and dads have probably had many discussions with their sons about how to treat girls, but my guess is that not all have. The three of us see ourselves not only as teachers but also as role models who are responsible for pointing kids on the right path academically, socially and ethically.

The verdict from the sexual assault trial in Steubenville, Ohio, came two weeks after we completed the unit, providing the students with a modern-day example of literature coming to life.

2-1-13: You gotta have patience, and lots of it

Sara and I have had many discussions this week about her class and the direction of the program. Because preliminary registration numbers for the all-boys classes next year came in very high, her involvement will again be needed if she chooses to stick with it.

My guess is that she will.

"I don't think they act any differently because I am a female," she said.

I was relieved to hear that. Having a dissimilar class atmosphere was my biggest fear when I found out last spring that I would no longer be able to teach every all-boys section. I wanted to make sure each boy who registered received the same benefit – the camaraderie that goes along with the curriculum. My sophomores, when told that a female was going to teach one of the freshman classes this year, cringed at the thought and wondered how the dialogue might suffer. However, after this week, I have been thrilled that Sara's observations and issues with her all-boys class are exactly the same as mine.

Sara has had many classes in previous years that were skewed heavily toward boys; specifically, last year she taught an LA9 class with 19 boys and 4 girls. She did not think the conversion to all-boys would be all that different. She was wrong.

"It's amazing the difference between having four girls and having no girls," she remarked.

Sara says she has had to redirect and use her stern voice more often. She has seen the competitive nature of the boys come to the forefront – sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. Sarcastic give-and-take levels are much higher, she reports. She sees boys whose personalities struggle to fit, and she now truly understands when I preach that the all-boys atmosphere is great for many but does not work for everyone.

Nor does it work every day, every hour.

Today was one of our large-scale interactive days where we brought the boys and girls together to discuss expectations that they have for themselves and the opposite sex in a variety of school and social situations. _Speak_ and _Inexcusable_ center around misconceptions that boys and girls have of each other, and this exercise helps them to spot gender miscommunication.

Eighty percent of the students handle the activity extremely well. Some boys do not. While most girls were honest and realistic in their expectations, a few of the boys groups could not stop themselves from immature banter that made the girls feel like sexual objects instead of people. In those groups, the girls were aghast at the boys' attitudes, though many of them saw through the bravado and maybe even pitied the attention-seeking behaviors.

After the boys and girls met, they headed back to their regular classrooms for the last 10 minutes to reflect on the activity. That is when my problems started.

All went well during second hour, but sixth-hour students lost control of themselves, as is more likely to happen on a Friday afternoon. First, I became agitated when three of the boys, immediately upon returning from the girls' room, took out their cell phones and started texting. After redirecting that behavior, I had the boys get in their groups and reflect on the girls' major discussion points. They couldn't keep quiet or listen to each other. I stopped, lectured about the value of listening and learning, and re-started class.

"Are you whining, Mr. Guyette?" one of the smart alecks chirped.

"Yes," I said with a dirty look and irritated voice. My patience was wearing extremely thin. "I'm getting a little tired of some of the disrespect in here."

One second later, the off-task talking revived as if I had not said anything. Again, I stopped to re-focus the group. Corey then couldn't resist: He turned his posterboard into a giant airplane and, probably giving into a dare from another student, threw it at me, hitting me in the back of the leg.

"That's it, I've had enough," I said rather calmly, halting class. "I'm a pretty laid-back person who likes to have fun just like everyone else, but that kind of stuff is crossing the line."

I went and sat down at my desk. Only three minutes remained in the period, so the boys just sat in stunned silence. They have never seen me take such a drastic measure in response to their misbehavior. In truth, my blood was boiling about 500 degrees too hot inside, and my better judgment told me to shut down class before I said anything I would later regret.

I will deal with Corey on Monday when we are both calm. _(Update: Corey apologized. And, I was right. Will dared him to do it.)_

2-6-13: Conversations worth having

How many parents have had a serious discussion with their child about sexual harassment?

Our guess? Some, but not enough.

_Inexcusable_ raises the issues with a narrator, Keir, who imposes his will on both male and female classmates, and the content of the literature presents us with the perfect opportunity to teach the kids life lessons. My observation is that kids know less than parents think they do.

In this two-day session, Sara, Kirsten and I have the students do a web quest on Day 1, searching for Wisconsin state laws about sexual harassment. They must locate specific words and actions that are deemed illegal, as well as definitions such as "quid pro quo" and "eye of the beholder". On Day 2, we talk about the results and apply them to the school setting.

Many kids do not realize that words such as "fag", "gay", and "slut" are sexual harassment; they see it only as a malicious form of teasing. Even more are surprised at the potential ramifications for touching a girl's butt or mocking her looks. For both Sara and me, today was a good day to talk to boys about behaviors that they often see as "funny" or "joking around".

Some of the boys, as usual, were too immature to handle the discussion and continued to make jokes. Many, however, asked relevant questions and made astute observations. The activity made them realize that, as men, because of physical nature and cultural norms, they are much more likely to commit sexual harassment violations. At the end of sixth hour today, Sara and I talked about how we hoped that a seed was planted in the back of their brains about making sound decisions when they are long gone from De Pere High.

Conversations like we had today are significantly better in a single-gender setting. The guys freely share their reactions to such laws, and they were not afraid of admitting they did not know something. They are honest with me. They trust me. They know I will validate their comments and concerns, injecting my own life wisdom into the dialogue.

The discussion of sexual harassment laws WOULD NOT BE THE SAME with boys and girls in the same classroom. Both genders would keep their ideas to themselves, thinking that a verbal slip-up on such subject matter would be mocked on Twitter or Facebook before the end of the day. They would not ask questions. I saw this happen for years with my co-ed freshman classes. Whenever a serious topic came up, boys and girls would write fantastic reflections but stare at each other like Martians when time came for sharing out loud.

2-8-13: Looking for leaders

"Every class that comes through here at De Pere High School," I began class with today, "has its share of dingleberries."

The word usage helped to lighten the mood, and many of the freshmen boys managed a chuckle. After what happened yesterday, they knew something was coming.

"You know, the dingleberries – the guys who are rude, impolite, disrespectful, attention-seeking – that kind of stuff. I have been here 12 years, and with about 150-to-160 guys in each class, there are always going to be a few of those guys. The fact that your class has them does not concern me whatsoever."

The 'dingleberries' are the guys who make us teachers earn our money. It's part of the deal.

"The key to a successful class is not whether it has dingleberries," I continued. "It is how the other guys react to the dingleberries. In the best classes, the leaders tell the dingleberries to sit down and shut up. Most of the boys ignore them and don't laugh at the inappropriate behavior. They don't encourage the stupidity. They don't let those guys become the leaders and representatives of the class."

We – Sara, Kirsten and I – dealt with sexist attitudes yesterday during an activity that mixed the all-girls and all-guys freshman classes, but it was not the first instance in which we noticed such behavior. It was simply the tipping point.

"I am worried about this class because of what I see. The polite, respectful kids don't yet have the courage to tell the dingleberries to knock it off. The sophomores have it, but you guys don't. Not yet. You guys still think everything that the dingleberries do is funny. What happens – unfortunately – is that your class gets a bad reputation because the loudest, rudest and most obnoxious kids are the ones who get the most attention."

I clearly have their ears at this point. I care too much about them to let shoddy behavior slide. I want the kids with strong morals and decency to emerge as the alpha males of the Class of 2016.

"I hope that changes for you guys. You have three-and-a-half more years here, and you guys can change things whenever you want to. There are tons of really good kids in this class who have the potential to be positive leaders, but right now most of them are sitting in the shadows and acting as followers. The girls in your class don't think very highly of you at this moment, but remember, that's just temporary. There's a long way to go."

If they got mad at me, that's OK. The truth hurts sometimes. I want them to prove me wrong. Some of them, I am sure, will be motivated to show how great they can be.

I put a short list of suggestions on the board today for those who prefer visuals.

1. Respect women at all times.

2. Be humble.

3. Shovel your driveway and a neighbor's.

The first two were literal propositions, while the last was more figurative. In other words, I want them to get away from egocentric thinking.

"Mr. Guyette," one of them asked me, "is this an assignment?"

"Yes," I said, "for the next 70 years."

2-14-13: Call in the cops!

Question: How do you keep 60 freshmen completely silent for 40 minutes?

Answer: Bring in the cops.

Today, as we do every year at the end of our _Inexcusable-Speak_ unit, Kirsten and I gathered the boys and girls classes together in the community room and had the school liaison officer, Brian Arkens, speak to them about the legal aspects of sexual assault.

For most of the period, the kids sat motionless. Brian talks to the kids about many issues: age of consent, degrees of assault, effects of alcohol and other drugs, responsibilities of mandatory reporters, definitions of child pornography, safety precautions, and more. The kids do not ask too many questions; most attentively absorb the information.

In five years, I have never had a parent complain either about the nature of this book nor the officer's speech. My calculation is that most parents appreciate the fact that we staff members are willing to tackle difficult yet important subject material with impressionable young adults.

Bottom line: We care about these kids intellectually, sure, but we want them to develop into positive, productive citizens, too. When I see their name in the paper in 10 years I want it to be in the business section, not the crime page.

I am with each boy for four-and-a-half hours a week. I am not with them on the weekends, and I will not be with them in college and beyond. They likely will not come face-to-face with today's issues this weekend, and maybe not even this year, but they will at some point. I want them to make the right decisions when that time comes, and if they hear my voice or Brian's warnings in the back of their heads at critical moments in their lives, then today's lesson was worth it.

2-20-13: All kinds of lessons

All high school English teachers face their share of cheating. Of course, other subject teachers have their share as well, but the nature of our assignments is highly enticing for students to copy-and-paste. Writing is challenging work, requiring deep thinking and precise evaluation, and many students are on the prowl for a short cut.

Today, I caught my first big one of the year.

Austin was writing an analysis of the book _Souled Out_ by Shaun Powell, a non-fiction work that studies the plight of African-Americans in the sports world. The issues Powell writes about are complex and sensitive. First, a word about Austin: He is one of the most polite young men in the sophomore class. He brings in homemade treats when he is picked for the Board, and he lives in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, Austin doesn't have a great work ethic. He is much too attached to his cell phone, and I have always sensed that he lacks self-confidence.

So, yesterday, when he turned in a paper that used vocabulary and sentence structure that was on a higher level than even my top students, the siren in the back of my head went off. I sought out Austin's study hall teacher and asked if Austin had been working on the paper during class. The teacher said no, adding that Austin only worked on science in his room.

"But you know," he told me, "Austin got caught plagiarizing last year, so look at it closely."

Heading straight to Google, I typed in one of the more exquisite sentences from the paper, and 0.72 seconds later I had the link at my fingertips. Several paragraphs were lifted word for word. I bookmarked the page.

Today, I assigned a 15-minute group project during class so that I could bring Austin up to my desk without anyone noticing. These situations are always embarrassing for the student, and the last outcome I want is for others to watch us. It worked. No one even saw Austin approach. He sat down.

"Austin," I said, holding his assignment in my hand, "I know you copy-and-pasted this assignment."

"No, I didn't, Mr. Guyette," he reacted, defensively. "I worked on it at home with my mom."

"Austin, it's word for word, entire paragraphs," I said. "I can call it up on my computer if you want me to."

"Go ahead," he said.

I retrieved the bookmark and the evidence appeared on my screen.

"We can go through each paragraph if you want," I said.

Austin's eyes sunk, and he knew he was busted.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Guyette," he said.

Austin then spun an apology about how overwhelmed he feels with school work, how he does not think he is a good writer, how he is more of a visual learner, and more.

"Austin, you just have to do your best," I explained. "It has to be your own work. Your own honest work. I don't expect you to be perfect, but I do expect you to be honest. I'm disappointed that you didn't feel you could come and talk to me about it."

Because Austin showed remorse, I did not call home or give him a detention. We wrapped up the conversation by making an agreement about how to fix the situation.

2-27-13: Exasperation, exhilaration

One of the reasons teachers need time off in the summer to unwind is because of days like today that are so darn emotional and intense that I was mentally whipped by 4:00.

After each of my first two classes – one English 9 and one English 10 – I was fuming. Large numbers of boys in each class decided that today was not a day to learn. My freshmen wasted time with the following behaviors: slapping each other with a mouse pad; putting each other's books in the corner of the room; putting each other's books in the garbage can; pinching each other's nipples; running across the room to avoid retaliation, and more. The immaturity I dealt with this hour was exasperating. It was no surprise when more than half of them could not write a simple participial phrase at the end of the lesson.

The next hour wasn't much better. I tried to read a five-page chapter of _Feed_ , one of our science-fiction novels, and in the five minutes it took me to finish the reading, I had to stop four times to correct misbehavior because this is what I saw: paper balls flying through the air; pencils getting snapped in half and tossed at human targets; four kids on the right side of the room carrying on a conversation as if I were not even there; and two kids taking out gaming devices in the front row (RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!).

During fourth hour, I have building supervision. One of Sara's freshmen, a friendly lad named Les, has study hall during that hour and has frequently asked if he could walk with me and see what the job was like. Today was a good day for it. I needed to vent. So, as Les and I walked the halls for about 15 minutes, I told him about my frustrations while he shared parts his family life. Through the course of our conversation, he expressed amazement that I considered listening to music or checking cell phones in class to be rude and disrespectful.

"If you went over to your girlfriend's house for dinner, would you sit there with an earbud in one ear?" I asked him.

"No way," he said.

"Then why is it OK at school in front of your teachers?"

"Because this is just school."

Ugh. I hope these kids do not walk into their first job interview with electronic devices in each pocket, earbuds hanging out the front of their shirts, or headphones resting around their necks.

The day improved from there. One of the freshmen, William, decided that he was going to pay off his Board punishment today, so I joined him for a duet of Queen's _Fat Bottom Girls_ in front of the freshman girls. I subbed for Kirsten during my prep hour, doing an ACT practice lesson for one of the sophomore classes. To end the day, I worked with my freshly inspired yearbook staff, which is impressing me with its dedication to the 48 pages due next week. The kids are starting to see the finish line, and their work ethic is taking a step up.

The 180-degree turnaround in my day came full circle after school when two of the Original 14 visited for interviews for this book. _(See Second Intermission.)_ Wayne and Shaun both have stopped in to chat after school on a regular basis the past two years, so the conversation was easy and familiar. They came in separately, but each stayed for the other's interview to listen. Both reflected about the enjoyment they took from the class, the skills they learned, and the friendships they formed. Seeing the boys so close to graduation and prepared to embark on their lives is, without question, the most fulfilling part of this job.

2-28-13: Here we go again

Austin cheated again. Yep, one week later.

Yesterday, he handed in a persuasive essay that was one half his, one half plagiarized. He included four citations at the end of his assignment to show where he got much of his research; however, seeing as how my radar was on high alert the minute he gave me the paper, I noticed that the introduction and conclusion looked fishy.

Sure enough, I Googled a couple lines from the introduction and found it word-for-word on a site called hotessays.com. I found much of the conclusion word-for-word from a business magazine web site. In all, I found 11 sentences that were lifted from these two sites, neither of which were in his bibliography.

This time I took more action. After discussions and emails with both Austin's mom and study hall teacher, I sat with Austin again for the last 10 minutes of class today. I emphasized to his mother that Austin should not be looking at web sites that charge students $12.95 per page. At this point, he needs rehabilitation more than punishment. We went over his paper paragraph-by-paragraph, line-by-line, and I showed his what he did well (his own words) and what is unacceptable (cut and paste from the source). This time, Austin didn't even try to defend himself; he mostly nodded and said "yes" when I asked him if he understood what he was doing.

"Austin is a smart kid," his study hall teacher told me. "He is just extremely lazy. And then when things get way overdue, he panics."

3-1-13: This is the battle

Allow me to present two examples of the battle high school teachers are facing today with technology:

Brad, one of my fifth-hour sophomore students, was sitting on the couch during class, and when he got up to move to sixth hour, his phone fell out of his pocket. My sixth-hour freshmen students noticed this upon arrival into the room and, thankfully, gave me the phone.

I knew Brad would be back soon, and I put his phone inside the top drawer of my desk for security. During my lunch break I usually sit at my desk and scroll the Internet for the news of the day. While I was eating, Brad's phone was ringing constantly. I tried to turn it off, but I do not know how cell phones work, so I was stuck. On his screen, though, I could see the problem. He was getting text messages at a rapid-fire rate: 12:39, 12:37, 12:37, 12:37, 12:37, 12:35, 12:31, 12:30, 12:29, 12:28, 12:24, 12:10, 12:08, 12:07, 11:55, 11:54, 11:53, 11:53, 11:53, 11:53, 11:51, 11:51, 11:50, 11:49, 11:49, 11:49, 11:48, 11:42, 11:42, 11:40, and 11:40. Brad received 31 text messages from his friends in the one hour he left his phone in my room. His phone was locked, but I could see in the message field of the texts a variety of comments ranging from "fire crotches" to "nice melons" and worse.

Brad came back at the end of sixth hour to get his phone. I enlightened him about how it kept buzzing as I was eating.

"I know, Mr. Guyette," he said, sheepishly. "I'm caught in a nasty texting group that won't shut up."

Case No.2 involves Anthony, a sophomore who rarely gets his work in on time and suffers from a general lack of confidence in his writing. In conferencing with his mother the past couple of years, I learned that during some point in elementary school Anthony had a teacher who told him that he was not a good writer. In reality, Anthony works at grade level when he puts forth a decent effort. One of Anthony's biggest problems, though, is electronics.

His excessive usage during instruction prompted me to email his mother yesterday and let her know that Anthony's attention in class has been waning. Within 10 minutes of emailing her, she sent me two emails back letting me know that electronics will not be a problem with Anthony anymore.

So what happened in class today?

( ... I will pause as you take a guess. ...)

Yep, Anthony did not have either a cell phone or a gaming system, but he had an earbud in one ear for the first 30 minutes of class. During work time, I went over and had a five-minute conversation with him about it.

"But my music wasn't even on," he said, and I am 90 percent sure he is lying.

"That's not the point," I tell him. "Even if it wasn't on, don't you realize that it's disrespectful to have that in your ear while I am trying to teach?"

"It's not disrespectful," he said.

"It is," I told him. "Trust me. But even if you don't think so, there's no way you can reach your full academic potential when you're listening to music or playing games during class."

His mom wants me to take the electronics away from him, but I do not think that is the best solution. When teachers take a cell phone or ipod from a student, he or she eventually gets it back. Once the device is back in play, the student is more likely to bring it out again to spite the teacher who took it away in the first place. The whole situation becomes a game and a power struggle. (Follow?) Child-like discipline usually begets child-like responses; I would rather convince the students to put it away themselves. In a perfect world, parents would not let their child come to school with electronics at all, but that fight was lost long ago.

Memo to parents: Very few top-notch students bring electronics to school. Cell phones and ipods might be fun and convenient, but they are grade killers.

3-8-12: More highs and lows

The boys can be crazy. In a good way.

The boys can also be immature. In a bad way.

These are the highs and lows of teaching.

Third hour on Thursday started with Connor, Austin and Gerry wrestling on the couch and playing with the air freshener that saves my nose from post-gym class teenage body odor. Eventually, their tomfoolery separated the gel from the plastic, with both pieces ending up on the floor and all three blaming each other.

Soon after, Wayne, who loves to instigate trouble, accused Connor of checking his cell phone in class. Connor then stopped class, stood up and proclaimed: "Mr. Guyette, I have something to say. Can anyone see the irony here? These guys on the couch, who have their phones out all the time, are accusing me of the same thing. It's not right."

I was simply astounded that he used "irony" correctly in a sentence. The rest of the guys then joined in, arguing for Connor to get boarded. Not to be outdone, Wayne raised his hand, demanding equal time to defend his friends on the couch.

Next, Morton chimed in and gave his version of the air freshener destruction, just to make sure I had an official account of what happened. Soon, Jack let a curse word slip, and we continued the humorous, ongoing class debate about representatives of Notre Dame Middle School (from which I graduated in 1984). Harry and Connor then began arguing across the room and decided to settle it with an arm wrestle in the middle of class.

As I mentioned back on Sept. 7, the most important issue in the class is the class. These descriptions may sound like chaos, but it's not. I suspect that I laugh more than any other teacher in this school. These guys are really funny.

Many of them, in addition, are doing excellent work. The persuasive essays coming in are some of the best papers I have read this year. The issue of whether or not college athletes should be paid has stirred up emotions that many boys have turned into passionate 1,000-word essays. Several others want to colonize the moon; ah, the young still dream.

Reality, though, often smacks a teacher in the face quickly after the highest highs. Yesterday, a group of boys in one of my classes cackled about a topic so inappropriate that I had to report the conversation to the liaison officer. Then today, in the same class, I was trying to play a game of detail recall with the two science fiction books we are reading ( _Feed_ and _The Time Machine_ ), a competition that went extremely well in my first class of the day. This hour, though, some of the boys who have not kept up with the reading did their best to ruin the game, shouting ridiculous answers and treating others rudely.

I cancelled the game early, sent everyone back to their desks, and asked each student to write a 50-word note about his book – summary, questions, analysis, or anything else they wanted me to know. Almost immediately, a group of guys started making comments about masturbation. I was never so happy to have the dismissal bell ring and get them out of my room.

Tonight, I read some of their comments. Keep in mind that they have had the books for two weeks:

>> "This book is really confusing. I haven't started it yet, though."

>> "I haven't started the book. What's it even about?"

>> "I didn't start the book yet because it sucks."

>> "I didn't start the book yet because I was busy writing my persuasive paper and studying for science and Spanish tests."

>> "As a teenager, I have other obligations in my busy, busy life than to read a measly book. Sure, it may make you more intelligent, but I feel like reality TV and video games can do the same thing."

I was taught always to say nice things, so here it goes: They are honest.

3-15-13: This is why we get frustrated

Two nights ago, I spent my evening correcting 54 freshman participial-prepositional phrase tests. Also this week, I spent three nights correcting the same number of narrative rough drafts, most of which are 400-to-500 words. Combine all of that with seven hours of grading freshman writing assessments yesterday, and I can confidently say that I have a good grasp on the strengths and weaknesses of my guys' writing.

Therefore, I designed a lesson today targeting some of the weaker concepts: overuse of the word 'you', singular-plural pronoun switching, their/there usage mistakes, and more. Most of the guys, probably about 70 percent, are interested in learning and becoming better writers. That other 30 percent, though, was enough to make me take a pencil to my own eye.

One boy, who scored 8 out of 46 on the phrases test, not only refused to do the grammar work in class, but instead spent the hour trying to distract everyone around him. Another boy, who scored a 12, decided he would be better served shooting paper balls with a rubber band across the room. A third boy, who scored a 4, thought it would be comical if he started knocking his friends' books onto the floor. Not only did I have to spend my time dealing with the misbehavior, but the momentum of teaching a lesson was ruined.

They are only freshmen, yet a few seem to have given up on their writing. They are not paying attention in class, they are not doing the work required to get better, and they are trying to take as many friends down the Road To Nowhere with them as they can.

These are the test scores that teachers fear being attached to their job performances. Not only do a few of these students drive us crazy some days and distract the learning of others, but we also can be penalized for their poor marks.

In my constant quest to balance the negative with the positive, however, I had an enjoyable day with my sophomores.

Every Friday I try to find an interesting article from a newspaper or magazine for three reasons: to keep them informed about the world, to ensure that they read high-quality journalism, and to spark their curiosity about subjects that they would never read about on their own.

Today, we read parts of a _Time_ magazine article about the Oscar Pistorius homicide case. When we came upon the word 'apartheid', I asked the class what it meant. In third hour, none of them knew. In fifth hour, three had an idea. In both classes, we had an enlightening discussion about apartheid, South Africa, the Olympics, economic sanctions, Nelson Mandela, the movie _Invictus_ , and the speed of change in terms of equality in a country once governed by racism.

A teacher's day changes by the hour.

3-20-13: Be not afraid

Sometimes real life does replicate literature.

When the news of the teenage sexual assault trial in Steubenville, Ohio, came to a head last weekend, Sara, Kirsten and I met and discussed whether we should bring it to the classroom.

Seven weeks after the boys started to read _Inexcusable_ and the girls first opened _Speak_ , and five weeks after the talk with Officer Arkens, a real-life scenario emerged that has been prominently talked about in the media since the verdict four days ago.

With the touchy subject matter, the three of us discussed what to present and how to handle the content of the conversation. We eventually decided on showing the class a 10-minute _Outside the Lines_ piece by ESPN; next, we asked them to write a 30-word response to the video and share with the person sitting next to them. Finally, we asked for volunteers to contribute to a full-class discussion.

The bottom line is threefold: First, we want our students to be educated not only about reading and writing but also about the world they live in; if they can learn from others' mistakes, then their lives will be better and safer. Second, we feel obligated to tackle the tough subjects. I started both classes by asking the boys, "How many of your parents have had a talk with you about Steubenville?"

In each class, a couple of parents had. The boys shared with the class the messages their parents gave them.

"Awesome," I told each one. "You have great parents."

Seventy-five percent of the boys had no idea what I was talking about, and I do not blame those parents whatsoever. I do not know how I would handle it if my kids were old enough to understand, though Mike will be at that age soon. It is a tough, tough, tough subject.

Third, what pushed us to do something was that these types of discussions are the essence of the single-gender experience. I would never show this video or have this dialogue in a co-ed class. No way would anyone talk, and if he or she did, the questions and comments would be filtered based on the opposite-gender presence in the room. The conversation would be as real as a wax figure.

"I will never love you as much as your parents do," I told them before showing the video. "But I care about your futures and I want all of you to be responsible, caring, compassionate young men."

Overall, the conversation went well. I encouraged the boys to have a discussion with their parents, but if they are not comfortable with that, at least they are hearing about the case from me and not their friends on Twitter.

Most of the boys were appalled at the drinking, the lack of parental control, and the absence of concern for the victim. They clearly recognize what a case like this does for the reputation of an entire community. Compassion and empathy are difficult concepts to teach boys, especially in the macho, attention-seeking world of high school, but the ESPN video did an excellent job helping us out. Not having girls around today kept the idiotic "sexual conquest" banter out of the discussion.

My hope is that when the boys are faced with a similar scenario at some point in their lives – having to decide whether to aid a helpless person or silently approve of wrong and possibly illegal behavior by their buddies – that they will remember this case and be comfortable making the right decision. I know it will not be easy.

3-28-13: Ups and downs, Part 2,453,629

Today is Good Friday, the first day of Spring Break. Yesterday was also the end of the quarter, making for a hectic four days of tests, quizzes, and late work that kept me up past 11 p.m. correcting papers each night. Add the fact that the final 32 pages of the yearbook were due yesterday – I was at school for three-and-a-half hours after dinner cleaning up the pages – and one might say my nerves are a little bit frayed. The up-and-down nature of the job continues to stand out as I reflect.

**Students are frustrating:** Tanner seldom gets work in on time. Last quarter he turned in 75 percent of his work the night before grades were due, and I had a conversation with his mother, who promised that changes were coming. This quarter he took laziness to a new level, turning in nothing all quarter. He has a 9 percent, based on his score from the one in-class test that he took.

Yesterday, during the final 30 seconds of class, he came up to me and asked, "Mr. Guyette, what do I have to do in order to pass?" Inside, I wanted to scream. Two days ago, I had a talk with him in class about what he was missing and warned him that he was on the verge of failing the quarter. When I responded, "It's too late. My grades are already sent. You got an 'F' for the quarter," he looked at me in disbelief. Our school's policy of letting students hand work in at any time is not working for kids like Tanner.

**Students are inspiring:** The last set of papers I finished was a 75-word essay my freshmen wrote that required two subordinate clauses and three prepositional phrases.

The prompt was, "What would you like to be famous for?" Of course, most of the boys wrote about an athletic accomplishment or curing cancer. These, though, are extra special:

>> Cole: "I want to be famous for being a good person because that is what matters to me. I will keep trying my best to treat others equally."

>> Kenny: "Before I die, I would like to have made a difference in the world. It doesn't matter what I did, as long as it was something good."

>> Bennett: "I want to be famous for being a nice person. I have always tried to give everyone a chance, especially in school. In my youth, my parents have always taught me that if I am nice, I will receive the niceness back."

**Students are frustrating and inspiring:** Many of the boys did not do well on their aforementioned phrases test, and many of them came in for extra help this week to go over their mistakes and re-take a new version. Some of them who have study hall during fourth hour walked the halls with me and talked phrases. One boy who scored 11 out of 46 improved to a 25. Another went from 34 to 44. In all, about six or seven boys took time to improve their knowledge and scores.

Awesome.

Others, though, are perfectly fine with their Fs. On Monday, while many were finishing up their narrative final drafts, I met with all of the boys who struggled on the phrases test. Kevin and Vic, both of whom struggled mightily, said they did not want to meet with me during class but instead were going to come after school when they had more time. After getting through my list, I then went to see them on the other side of the lab only to discover them gaming on the computers.

They did not come after school, either.

**Students are funny:** We had more singing in front of the girls this week, with three of my freshmen doing a well-timed rap and Marshall belting out _Super Freak_ for the sophomores. I was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my cheeks.

**Students are honest:** Brian is another sophomore who is underachieving, and I spent much time this week emailing back-and-forth with his mother, who cannot understand why Brian's grade is so poor. Brian has a brilliant mind, a super-sharp wit, a vast vocabulary, and an engaging personality.

Problem is, he does not want to sit down and produce the written depth that the Common Core standards demand. He also is hooked on gaming and his cell phone; the essays he turns in do not appear to have taken more than 10 minutes of his time.

We had a good heart-to-heart this week, and he freely admitted that his effort has been sub-par. He promised to re-dedicate himself to school work. My basic premise was that his brilliance needs to be reflected in his grades. First of all, healthy work habits are beneficial for him as a person, but I know he plans on going to college, and I told him that admissions officers will question why his (likely) high ACT score will not match up with his low high school grades.

Whenever I confront students like this, they often throw out one excuse after another. Brian acknowledged his faults like a man. He just needs a figurative kick in the pants once in a while.

**Students are observant:** Quinn did not get much work done in the first semester. He would turn in papers that were two sentences long, he would not bother using paragraphs, and he caused more trouble than he needed to in class. Participating in a winter sport saved him.

In order to gain eligibility, he had to get his grades up and get rid of the Fs on his first-quarter report card. Without this sport, I am sure Quinn would have been on Dropout Road because his behaviors and focus were so off-track. Lately, though, Quinn has turned it around. His work is coming in on time, and the quality is much improved. I know the state wants everyone to be proficient (scoring a 3), but I am extremely proud of the fact that Quinn has moved from minimal (1) to basic (2) this year with his writing.

He was one of the boys who came in after school this week for help. After we wrapped our work, he looked at me and said, "Mr. Guyette, ever since I got my phone taken away, my grades have gone way up."

Inside I laughed, but I told him, "It's not a coincidence."

He said, "So when I get my phone back, is it OK if I just give it to you before the class starts, you hold it during class, and then give it back to me when class is over?"

"How about not bringing it to school at all?" I responded.

He had to think about that one.

Third passing time: Letters from moms

When I began applying for grants that awarded money for reading programs, I found that I needed letters of recommendation from parents. Unfortunately, I have yet to win a grant, but the moms who wrote for me were willing to share their notes for this book. Their names are changed, but their stories speak to the positive impact of an all-boys class.

I sincerely thank them.

Dear Mr. Guyette,

From kindergarten through eighth grade, I saw my son Derrick treat reading and writing as tasks. Rarely did he come home and mention English class. Reading and writing were work, and Derrick clearly viewed them as necessary tasks to achieve a passing grade.

This past school year produced a significant change in Derrick's approach to English class. Almost daily, Derrick made mention of your class, and he started bringing home books from school. He spent free time reading ahead and finished some assigned books before the due date. He worked on his writing assignments a little at a time instead of completing them at the last minute. He took pride in his writing and his work.

Most impressively, Derrick took an interest in literature itself. As a result of discussions in class, Derrick facilitated conversations at home, relating the curriculum to life. The class did not just inspire Derrick to think about English, it prompted many interesting conversations in our family. Derrick led discussions regarding the ethics of banned books, questions surrounding Shakespeare's identity and more.

Sincerely, Daria Alexander

****

Dear Mr. Guyette,

Our son Tom was in the all-boys language arts class. As parents, we were intrigued by this single-sex learning approach, especially for reading and writing. We were more than pleased with how the year went for our son. We were grateful for someone like you to think outside the box and take a risk.

We were amazed at the enthusiasm Tom quickly shared about this class. He loved the book choices, the discussions that followed, and even the writing assignments. He also appreciated the fact that this class brought different groups of boys together.

Tom not only developed his writing and reading comprehension skills, he became a critical thinker.

It is interesting to hear Tom and his friends speak so highly of you. The boys that were part of the single-sex class are now beginning their senior year, and without a doubt they would like to have you again. They witnessed what it was like to have a teacher who inspires all his students and is truly passionate about his work.

Regards, Felicia Adelman

****

Dear Mr. Guyette,

I am writing to let you know how wonderful the all-boys literacy program has been for my son Cory.

In my opinion, reading ability is one of the most valuable skills an individual can have in life – second only to the love of reading. Let me explain. When my son was a very young age, prior to going to school, I sat down with him and taught him to read using a lesson book called, "Learn to read in 100 minutes". I was very proud of his accomplishment and aware of the doors that it would open for him at a young age. You see, I thought that because Cory had the ability, he would automatically pick up a book and be immersed in it. And that he would have a love of reading like his mom. But I soon realized this was not an interesting thing that happened automatically. Cory could read, but he didn't love to read!

This is where your class comes in. Soon after Cory started your all-boys class, he came home a different person. Instead of sitting at the supper table in silence, he couldn't stop talking about your class. Whether it was a discussion on something fun that happened in class, or whether it was a book that you were reading at the time, Cory always had something he wanted to talk about at the supper table. He was never a shy kid, but your class increased his confidence two-fold as well.

The best part of it is to thank you for the love of reading that your class has instilled in Cory. Now when I walk in his room, many times he is reading a book instead of playing his Xbox. He has tipped me off to many a good book. And he is so attached to his "Board" t-shirt that every week it is in the wash, and he has it back on as soon as it is clean.

Thank you!

Sincerely, Cathy Gable

****

Dear Mr. Guyette,

I am sending this email to let you know what a wonderful experience the all-boys course was for my son, Cameron. In past years, Cameron struggled in language courses. He was uninterested in the subject and it showed in his reading and comprehension scores and his grades.

_It was Cameron's idea to take your 10_ th _-grade all-boys class, and I have to say that I was a bit skeptical. I figured that he signed up so that he could be with his friends, and he would do worse. I'm excited to say that I was very wrong. Taking your class was one of the best things Cameron has done, and I wish he would've signed up as a freshman._

Cameron thrived in your class, was interested in the subjects that were presented, and paid more attention than ever before. I was amazed at the change in Cameron's attitude toward reading. It was no longer a chore for him. Thank you so much for providing the all-boys program, and for showing Cameron that learning can be enjoyable. You and your program have had a significant impact on Cameron and his future success in high school, college, and beyond.

Sincerely, Loraine LaVallee

Chapter 4: In the cave, fourth quarter

When students write persuasive essays, I always tell them to leave the reader with a memorable last line.

"Give the reader something to think about," I say.

Fourth quarter in my classroom has the same ideal – finish strong.

The freshmen read the book _Season of Life_ by Jeffrey Marx. Because the guys know me and vice versa by now, we are ready to have serious discussions about what it means to be a man in today's society. Reading books like this together is the most important activity I can carry out for these guys. Most dads are not going to sit their boys down and initiate talks about masculinity out of the blue, but that is OK. I don't either. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

This story of a wonderful coach, former NFL player Joe Ehrmann, and his high school football team serves as the perfect catalyst to every important idea that young men are thinking about – but not necessarily asking their role models about – as they make their way from boy to man. If I could have my son read one book in his teenage years, it would be this one.

Similarly, I treat the last two weeks with my sophomores as extra-special. We read the book _Guyland_ by Michael Kimmel, which analyzes the life choices and social world that men aged 16-to-26 face. The book starts with the "guy issues" during the latter stages of high school, dissects the transition to college years, and even investigates the post-college lives of men as they struggle to find satisfaction in their work lives, social lives, and personal lives at the same time. The content is a bit heavier, but most of the sophomores are 16 by now, and life outside mom and dad's constant watch does not seem so far-fetched any more.

4-9-13: What is success?

_Season of Life_ is more than a book; for me, it is an experience. Each year that I cover this book re-affirms my conviction for this profession. The boys know that the next three weeks will be filled with serious topics and heartfelt discussions. On the first day, before handing out the books, I placed a sign on each of my four walls: strongly agree, kind of agree, strongly disagree, and kind of disagree. I read five statements about male stereotypes and had them write their answers on a small sheet of paper. The statements:

#1: It is OK for men to show emotions and even cry.

#2: It is important for a man to have athletic ability.

#3: A man must have physical strength.

#4: The more girls a guy has, the more of a man he is.

#5: It is important for man to have strong relationships with other men.

Carrying their answers, they stood by the sign that matched their answer for each statement. We went through them one by one. First, I gave them 30 seconds to discuss with their neighbors why they chose the answer they did, and then we discussed each as a large group. While the answers varied for four of the questions, a large number of them agreed that having strong relationships with other guys was extremely important. I was pleased that they felt comfortable enough to admit that.

Most guys even said it's OK for a man to cry. In addition, a good number explained why athletic ability is not a qualification for manhood. I know critics of all-boys programs often say that we reinforce stereotypes, but the truth is probably closer to the opposite: We break them down.

The next day we did a writing exercise in which the boys wrote about "success", taking the topic whichever direction they pleased. Many of them talked about financial success, and that is fine, but many others were willing to go deeper. The discussions were tremendous; parents would be proud to listen to their boys. I would be remiss if I did not share some of their thoughtful and sometimes comical responses:

>> "Success is getting things done on your bucket list."

>> "Success is being able to have enough money to support your family and then buy other good stuff like cabins, boats, and snowmobiles."

>> "Success is having the paparazzi chase you all around town."

>> "Success involves taking care of the family. You should spend time with your kids and wife. You should have great and important relationships with them."

>> "Success is the base of human existence; without it, we would have nothing to strive for or work for. We would die out."

>> "To reach success, you have to work hard, be faithful, and don't be afraid to ask for help. People in this world are nice enough to help."

>> "If you have a family and you are providing for them, then you have reached the goal for most men."

>> "Some may say that they are successful, but really what have they accomplished? To me, I won't have success unless I am wiling to put in the work before. Success has to be earned and is not given out for free."

>> "I see success as getting to where YOU want to be in life, not what everyone else expects."

>> "Money, fame, power and glory don't make you successful; only happiness and joy make you successful."

On Day 3, we read about Joe, the book's protagonist, losing his younger brother Billy to cancer. The devastating loss was a life-changing event, for he began altering his decisions away from parties and self-indulgent behavior and toward service and giving. I gave the boys three writing options for today: death, a person close to them, or community service. Ninety percent of them poured their hearts out. Quoting all 54 of them would take too much time, but here is a sample of their work:

>> "Death makes us all vulnerable, whether you are afraid to die or accept the fact that you will. Before I die, I want to do something that will change the way people think. I believe the goal for everyone is not to be forgotten."

>> "Death brings sadness and remorse, but it also opens our eyes to things we can do to be happy and make a difference."

>> "I have always been closest to my brother. He is not always the kindest person, but there are just things I can tell him and not others. We have been close for as long as I can remember."

>> "The person I am closest to is my mom. My mom raised me all by herself and is still caring for me all by herself. I don't know what I would do without her."

>> "Helping out your community shows that you have a good, caring character. It also makes you feel better knowing that you took time out of your day to help people who need it."

>> "The closest person to me is my father. He is the greatest man alive and very inspiring to me. My father is loved by everyone. Well, some people."

>> "I am closest to my grandpa. My grandma says that I remind him of himself in his younger days. I try to follow the advice he gives me. When his time comes, a part of me will be destroyed. He is my best friend."

>> "If you live your life accepting the fact that death is imminent, then you will enjoy every day."

>> "I am very close to my grandpa. He is very friendly. He could go to Wal-Mart and talk with the greeter for hours."

4-18-13: Counseling 101

Derrick, one of my liveliest and happiest students, was down in the dumps yesterday. His usual energetic give-and-take was absent as he sat quietly at his desk. The behavior was so out of the ordinary that I pulled him aside and asked if he was OK. Avoiding eye contact, he turned his head away and said that he was fine.

I knew better. Something was bugging him. I let it go for one day, for he appeared to need time to stew silently and privately. Any kid can have a bad day; if the behaviors persisted, then I would consider taking the issue to a counselor.

Today was better. If he was a 1 yesterday and a 10 on normal days, he was a 5 today. Later on, about 30 minutes after school ended, Derrick appeared in my doorway. No smiles, very serious. He strolled up to my desk.

"When is that rough draft due?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," I said. "Which option are you going to pick?"

Each of the three persuasive writing options dealt with a school concept, and Derrick told me he was going to write about what percent of the material students are taught in school is actually valuable. The assignment asks the students to choose a percentage and then defend their number though examples and specifics.

I probed him for his initial notions so he could verbalize his thoughts before sitting down to write.

Then he spilled.

"It's just too bad," he said, "that I'm never going to get the job that I want to get."

"Why not?" I asked.

"My grades aren't good enough," he said. "And I'm no good at it."

Derrick's GPA is low but not absurdly low.

"I really like math," he said, "but I just can't get it."

Derrick was ready to talk, so we did.

Eventually, we chatted about how he wants to work for a company that specializes in space exploration. I was not surprised, for he has written persuasive essays about funding for NASA and research papers about the moon landing before. Some feeling must have swept over him during the past two days that he was not going to get into a math-and-science field and was destined instead for a low-paying service job the rest of his life.

I then told him a story about myself. When I was about his age, I contacted the _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ about working in journalism. One of my teachers at Pennings set up a meeting for me to spend a day in the sports department to see what the job was like, and I met a few of the reporters and editors. Then, early in my junior year, the editors called me and asked if I wanted to work there part-time, taking high school sports phone calls from 9-11:30 p.m. two nights a week. I accepted the job and worked in the news room as a junior and senior in high school; later on, I worked there during summers when home from college, and I was hired full-time the day after graduating from Syracuse.

Derrick and I talked about writing a letter to NASA to inquire about what he, as a 16-year-old, could be doing to prepare for a job in the space industry some day. I told him that experience, attitude, and getting his foot in the door somewhere is more important that his GPA. Fifteen minutes after coming into my room, Derrick exited at maybe a 7 or an 8.

"I believe in you, Derrick," I said. "You have too much charisma and energy and enthusiasm not to do something great with your life."

High school teachers across Wisconsin and the nation, I am sure, have these types of discussions with students every day. I am not unique. The results of this conversation are immeasurable in the short-term and will never be found on a performance review.

This, though, is what we teachers do.

4-19-13: Family life of boys

The final major _Season of Life_ discussion we have comes from a place in the book where one of the boys writes an essay describing his home life in two words. I read that part of the book and then asked the boys to do the same in a 100-word essay.

The results in a word: phenomenal.

Many of the boys were more than willing to honestly reveal their home lives: a mixture of love, laughter, support, argument, embarrassment, and chaos. Getting this information helps me to understand the boys better. After all, I will be with them all of next school year, too.

Exercises like this, though, also help the boys assess their own lives and connect with _Season of Life_ in a stronger way. One of the guys wrote that he believes every high school boy should read this book because of the powerful messages. Boys have long been taught not to show emotions, but this book helps them to break down that stereotype. It is our job as parents, teachers, coaches and friends to get those emotions out and help our young men figure out who they are and what kind of person they want to be.

A few excerpts:

>> "Inconsistent. Is dad going to be grumpy and make the night hell, or will he be really cool and chill?"

>> "Determined and loving. We are determined to make a difference in the world and help each other to do so. I can talk to any one of my family members about anything."

>> "Crazy and dysfunctional. We're always pissed off at each other. The only normal person in my house is my dad. He always sticks up for me, and I appreciate that."

>> "I love and cherish my family. They are the most important people in my life."

>> "Unfair and demanding. They demand that I be a perfect child."

>> "Quiet. My dad flipped out at me three weeks ago and we have only said two words to each other since then."

>> "I love my family but they get annoying. It's a realistic relationship; sometimes, I need a break from them."

>> "Loving and caring. My parents care about me and my brother but they don't always have their nose in our business and they let us have some freedom."

The honesty, as one can see, overflows.

4-25-13: The power of donuts

Teachers of sophomores were supposed to administer the second-semester sophomore performance task today. We also were scheduled to have a department meeting this week to finish up semester exams and begin work on the new junior-level courses for 2014-15. Instead, everything was cancelled. No official reason was given, but my hypothesis is that the principal is out of money for substitute teachers.

That's OK. The five of us LA10 teachers started meeting after school this week to fix up the exam, and none of us were crying about the loss of the second performance task.

Subsequently, I made the best of it and had an uplifting day in the classroom, using the power of donuts to get the boys fired up about prepositions.

To begin class, I gave the boys 60 seconds to open their grammar books to the page with the list of the 70-some prepositions. We have been studying phrases and clauses all semester, so this was hardly the first time they have looked at this list. The boys then had to partner up and decide which one of them would go to the front of the room for a "preposition bee". The winner would get two donuts, one for himself and one for his buddy.

The rules are these: Each boy must give a preposition. If he does, he stays in line. If he says a word that is not a preposition, he sits down. If he utters a preposition that has already been said, he sits down. The contest continues until only one boy is left. Usually, the winner makes it through six or seven rounds. This game works as a "hook" because every boy has a chance at a donut, whether he is standing in front competing for the prize or sitting in the chairs with a rooting interest.

For the remainder of the class, the boys did not protest working on recognizing subordinate clauses, writing participial phrases, or finding appositives in a sentence. They were too busy squabbling about who won and lost the donuts and why.

I am trying to use the Common Core to my advantage. As an English staff, we looked at the grammar standards – which are overly general and broad in some parts – and designated the identification and use of phrases and clauses (L1.b for those of you scoring at home) as the target for second semester freshmen. As a result, I have bombarded the boys with such exercises for the past 11 weeks.

Many of them have learned plenty about sentence structure and how to turn middle-school level writing into high-school level writing. About three or four in every class, though, still have no idea what I am talking about. They do not take notes, they do not work on the in-class exercises, and they do not touch the homework. Instead, they are more than content to sit passively, drift into la-la land, and take the 'F'. The humorous part of their indifference is how nice they usually are about it. When I pester them to get busy and put forth some effort, they will often smile, decline my request, and make a weak joke about the book being too heavy.

With 30 boys in a class, I do not have the time nor flexibility to sit down exclusively with three while the other 27 enjoy romper room. I have to keep moving about the class to keep a semblance of control.

The last of the 12 donuts, of course, went to me.

4-30-13: Books, books, and more books

Today, De Pere High School went back to the '80s. Not intentionally, of course. The computer system for the entire district was down all day, keeping the students from their beloved screens. Teachers were back to using pencil and paper to take attendance, and none of us could get to our email. The day was heaven.

In H108, it was a perfect day to read. Last week, the freshmen completed _Season of Life_ while the sophomores wrapped up either _Deadline_ by Chris Crutcher, a great author for teen boys, or _Tuesdays with Morrie_ by Mitch Albom. All three books encourage deep thinking about the present and establishing a life purpose.

During the next three weeks, the boys will have more of a choice. Freshmen can choose among five selections:

>> _Ironman_ by Chris Crutcher. A young triathlete overcomes negative adult males and his own bad temper as readers connect with the variety of problems of the kids in an anger management class.

>> _The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian_ by Sherman Alexie. Think _Diary of a Wimpy Kid_ for high schoolers. Same format, deeper issues.

>> _Until They Bring the Streetcars Back_ by Stanley Gordon West. Set in the late 1940s, a high school boy with impeccable morals risks his reputation to save the ugliest girl in school.

>> _The New Rules of High School_ by Blake Nelson. The realistic characters and dialogue are appealing as a high school boy tries to make his way through a mess.

>> _Chocolate War_ by Robert Cormier. The dark storyline, set at an all-boys high school, will lure readers who like a challenge.

Sophomores have a choice of six books:

>> _Escape from Camp 14_ by Blaine Harden: Not many people escape from North Korean concentration camps, and the main character's story is stunning. I learned much about the history and relationships of China and the Koreas.

>> _Wherever I Wind Up_ by R.A. Dickey: The sports fans, especially baseball lovers, devour this memoir of a baseball player who overcame abuse and failure.

>> _Catch Me If You Can_ by Frank Abagnale: Researching this amazing con-man story after reading it is almost as interesting as the book itself. Great movie, too.

>> _I Am the Cheese_ by Robert Cormier: Another Cormier specialty challenges readers to figure out whether a boy's memory is fact or fiction.

>> _The Things a Brother Knows_ by Dana Reinhardt: When a popular young man comes back home after serving for the U.S. military in the Middle East, his brother is the one who must try to unlock the mystery his older sibling has become.

>> _Raiders Night_ by Robert Lipsyte. A hazing incident at a high school football training camp raises the question "What is leadership?" while tackling common teen issues of friendship and fitting in.

This week we will be taking a couple of 20-minute reading sessions to get into our books. If the boys are not clicking with their first choice, they can switch. Many of them do. BOYS WILL READ. Choices and variety greatly aid the cause.

5-9-13: It's done! It's done!

The final pages of the 184-page yearbook were sent to the printer tonight. Back in October, I did not know if the staff would ever to get to this stage. As yearbook advisors around the country know, each year's publication is a minor miracle. (At this point, all I have to worry about is whether I missed a middle finger, an inappropriate photobomb, or a critical misidentification. Everything last year was OK, but two years ago a student noticed a drawing of a penis on the chalkboard in the background of a photo.)

Overall, the staff won me over this semester. Their work ethic improved greatly, and, when the yearbook arrives from the printer later this month, it will be the best of the three I have advised.

Yearbook is an unusual learning experience, one that replicates the business world better than a traditional teacher-directed English class. More than anything, the kids learn what it takes to finish a job and get something done as a team. Most English reading and writing work is a one-on-one relationship between the student and teacher, but this class has so many more elements:

**Dedication:** Some of the senior leaders put in tons of extra time, photographing weekend events and working from home in the days of the school's computer crash. They are ready to move onto bigger, more complex roles as college students and adults.

**Leadership:** Usually, I left the room during planning meetings and let the staff create page outlines and delegate individual responsibilities. I love viewing these meetings from outside the windows to witness who takes charge. The emergence of leadership is beautiful.

**Teamwork:** With students from each grade – freshman through senior – on the staff, the students must extend beyond their usual social groups and mix. The seniors must accept the freshmen and learn how to mentor; the freshmen must be outgoing, assertive and not intimidated by the seniors. Everyone learns to critically challenge each other in order to meet the deadlines and make the final product the best it can be.

**Initiative:** Hard work and creativity were rewarded, both with better grades and superior skill development. Those who lacked initiative and were bored learned something valuable too: They need to find a job that has great structure. The open-endedness of the publication process does not fit their personality. I always tell students that this course teaches them more about themselves than any particular academic skill.

During the next three weeks, we will prepare for publication and try to develop an advertising campaign to sell the remaining 170 books. The hard part, though, is over.

5-10-12: Boys' humor

Because of major computer system issues, our students have not been able to log in to the district's network for the past two weeks, and both students and teachers lost just about everything from their personal folders. Add that frustration to the fact that everyone sees the light at the end of the tunnel by mid-May, and one can understand why surliness is on the rise.

Therefore, today, before going over phrases and clauses for the 15th time this semester, we made our own fun.

Board drawings were on the schedule for all classes. In second hour, a student who was boarded for shooting at birds in his spare time – the guys love to tattle on each other if it means a possible boarding – was picked. In third hour, two sophomores who had never been chosen in two years were selected, delighting the crowd.

But the drawing in sixth hour was clearly the highlight of the day.

First, I offer a bit of background. A couple of weeks ago, not all students from a particular class went on a field trip, and they needed somewhere to go during that hour. A couple of them were freshmen, so I volunteered to take them in and let them sit on the couches with the guys in my LA9 class. Grant, whom I know because he played on the eighth-grade basketball team I coached last year, was one of them.

Grant is a popular kid with a great attitude; when he stayed with us, we treated him like one of the guys. The class did a writing assignment that day, so during the last five minutes, when some of the boys shared what they wrote, I called on Grant. He did not write anything.

"That's a board!" one of the guys shouted.

Playfully, I put Grant's name on the board in the sixth-hour box.

"Yeah!" the guys erupted.

Grant then protested. "But I am not even in this class," he said.

Another of the boys piped up: "Protesting the board. That's another board!"

So I gave Grant a check.

The boys then explained the rules of the board to Grant, who is in one of the co-ed LA9 classes, hoping he would get picked and bring everyone treats.

"If I get picked," Grant announced humorously, "I am quitting school."

That quote has been on the board for the last two weeks. Freshman boys I have never seen before have come up to me lately and asked whether Grant got picked yet and if we were actually going to force him to leave school. His friends have been teasing him every day since then about bringing in a plate of brownies for everyone. (These are the games freshman boys play. As a teacher, I can either get annoyed or join in and be silly with them.)

For the drawing today, the boys went and 'kidnapped' Grant from the lunchroom, four of them bringing him down the hall with a sweatshirt over his head as if he were a criminal entering the courtroom.

Of course, the drawing was rigged. Before we went to get Grant, I put all 11 names onto small squares of paper and into the drawing box, but I folded Grant's and left the other ones flat. The plan was for Cooper to pick two names – first a flat one and then Grant. Sensing the anticipation, the entire class swore to secrecy. The excitement was so high that the 25 guys from Sara's room came over to watch.

When Cooper picked Oscar's name out first, Grant smiled widely, thinking he was half way to escaping. All sets of eyes then focused on Grant as Cooper gave me a smirk, reached into the box, and pulled out a slip of paper. Carefully unwrapping it, and playing the event to the hilt, Cooper paused before saying, "Grant!"

I'm not saying the cheer was as loud as a Lambeau Field touchdown, but it was close. Whether Grant ever brings in a treat is irrelevant. Grant is a great sport, and he was willing to be the target of the joke so that everyone else could have fun. Strangely enough, these are the times the boys are most likely to remember. Boys show their love for each other in strange ways.

(Update: Grant brought in a package of Oreos the next week. When Oscar opened the package and immediately took three for himself, he was boarded for hogging the cookies.)

5-13-13: Speak to me

Most English teachers, I would guess, save the speaking and listening standards for the fourth quarter. The reason? As the weather warms up (let's say anything after May 1), the students' propensity to spend large amounts of time on reading and writing rapidly decreases. It's not that they _won't_ read and they _won't_ write, but the quality of their written work is not as high in May as it is in December. I have no scientific proof of this, just years of experience.

The sophomores are doing fishbowl discussions for their May book choice. Groups of 4-to-6 boys who picked the same book will spend 20 minutes discussing it in the middle of the room while the rest of the class watches from the outside and evaluates the quality of their conversation. The Common Core wants students to work on group skills – being prepared for a discussion, making effective points during it, and responding to the comments of others. I have no problem with these standards; most of the boys will need these skills at some point in their work lives.

During the past two weeks, we have been practicing, with the graded book talks scheduled to begin Thursday. My goal during these spontaneous warm-ups is to get them to experience what happens when they are unprepared; optimistically, they will take the lesson and prepare extensively for their book discussion.

The biggest challenge, I can foresee already, will be the self-control of the 25 who are observing. When 30 boys are in a classroom, the lure of interjecting random comments in the hopes of getting a laugh is strong. We have practiced and witnessed the effect of rude behavior on the outside; getting the boys to decentralize for the purpose of being a good audience member is one of the tougher day-to-day parts of teaching. _(Update: Thankfully, overall behavior problems were few.)_

The second half of each class today was devoted to my showing the boys how much I love to read. I cannot just tell them to read; I must be their reading role model. If the boys leave me after two years liking to read more than they did when they came to me as a freshman, then I have succeeded.

With the freshmen today, I shared the main ideas of my current free-time book ( _Quiet_ by Susan Cain), developed four questions about the content (introverts and extroverts), and had them react in 75 words complete with an appositive, a participle and a subordinate clause. The sophomores read a recent _Time_ cover article about the balance of individual privacy and government surveillance in the wake of the Boston Marathon attack. Guys like these kinds of issues. They responded in short essay with the same grammatical requirements.

Each student spoke, read and wrote today. It's not all that sexy, but everyone left H108 having done at least some critical thinking.

_(Update: The boys love_ Escape from Camp 14 _. The discussions have been magnificent. We can teach boys all about the Holocaust, internment camps, and World War II, but the fact that these prison camps in North Korea exist TODAY really revs their engines. The analytical thinking that the boys have done has been enjoyable. The main character's life is hard to imagine.)_

5-14-13: From the guys next door

Sara is taking her turn teaching _Season of Life_ to her group of freshmen boys. We thought for two seconds about switching classes for three weeks so that I could discuss the book with the boys and have man-to-man discussions, but her trust level with them is high. She can talk to them about being a man just as well as I can. Sure, she's not speaking from experience, but she offers a unique perspective and cares just as much as I do.

Today, Sara shared some of the reflection papers from her group. The depth of ideas is identical to my class's papers last month. _Season of Life_ really makes young men consider who they are and whom they want to be. I cannot recommend it more highly.

A sampling:

>> "If your son does things that aren't like the stereotypical man, let him be. He's a man in his heart and own way."

>> "Stephen Hawking is the greatest mind of our generation. He does not need to be tough. He is in a wheelchair and is more of a man than a lot of guys."

>> "When I become a man, I want to be strong but I also want to have good relationships. I want to be the man I always wanted to be."

>> "No woman is going to marry some emotionless freak who thinks that showing love and sadness is unacceptable."

>> "Men don't have to be the toughest or the meanest. They just have to be good fathers, good husbands, good brothers, good sons, and good friends."

And, finally, here's one for a good chuckle.

>> "People shouldn't cry or get upset from getting pinched. They should be able to take things like that. A gun shot or a punch to the face is another thing."

5-17-13: One-on-one

The class sophomore class discussions have been great, and the freshmen have started their final research paper of the year (500 words – minimum two sources), but sometimes the most important work we do is not done in full view. Three one-on-ones this week exemplify my point:

>> Keith came in after school Thursday to discuss his book. To show that they know their material, the boys have four choices: participate in a panel discussion during class, give a three-minute speech, write an essay, or visit me after school. Not many others read _The Chocolate War_ , so Keith made an appointment with me for 3:05.

Unfortunately, I forgot that we had a staff meeting until 3:30. When I got back to my room, Keith was waiting for me. He had run a few errands, or at least that is what he said to lessen my guilty conscience. He stayed until 4. The content of our discussion originally focused on the main character, who refused to do what everyone else at school wanted him to do.

Eventually, Keith shared with me how he felt that a large percentage of his class – maybe 30 percent, he estimated – is starting to drink alcohol regularly. We talked about how people change their priorities once in high school, how friends change from September to June, and how difficult remaining true to one's self is amid all the peer pressure. An excellent athlete with tremendous leadership potential, Keith is troubled by the fact that he is losing some of his friends socially.

I noticed today in class that Keith worked well on a collage project with two other boys who are also reading _The Chocolate War_. Neither of those boys is an athlete. On most days, Keith does not sit near either of them. We talked about this as well. Keith was proud that he stepped outside of his normal friend clique.

"You are going to be a popular athlete," I said, "so it's important that you make friends with all kinds of kids. By the time you are a senior, if you only hang out with other athletes, most of the guys in the stands are not going to cheer for you. They are going to resent all the attention you get, be jealous of you, and hope that you fail. It should be your goal to be sure that the other guys in the stands are cheering for you and not against you."

>> I have tried the Mr. Nice Guy approach with Tanner, who still has not turned in any major projects from the first 14 weeks of this semester. When he wrote an in-class persuasive essay on Wednesday that was among the top 5 of the 59 I read, I attempted a different approach.

"You are really irritating me," I told him. "Do you know how much talent and ability you have? Do you know how good of a writer you are?"

He looked at me, not saying a word. I continued.

"You are one of the best. But do you know where your work ethic ranks? It's one of the worst. High school is about content, sure, but it's also about developing work habits so that when you are 24 years old and you have your first job that you don't get fired after a week because you never got anything done."

Once I got his attention, I put the blame on myself.

"I feel like I have failed with you. When I see someone with talent like you, my job is to get the most out of you and get you to achieve to levels you didn't even think you had. But I have not done that with you, and I feel terrible about that. I don't know what's happened."

Then the truth came out.

"I know what happened," he said, and I braced myself because I had no idea where this was going.

"I have a very obsessive personality," he said. "Last year I was obsessed with my school work, and I made sure I got done with it before I did anything else. This summer I got an X-Box, and when I go home after school, I get obsessed with the games and I really don't do much of anything else."

The look in his eye was one of embarrassment.

"Well, I cannot help you with that," I said. "Only you can help yourself in that regard. The most I can do is this: I can tell you how much talent you have, and I can tell you how I want you to have great success in school so that you can get the job you want someday. But the rest is up to you. You have to decide to want to be great."

By this time, the computer lab was empty, the bell to start class had already rung, and we both needed to get going.

(Update: Tanner handed in his persuasive paper a week later – completely plagiarized. He took a two-and-a-half page paper word-for-word off the Internet. I was flabbergasted. When I contacted his parents, they were totally supportive of any consequences. I cannot overemphasize how thankful I am for their reaction; most of the time parents of students who plagiarize do everything they can to defend their child and give them another chance. Tanner will be heading to summer school.)

>> In the past two years, I have probably received more emails from Scott's mom than from the rest of my parents combined. She is a single mom who has been dealing with Scott's anger issues, medical issues, study habits, and more. She tries very hard.

Scott and I are coming to the end of a two-year journey together. Last year, his classroom behavior was marked by extreme immaturity – shooting rubber bands, playing paper football, excessive talking, and, of course, electronics. Sometimes when I would speak to him about missing work, he would intentionally ignore me, keeping his eyes on his gaming system and not even acknowledging my presence. He was rude; I was frustrated.

Thankfully, Scott never gave up on himself. His mom would not let him. I give her all the credit in the world. I saw huge, positive changes in Scott's behavior this year, and our relationship developed to the point that he asked me to be a job reference a couple months ago. The owner actually called me, and Scott got the job. (Not many students ask the teacher whose class they are getting a 'D' in for a reference, but I have found that the strength of the relationships I have with the guys often has very little to do with their academic performance in English.)

Scott has matured to the point that now, every Friday afternoon, he comes to see me after school to check on his missing work. It's taken him two years to realize that his teachers and his parents are on his side. We can joke around now. He gives eye contact.

And before he heads out, Scott extends his hand for a firm handshake.

"Have a great weekend, Mr. Guyette."

Awesome.

(Update: Scott's paper came in on Monday. It was his best effort of the year.)

5-24-13: Coming of age

"Our time together is almost over," I began class with the sophomores today. "Of the 360 days we will have spent together over the past two years, we have about 10 left. Before I send you off, though, I have one final book for you.

" _Guyland_ by Michael Kimmel focuses on a stage of life that all of you are entering at this time in your lives. It is a stage of transition, a time of tremendous self-realization, and the period of time when a boy becomes a man. The cover says that this stage begins at about age 16 and goes through about age 26. Some of you will be there longer, some shorter. But many of you turned 16 this year or will be turning 16 soon. You are all leaving the stage of being a boy with no real responsibilities. Your job was to play, to go to school, and to have fun.

"When you turn 16, though, you start to take on adult-like responsibilities. Many of you will drive. Some of you will get jobs. You will start buying your own gas, paying for your own insurance, or using your own spending money. As a junior, you will likely stop all of the silly behaviors of a boy. School will become less of a playground. I have been here 12 years, and I see it all the time: Something will happen to your maturity this summer. You will come back here in September much more mature than you are right now.

"You will see that the day you are going to leave home is closer than ever. You will start visiting colleges and taking ACTs and making decisions that will determine your future, whether it be a profession, the military, or college. Serious decisions. Life-altering decisions.

"And once you leave home, you will be on your own. Some of you will move out of Wisconsin and be in a totally new environment. If you are at college, no one will be there to make you go to class or get your homework done. If you are working, no one will wake you up to show up for work on time. You will chart your own course. You will succeed or fail on your own.

"Eventually, some of you will take a spouse. Some of you will buy a house. You will start to pay taxes, buy life insurance, pay a mortgage, take care of your yard, and make decisions with people other than yourself in mind. You might be responsible for a child. And when you reach that stage, you will have left Guyland.

"When you have all of those things, you are a man. You have a full plate of responsibilities. I left Guyland when I got married at 25. Until then, I was mostly focused on making money and having a good time and taking as many great trips as I could to please myself. Once I got married and realized that I was responsible for someone else's happiness, I left Guyland.

"That's what this book is about. It's about all the issues you will deal with during these next 10 years of your life. You do not have to read the book cover to cover. Different chapters in the book will apply to different people, depending on your interests, family life, financial situation, or other personal factors. But there is something in here for everyone. Something that will make you think. Your job is to find it.

"Skip and skim this book. Figure out what is relevant to you. In a couple of weeks, you will share what you found.

"I will not be with you as you go through this stage in your life. You will have other teachers and will act more grown-up than you do now. The best thing I can do is give you this book so that your days in Guyland are the best they can be. I want these days to be productive, not destructive, for you."

They were silent when I gave this speech. That is their way of showing respect.

Afterwards, we played a guessing game with all of the statistics from the book. For the last 10 minutes, the boys reacted to some of the more surprising numbers. Clearly, they are thinking about what it means to be a man, and this class allows them to voice those thoughts in a safe setting. This book is my final act of literary love for them.

5-30-13: Coming to a close

What is on my mind today?

**The good:** The last few days with my sophomores have been fantastic. We have had magnificent discussions about sports and its societal importance ( _Guyland_ , Ch. 6), and we talked about the social pressures on girls to conform to a man's world ( _Guyland_ , Ch.11). The guys sense that our days are winding down, and they are giving me one last effort push, resisting the slack-off malaise that late May often brings.

**The bad:** Some freshmen are losing focus and still unmotivated to get work in and obtain passing grades. They fail to see the eventual consequences of their inactions, and I will not do the work for them or give them a free grade just so that we all look good.

**The stressful, part I:** We added the final articles to the last issue of the school newspaper, an eight-page section with a pullout map of where all of the seniors are headed next year. I sent the final page to the printer at 10:15 last night, hoping that the 1,000 copies would be delivered by next Wednesday, the date of graduation. _(Update: They were. Yes!)_

**The stressful, part II:** We handed out yearbooks to the seniors today before they headed off to senior picnic. One would be amazed – or maybe not – at the number of students and parents who claim to have ordered a yearbook but really did not. Having to break the news to the disappointed students is never easy, and most parents can be rationally talked to once they realize they do not have a receipt or proof of purchase. _(One difficult parent, though, ripped us off with her false claims.)_ My last four days have been loaded with taking orders, depositing money, and organizing delivery of the yearbook during my prep time and after-school hour.

**The stressful, part III:** I have been trying to finish correcting the 54 freshman research papers that were turned in last week. My goal is to find time to finish up the final 20 this weekend.

**The stressful, part IV:** I have tutored for the ACT for two hours a night for the last three weeks, taking up much of my early evenings. With the school year's final ACT scheduled for June 8, many juniors are making one last push to get the score they want or need. The extra income is nice, and I enjoy helping students one-on-one, as opposed to the 30-on-1 in the classroom.

**The stressful, part V:** Because our department's monthly meetings have been cancelled, we have been putting the final touches on the English 9 and English 10 exams via email. We do not all have the same prep hour, and after school meetings have not been working for a variety of reasons. Luckily, we are all very agreeable and flexible and willing to pitch in to make the test as fair and accurate as possible.

**The heart-warming:** Yesterday was the final class day for seniors, and Blaine, one of the original 14, came in after school for his last game of chess as a high school student. I have known Blaine since sixth grade when he joined my chess class; I also coached him in middle school basketball and taught him in LA9 and LA10.

Today's game marked the end of our time together. He is one of my favorite students because he has remarkable perspective on what is important, he is honest and open with me, and he can take teasing as well as give it (a skill not everyone has at this age).

Once we were finished, Blaine shared with me his feelings about leaving behind the comfortable world of high school for the unknown of college. Most seniors at this point are constantly blustering bravado about how they cannot wait to get out of here because they have bigger and better things to do in life. Because Blaine and I know each other so well, we can get past that false front and have a sincere conversation about being at the stage of life he is experiencing. Sharing any more details of our post-match talk would violate Blaine's trust, but let me say that he is one of the students I will truly miss.

6-5-13: Final talk with the sophomores

For our last day of _Guyland_ , I had the boys write 150 words, reflecting on the part of the book that made them think the most. Ninety percent of the answers were deep and thoughtful, and many of the boys shared their ideas in class, leading to another day of great dialogue.

I have excerpted some of the boys' comments and my responses:

>> "I believe that how you are bullied in high school will affect you for the rest of your life." (Correct. The guys are always interested when I share me memories of being bullied in middle school. I still remember those times vividly.)

>> "This speaks to me because I have been a victim and a bystander to bullying. I had absolutely no idea that boys commit suicide more than girls. Why is that?" (The Guy Code reinforces silence and solitude.)

>> "Some guys want to go get a little action one night and then never talk to the girl again. Guys need to understand that you can't run around taking advantage of girls because you don't know their personal lives behind the scenes." (A very mature statement. The strong man has positive relationships with women.)

>> "The book said that 80 percent of fraternity and sorority members reported binge drinking or drinking until you pass out or puke. I don't understand how those activities lead into manhood." (They don't. Drinking to excess is just a distraction.)

>> "I think some of the initiations are designed to keep the 'man' in the child's world of fun and games. I think becoming a man is learning the balance of fun and work." (Bingo.)

>> "It's shocking how big the porn industry is. It's disturbing how men use porn to get back at women, but porn ruins men in a way in that it gives out unrealistic expectations and keeps men from forming relationships with women. Isn't it more like a lack of self-control?" (I agree. Neither gender benefits from the porn industry.)

>> "The one thing guys hate most is being called 'gay'. This is why we do stupid things – to prove that we're still men. Men, for some psychological reason, need the acceptance of other men more than the acceptance from women." (Once men mature, they will realize they need acceptance of both genders.)

>> "As for the fact that women like English more than men do, boys need to look at it this way: English is the art of communication. The world revolves around humans communicating." (I love English, too!)

>> "There is no way around it: Kids will always be drinking alcohol in high school and college. Drinking is a way teens and college students can be rebellious without being too rebellious." (If this is true, then moderation and safety are imperative.)

>> "I don't know if I want to end up in Guyland or not. Should I avoid Guyland at all costs and miss out on all the fun, or should I get in, do work, and get out before it's too late?" (If you make smart decisions and treat others well, you will be fine.)

There were so many more like this. As I stated back in Chapter 1, guys will go deep. They are all entering a critical time in their lives; my hope is that the thinking they have done the last two weeks with this book propels them toward a better future.

6-6-13: Breaking the news

I told the kids about the book yesterday. Generally, they were excited and intrigued.

I shared that publishing a book has been a goal of mine since I was about 10 or 11 years old and realized I had a passion for writing; I did not have the talent yet at that age, but I enjoyed it. As an adult, I honed my craft and eventually, through journalism and work experience, added aptitude to my attitude.

The students were interested in the fact that I have tried writing novels about nine or 10 times, only to realize that I am absolutely awful at it. Because they are young, some guys see me as having a supernatural ability, so when I admitted my ineptitude in a particular phase of my specialty, they were surprised.

They had many questions. Immediately, most of the guys wanted to know if they are included in these pages (Corey asked if the plane-throwing incident is in there) and whether The Board is mentioned, but later in our discussion, some asked deeper questions about the theme of the book and what I hoped to accomplish.

We teachers often do not know when, where, and how we are going to inspire our students, and I received a letter today from one of the boys, who stopped in before school and handed me a note. Initially, I thought it was a late assignment, so I put it in my pile of papers to correct at night. I was wrong.

Here is an excerpt:

"Mr. G.,

"I love to write. I've started stories, movies, songs, everything. When you talked about your book, something I have dreamed of doing since 5th grade, that really inspired me. I also thought of it as weird because a student who could care less about school (me) can connect to a teacher. ...

"Today, seeing you speak so passionately about your book, that's when the little fire sparking my dream was lit again. Thank you for bringing my dream back. I wanted to write just to let you know that what you're doing at the high school is making a huge difference in at least one student's life.

"Your biggest admirer,

"Carl."

I do not reach every kid. I was reminded of that this week when one of the boys tossed his certificate of completion from the LA10 graduation ceremony back at me and said, "I don't want this. It's stupid. I just sat in this class all year and listened to my music."

So when I am able to hit the mark with boys like Carl, I feel good.

Or when Derrick, who is moving out of state in two weeks, comes in after school to thank me for everything the past two years, I feel good.

Or when Max brings in a Dairy Queen cake for his freshman classmates to share during final exams, I feel good.

Or when Frank brings in a personalized sheet cake for the class from Piggly Wiggly on the final day, and Trey hauls in 36 cans of soda to wash it down with, I feel good.

Or when Patrick writes me a thank-you letter and purchases a gift card from Barnes and Noble, I feel good.

Tough to make data off that.

Fourth passing time: The year in review

Even veteran teachers have room for improvement.

That concept was the theme as Sara, Kirsten and I sat down on June 12, the day after school ended, for a 30-minute reflection as we discussed the year and the direction of the program. Most of the dialogue centered on what we can do better next year – both individually and collectively.

Kirsten had a difficult first semester. She missed the first six weeks after giving birth to her first child during the summer, and coming back to classes of 30 and 31 freshmen while integrating the new Common Core curriculum was a challenge-and-a-half.

In past years, Kirsten and I have found news stories with a gender-oriented slant and brought the boys and girls into the community room for reading and discussion. We did not do that this year, and that bothered Kirsten, who said her goal for next year is to find more material, preferably Core-friendly non-fiction, that forces the girls to analyze their role as young women in society.

On the positive side, she was pleased with the girls' fourth-quarter work and the fact that everyone passed. Anyone who attended the LA10 end-of-the-year celebration and heard the speeches from the girls could see the love they had for each other and their sorority.

"Having 30 and 31 girls in the freshman classes, I am not getting to the struggling ones," Kirsten said. "And it's too slow for the girls that probably should've taken honors but wanted to be in an all-girls class. If we could get the class sizes a little smaller, things would be better, but I think that's beyond our control."

Kirsten will have two sophomore classes and three freshman classes next year.

Sara will remain in the all-boys program for 2013-14, taking a pair of freshman classes while releasing her current group to me as sophomores. In her own words, she will be more prepared.

"I felt like I tried too many things – almost to be gimmicky – and I didn't need to do that, and I found that out a little too late," Sara said. "I tried to change my instruction too much because I thought something might be fun, and I didn't need to do any of that. When I stopped doing it, no one missed it."

In the end, Sara said, she believed that her gender made little-to-no difference to the boys. The boys created their own camaraderie, and any concern she had about being able to "handle" a large group of boys quickly disappeared. On the last day of classes, two boys gave her a small golden apple key chain that said "Best English Teacher" and melted her heart.

"I told them at the beginning of the year that I chose to do this," she said, "and I think that was enough to get their respect. Sometimes I felt that they were protective – that protective male instinct. I think that was part of the reason why they were so kind to me.

"If I would've exploded on them, or yelled at them all the time, then it wouldn't have worked. The patience piece is the key."

The funniest story we shared came from a comment from one of the boys. During the second semester, Sara had a sophomore who found himself amongst a group of freshmen because he failed a semester of LA9 with me last year.

On his end-of-the-year evaluation, he wrote:

"I am glad I failed a semester last year, because I had a wonderful experience in here with the freshmen."

That's called making the best of it, right?

Chapter 5: Living in a political world

Teaching has changed remarkably in the past three years.

During my first 12 years as a teacher, I never paid much attention to politics or my salary. Financially, I make about the same amount as I did at the _Press-Gazette_ , and I enjoy having a job with so much flexibility, creativity, and significance. In my world, trust levels between everyone seemed to be high – I never encountered a parent or administrator who didn't believe that my instruction and motives were completely devoted to making my students intellectually stronger and more curious.

Then, Wisconsin's Act 10 came along at about the same time as Common Core standards, new teacher evaluation systems, new state tests, school report cards, budget cuts, voucher school expansion, pay cuts, and everything else. All of a sudden, the merits of teachers and the public education system were put through the ringer on a daily basis. Reading the paper and watching the nightly news became stressful. Teacher-bashing was in vogue.

Entire books have already been written on the politics involved in these changes, and I would rather not engage in a toothpick fight of who is right or wrong. Most people have set their personal political positions in cement. My goal in this section is to offer a look at what these changes are doing to our teachers and our students. Some are positive, while some are negative. Certainly I am biased because I AM A TEACHER, but I also hope that I am balanced and fair.

That, of course, will be for you, the reader, to decide.

8-29-12: We fought the data, and the data won

Let me put standardized testing into sports analogies:

Those who believe effective teachers and schools can be identified based on students' test scores, graduation rates and other measurable data have a big lead late in the fourth quarter. They are wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

Those who believe effective teaching is more about instilling in students abstract concepts such as character, diligence, curiosity, enthusiasm, compassion and inspiration are six runs down in the bottom of the ninth. Their NBA team has a ping-pong ball in the draft lottery.

First-day staff in-services used to be about how to connect with kids and encourage extracurricular participation, how to design effective assessments, how to collaborate within departments and synergize curriculum, or other ways to improve the experience of our students.

Today's in-service was about fear.

Wisconsin's move toward more data, more testing, and more accountability – for public schools, that is – is in full swing. As the immortal Rick James exclaimed, "Ahhhhhh.....freak out!"

I am not against all standardized tests, though they have their shortcomings. (See any local library for complete books about this idea.) Nor am I against having students' scores attached to my evaluations. One half of the state thinks this is a good idea, and they are helping to pay my salary, so I can roll with it. Because data will only count for one half of our evaluations starting in 2014-15, we still have some control over our job performance.

However, in order to make this work effectively and accurately, one MAJOR issue must be addressed: High school kids do not care about their state scores. Until this reality is addressed, whatever the adults – teachers, administrators, parents, politicians – do in this scenario is not going to matter.

Students DO care about their grades, and they DO care about their ACT scores, because those numbers are used for high school co-curricular eligibility, forwarded to colleges for admission, and submitted for scholarships and financial aid. I would have no problem being evaluated based on my students' ACT scores or classroom progress.

But state tests? Ha! I would welcome any die-hard test supporter to come into my class and watch kids take these tests. I can do a fantastic job teaching all of the Language Arts Common Core standards, challenge my students with engaging texts, and deliver difficult assessments to ensure their readiness for the state test. But if my guys stay out until 2:30 in the morning for the midnight release of a video game and come in to school five hours later, barely able to keep their eyes open (as many of my boys did in 2011), are their scores going to be an accurate reflection of my ability or theirs?

As someone who has proctored Wisconsin state tests for many years, my estimates are as follows: About 25 percent of the students produce a full effort and get the best score they can; about 50 percent give a decent effort but do not stress out or take too much time on the tough questions; and about 25 percent do not care one bit, filling out the circles randomly and quickly in order to get as much nap time as possible.

That is why many high school teachers are freaking out.

What are the problems? The results do not come back in a timely manner; the students do not have anyone go over their mistakes with them; the teachers never see the scores unless they go into the counseling office and dig through the students' cumulative folders; the tests take three or four days; and no note of the scores is made on the students' report cards or transcripts. In sum, the scores have ZERO impact on the students' academic present or future.

The high school students know all of this. So do their parents. I had a discussion with a parent last Friday who told me directly: "I don't care about state tests." With that outlook at home, how hard is that student going to try?

It would be nice to assume that all students will give their best effort on these tests because they want their school to look good. With younger kids, that might be the case. As my sister, a third-grade teacher in Neenah, confirms, her kids still want to please. Thinking 16-year-olds are going to fall for the same ruse under the current set-up is folly. Until this test counts for something, not everyone will give his or her best; that is not pessimism but reality.

If our major concern is to make sure teachers are doing their jobs, then try this radical idea: Hire full-time expert evaluators (retirees, maybe?) with no connections to a specific school – in other words, not the teachers' friends – to drop in unannounced and observe on a regular basis.

Make sure every teacher is observed at least once a quarter. Keeping teachers on their guard EVERY DAY will improve the day-to-day teaching in a high school dramatically. Use the money that is spent on all of these tests to pay evaluators. If we want to guarantee that our kids are getting a great lesson every day in every class, which is frankly what this hullabaloo is all about, this is one way to do it.

Teachers who teach well and are fully prepared with engaging lessons will not like the disturbance or the anxiety, but they will understand the process and accept the goal. Teachers who squawk the hardest at such a plan are the ones who don't give a full effort every day and would fear being caught checking their email in the middle of class or, worse yet, not having a lesson that day and just giving a study hall.

If we all are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY serious about improving test scores and academic achievement, we need to make sure our teachers are being effective every day. I would rather be observed four times a year by an expert educator and get valuable feedback than have my evaluation depend on my students' haphazard test scores.

I cannot stop them from those midnight video-game runs, you know.

At today's in-service, I started tallying how many times I heard the words "data" and "accountability".

I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

9-20-12: Testing 1-2, Testing 1-2

I like music. If I had to put a song that captured the state of teaching high school English today, it would be David Bowie's "Changes".

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes/Turn and face the strain/Ch-ch-changes

Today was the first of about a dozen department meetings scheduled throughout the year, as focus on testing, rubrics, assessments, performance tasks, and final exams has become a significant part of who we are and what we do. In addition, we have 67 Language Arts Common Core standards to weave into the day-to-day curriculum. Some of these ideas we have not taught before, and all of them require rubrics.

Many of us are totally re-writing our lesson plans and reorganizing our units. (Not that this is bad, but many veterans are feeling like first-year teachers again.)

The amount of assessing we are doing these days is substantial. As someone who spent six years in the private sector before teaching, I understand the push for teacher accountability. I really do. Working the sports desk at the _Press-Gazette_ , I was responsible for meeting deadlines every night. However, the result of this obsession is that teachers are being pulled out of the classroom once every 15-20 days to construct and grade these assessments. Everything has become life-or-death. YOU BETTER KNOW THIS STUFF OR I MIGHT GET FIRED! Room for teacher creativity still exists, but the window is getting smaller.

I just work here. I will do what I am told. But I believe I speak for many of my peers when I worry about our kids getting burned out from testing. Everything we do is geared toward preparing kids for tests, whether it is the state assessment, the Common Core, the ACT, or our own final exams. I am skeptical but hopeful that this movement will produce the test-score increases we as a school, state, and nation are looking for. I worry what will happen and be said if nothing changes, which is a distinct possibility.

The big mystery for us in Wisconsin is what the new state test, which is coming in two years, will contain. English teachers at De Pere have looked at small samples and been given a general idea, but as we design a curriculum around these 67 standards, we wonder which ones will be emphasized most. Will all of them be on the test? Half of them? One fourth of them? Should we spend more time on parallel structure or semicolons? Will reading or writing be emphasized more? Will it be a waste of time to spend six days teaching a vocabulary standard that then doesn't appear? How are speaking and listening standards going to be handled? We don't know.

We are trying to be proactive, but mostly we are guessing.

9-25-12: Can't be in two places at once

Today was the 15th day of classes. After spending seven hours correcting freshman writing assessments, our 12-person English department has now been out of the classroom for curriculum work twice.

I have mixed feelings. Missing full days at this point delays the relationship development with the freshmen. The lesson plans I leave with the sub are limited to movies or busywork, and I feel terrible about that. The truth is, though, that a substitute is not going to bestow new material to 30 boys who do not know and respect him or her. I wish that were not true, but it is reality. (And I know my yearbook staff most likely made little progress without me there. This, too, is not the sub's fault. Kids are not going to put the pedal to the metal for a sub.)

On the other hand, the work we are doing IS valuable. Each of our 300 freshmen receives a persuasive essay evaluated on five writing standards ranging from organization to punctuation. We teachers analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the class, and, over the next few weeks, we will conference individually with our freshmen to tell them what they did well and what they need to work on.

The students love the one-on-one feedback.

10-11-12: A-C-T! A-C-T! A-C-T!

Not everyone needs to attend a four-year college or university. For one reason or another, some kids are more suited to a technical school to learn a trade, and others are better off entering the workforce or military upon graduation. Education is not a one-size-fits-all institution.

But all kids _should_ have the option and the confidence that, yes, they can make it to college if they want to pursue that route.

This morning De Pere High School blocked off periods 1-through-5 and administered ACT-type tests to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The juniors took a full ACT, while the younger grades took scaled-down but similar versions. I proctored tests for 20 freshmen in my room. This is the third consecutive year we have offered ACT practice to all students, and I like it. (So do parents of my freshmen and sophomores. On my weekly blog, 44 out of 47 parents voted "yes" to the question: "Are you pleased with the fact that De Pere HS is taking a day of school to give practice ACTs?")

Days like today are useful in that they plant a seed in young minds that their post-high school lives are not that far away. The ACTs do not make them any smarter, and all that the students learned today is how to take a test. The kids did not seem to mind the exercise. They have only been here a month – not enough to be jaded.

We teachers just need to make sure that we do not sell the fact that college is the only option. Plenty of our students will not go to college but still live productive, successful lives.

11-2-12: Grading – we are professional judges

Teaching writing takes time. Grading writing takes even more time.

Unlike math, writing has no right answers, only guidelines and philosophies. Every grade is an individual judgment of value and effectiveness. Today the English staff was out of the classroom again – the third time in 41 school days – to grade essays juniors wrote that simulated the ACT writing experience (one prompt, 30 minutes).

Twelve people. Three hundred essays. Two readers per essay. We started at 8:00 in the morning and finished at 2:45. By the end of the day, we were all drained. The biggest challenge is maintaining focus and making sure the last 30 get as much careful attention as the first 270.

Ninety-five percent of them are standard fare, but every once in a while a clever line or an innocent mistake will make us laugh and help the staff get through the day's tedium. The prompt was to write a persuasive essay about whether fast food and soda machines should be allowed in high schools.

My favorite from today:

>> "Many students today have self of steam issues." (Umm... self-esteem, maybe?)

Others worth noting include the following:

>> "To combat the fatty fast food, students will lift weights and work out with dung bells." (That stinks!)

>> "Some students go over bored when eating fast food." (It is mundane.)

>> "In the history of public school, no one has ever liked school lunches." (Everyone was surveyed!)

>> "I choose to eat healthy and maintain my appealing physical state." (Give that guy a mirror.)

We corrected in pairs, rotating three times throughout the day in an attempt to create consistency in the scoring. The camaraderie building is nice for the English staff, and we hope that the juniors find value in taking this practice run. With so much riding on ACT scores today in terms of college acceptance and scholarship money, we want our students to be ready.

11-5-12: The students on testing

Today, we began a week's worth of Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE) state testing. Three times this week the sophomores will come into school, sit down for three hours, and show the state what they know. These results will become the basis for the new school report cards and, starting in 2014-15, the data will be used for my evaluation. I have already shared my view on testing, so I will refrain from adding on. Therefore, I asked my students in a quick 5-minute writing exercise to share their thoughts on the following statement: "Standardized tests are an accurate evaluation of my intelligence."

The results of my extremely unscientific poll are as follows: Thirteen said "Yes"; twenty-nine said "No"; six said they saw merits in both arguments; and three turned in blank papers. (I don't know why.)

Here are excerpts from some of the comments:

>> "Yes, it will show your strengths better than regular grades."

>> "No, because they are timed, and you can't take your time to get the right answer."

>> "No, because it only tests your logic, not stuff that you would do in an everyday job. They are good for finding a person's logical smarts, but not their real-world smarts."

>> "No. Different people are smart in different ways that no test can measure."

>> "Yes and no. There are so many variables in testing that it's hard to get an accurate measurement."

>> "No. There should be other ways to test because people have different learning styles."

>> "No, because people don't always try very hard."

>> "Yes. If you don't know something, then it shows you are not as smart as someone who does know that same thing."

>> "Yes. If you can't answer the questions right, then you don't know it. It's as simple as that."

>> "No, because they don't cover every subject in school, just certain areas."

>> "Yes. Not only does it measure knowledge, but it measures focusing skills, too."

>> "No, because you don't have a chance to explain yourself. They don't know what you're thinking. You're just filling in bubbles."

>> "No, because the test is multiple choice, and it's really easy to guess and get it right."

>> "Yes, because it reflects what you know about certain subjects without using outside resources or family."

>> "No, because when I take it I feel a lot of pressure and do a horrible job."

>> "Yes, they are accurate as long as people try on them. It's good for pressure which will come later in life."

11-29-12: The data invasion continues

Quick: Name the best teacher you ever had.

Now, explain why that person was your favorite.

(I'll pause while you think. ...)

My guess is that your answer included nothing about boosting your ACT or SAT score, increasing your reading lexile, enhancing your district writing assessment numbers, or augmenting your state test percentiles.

Today's data retreat for the English Department reinforced the fact that numbers and test scores are sitting at the head of the education table these days. Whether I as a teacher inspire kids to believe in themselves and set their goals high, turn them on to community service and make them better citizens, or assist them in any other way that is not testable is becoming virtually irrelevant to the state. The pendulum, as my principal says, has swung.

As a group, we learned today about SLOs, which is an acronym for something about setting our own data goals for the year. Whether or not our students meet this goal will count for 15 percent of our evaluation. My goal every year with the boys is to get these reluctant readers to open more books than ever before and turn English into a subject that lights their fire. According to the state, this goal might be nice, but it is worthless when it comes to my performance review unless I can measure it with data.

The details are boring, but the bottom line is this: Numbers rule. Strangely enough, though, many of these numbers will be self-reported scores. All district assessments are scored by us teachers. All SLO goals are set and evaluated by teachers and verified by the principals. The possibility for fraud by a teacher or principal when presenting or evaluating this data is rather high, in my view.

When I asked my principal what would stop an entire department from inflating the scores of their students during a given freshman writing assessment, she responded with, "Your integrity." That's a great answer. I believe in my integrity, and because I teach in a fantastic district – we "exceeded expectations" on the first state report card – I am not too worried about this new data-driven evaluation system costing me my job. But I cannot say the same for those who work in districts with high poverty and dropout rates, or at one of the schools that rated "fails to meet expectations" on the state report card. (Nearly all of these "failures" were in high poverty areas. What a shock!) Cheating incidents have been in the news in past years in all parts of the country, and this was even before strict accountability measures were in place.

During the afternoon, we analyzed the data from our October 11 ACT scores for Grades 9, 10, and 11. We matched the test questions to the Common Core standards, and then combined information sent to us by ACT about what percentage of our students answered each question correctly. We identified the strengths and weaknesses of our students in testing, and we spent the afternoon discussing the types of questions most of our students got right or wrong. The goal is to find major weak spots and emphasize our lessons around improvement. One idea is clear: Like it or not, the students at De Pere High School will be doing more standardized test practice during class.

Another unmistakable factor that we observed is that success decreases as the ACT goes on. For example, let's say that questions No. 3 and 67 on the 75-question English test ask the same concept in the same manner. The number of students who got No. 3 correct is significantly higher than the percent with No. 67 correct. Why is this? The answer is either test fatigue, or the students stopped caring. Either way, I question whether this whole process is assessing what the student actually knows or how well he or she can take a lengthy, timed test. Nobody asked me, though, and, what's more, at this point the answer doesn't really matter.

1-13-13: Salary numbers, anyone?

When I looked at the newspaper today, I discovered that I made $56,079 last year.

The _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ published the salaries of all teachers who made more than $50,000 at public schools in Brown County during the 2011-2012 school year.

I don't really have a problem with the general concept. As a former newspaper person and current newspaper advisor, I will defend the right to publish public records as long as one's safety is not compromised.

I am not really sure what the point was of taking six pages to publish all of names when a summary, an objective analysis, and a mention of the on-line salary link would have gotten the same message across. But that is the _Press-Gazette_ 's right, and I want them to have it.

My only concern was the decision to publish only the teachers who made $50,000 or more. By doing so, the newspaper is misleading the public into thinking that all teachers make $50,000 or more. When I first started teaching, my salary was $28,000. Many teachers start out at the bottom end, and if their salaries are not published, those who do not read the fine print can be fooled. Either publish all of the names, or do not publish any of them. It is like taking all of the NFL players' salaries and only publishing those who make $5 million or more. Not publishing salaries of those on the bottom end of the salary scale distorts the complete picture.

Many teachers are upset about the _Press-Gazette_ 's decision, but I look at it this way: If a colleague thinks differently of me because of how much I make, then that is their problem. As for the public, anti-teacher folks out there are still going be upset and believe that we are overpaid, and pro-teacher citizens will continue to judge our salaries as just.

The curiosity of the public has been officially satisfied.

1-25-13: Semester 1 final exams

The most uneventful week of the school year has mercifully come to an end. My mood is dark and my passion is low. I rarely get like this. For the last three days, I performed two tasks: give final exams and grade final exams. Days do not get much more boring. Intellectual dialogue with the students is absent; moreover, joy is in short supply from correcting paper after paper after paper after paper. (Parents responding to my blog survey seem to like the finals process at De Pere, though. Forty-one out of 49 said they approve of the current set-up.)

Over the past three years, multiple levels of our administration have determined that requiring every student take the same final exam for English 9, English 10 and other required courses is a good idea. The decree's roots are in fairness and sameness. This way, no matter which teacher a student gets for English 9, he or she will be assessed on the same content for the final exam. Our department has spent many meeting days during the past three years forming these exams. What I think about them does not matter. I know that.

What does matter to me, however, is what I continue to see: Our students are getting test overload. How can I tell? I see it on their faces and in their answers. Many of them put in a minimal effort on the final, responding to essay questions with only a sentence or two and hurrying to finish and get it over with. Some kids skipped entire sections that required deeper analysis, not caring if they get zero out of 10 points for a section. Ugh.

Paul, one of my best sophomore students, said yesterday as he handed in his test, "These things are stupid, Mr. Guyette. Why do we have to do this again when we've done it all year?"

Here is the reason: We are in a testing world. This week, we sent the kids through three days of finals so we can get final grades. Next week, they will be pulled out of class again to get Round 2 of their reading lexile assessment, the numbers of which will be analyzed and put into each student's profile. We have an English Department meeting coming up to work on the March freshman writing assessment prompt and the second round of sophomore performance tasks.

Because state funding proposals and discussions strongly hint that money will be tied to test scores, each district wants to tell its constituents that it is working feverishly to improve its report card grade and get more cash. Our principal tells us that De Pere is well ahead of the curve when it comes to data collection, district assessments, and common testing experiences for students. Politically, we must be doing magnificently. Any De Pere parent who wants data on his or her child will have all kinds of numbers to examine.

The problem, as I see it, is that these are kids, not cattle or sheep or mice or some other lab animal that does not have emotions we care about.

The number of days that students spend actually learning something from a teacher is decreasing. The amount of time that teachers spend correcting instead of instructing is increasing.

But we have data!

And we have accountability!

The love of learning is dying a slow death right before our eyes. I know my spirit will be rejuvenated by Monday, but if your high school kid is telling you that he or she hates school today, I can take a good guess as to why.

3-14-13: Freshman writing grading, Part II

As the 1976 first-grade spelling bee champion of Grafton, Wisconsin, I always have high standards for my students and their ability to use the correct letters. (I still remember that my winning word was 'friend'.)

While the 10 of us in the department – two were not here – polished off the double-reading of 300 freshman essays today, some of our best conversations centered on the skill of spelling.

Overall, the writing was much improved from the first freshman writing assessment back in September; for this, we finished the day mostly satisfied with the progress our students made this year. However, the sometimes brutal inability to spell simple words was most baffling. The mistakes ranged from the dreadful ('itum' instead of 'item'; 'fucher' instead of 'future'; 'ankshus' instead of 'anxious') to the common (whether/weather, then/than, their/there) to the hilarious ('my closet friends' instead of 'my closest friends').

The 10 of us worked with a different partner in the morning and afternoon. I worked with Angela and then Valli, both of whom teach college prep writing courses for juniors and seniors. My greatest value in working with them is that we share dialogue about teaching writing from different ends of the high school spectrum. By grading these papers all day, they are reminded about where their students start their high school careers.

"It's a good reality check," Angela told me.

In turn, Angela and Valli shared with me what kind of lessons they teach students who are months away from college.

Both of my partners and I wondered about the future of spelling, and whether or not we should be concerned about the plethora of errors. De Pere has students write these papers with pencil and paper because the WKCE and ACT are still done this way. Most writing for school is done on a computer that fixes most of their errors. (The 'then/than' and 'weather/whether' errors do not get fixed, though, because the computer is not smart enough.) Students are used to thinking that close is good enough for a spellchecker, so whenever we teachers lecture about spelling, the words often go in one ear and out the other.

The English teacher in all of us wondered what the business community sees these days. Valli then shared poignant example: Last month, one of her seniors was doing vocabulary work and needed to look up a word in the dictionary. Problem was, though, that the student could not figure out the alphabetization and needed help finding the word.

"How are these kids going to be able to file?" Valli wondered.

She then laughed.

"Ah," she said. "They'll probably have a computer to do all the filing for them anyway."

(Update: Of my 54 students, 32 improved their scores, 11 went down, and 11 stayed the same. Each paper was graded on five standards on a four-point scale, so a perfect paper had 20 points. Two of the boys improved six points (from 10 to 16) and another added five to his first effort (6 to 11). Overall, I was quite pleased.)

4-2-13: The WKCE files

One of my Spring Break projects was to spend an afternoon in the back office of the otherwise empty counseling department looking at WKCE scores. I pulled all 59 files individually and recorded the numbers in a notebook. (This is the only way I get the results; they are not gathered for us. I do not know how many teachers glance at each of their students' individual scores.)

I compared my boys' tenth-grade reading percentile to their eighth-grade reading percentile. In other words, how did the guys compare to their Wisconsin peers? Because the testing took place in mid-November, the two years between the two tests are divided such that, according to my best calculations, the boys had me for a reading teacher for about 65 percent of the time, while the other 35 percent they were still in middle school. Until the state tests are moved to the end of the year, which will be a more accurate measure of their progress or lack of under my direction, this is best state data I have.

My disappointment is moderate; I am neither pleased nor ashamed. Of the 52 boys who have data from both years (private-school eighth-graders do not take the WKCE), 24 went up, 27 went down, and one remained the same. Strangely enough, some of the boys had huge swings either way. The top five gainers went up by 26, 23, 20, 20 and 19 percentile points; however, the top five droppers went down 42, 36, 28, 27 and 27. Ouch.

Otherwise, I see no real patterns. Some of the lower-end boys went up in percentile (12 to 32, 20 to 39), but some of them went down (37 to 10, 43 to 24). Some of the higher-end kids went up (89 to 99, 89 to 97), but some of them went down (98 to 84, 88 to 70). My first two groups – the current seniors and juniors – got similar results: About equal numbers go up and down.

This data will be part of my evaluation in two years. Given these results, how would I be rated? I am guessing somewhere in the middle. I do not think I would be a candidate for firing, but I do not see a bonus coming my way either.

(Coincidentally, two news items caught my eye this week. The first centered on the cheating allegations against school personnel in Atlanta, and the second was the suspension of a Texas high school boy who refused to take a practice state test seriously. These will not be the last such stories, I predict.)

Out of curiosity, I emailed my sophomore parents, asking them how they feel about their child's WKCE scores. Here are a few of their unfiltered responses:

>> "We do look at them. We think and hope the scores are a good indicator of his progress, areas to work on, and how he will likely do on the college admissions tests."

>> "I hate it when we push our kids to 'perform'. I prefer to trust a teacher's gut feeling and tell me how my kid is performing, not base their success on a test."

>> "From my perspective, these scores are only part of the picture. I honestly don't know what my son's score was last year and I'm not sure whether he went up or down. I think performance in the classroom is a much better indicator than one test."

>> "I always take them with a grain of salt. They recalculate what is advanced and proficient every year, so is it apples to apples? I also think back to when I took standardized tests. Did I really care?"

>> "Even though the WKCE does not count toward college admission, I do feel it is important in gauging progress. I do look at the scores and am disappointed in a decrease."

>> "Very good question. My son shared with me that he believes kids don't try on the WKCEs because they don't count for anything. Not sure how much he actually tried on that test. I haven't put much weight into the score in the past. I look more toward the teachers and the class material."

>> "I think they are important, but they don't always reflect what a kid knows. My son, for example, has always been a horrible test taker, even when he knows the material, so I don't always trust his scores. With his sisters, I tend to trust them because they don't have trouble taking tests."

>> "We have always used the test scores as a tool to point out to our slacker son that he should be earning better grades than he sometimes gets. Does the information contained in the report tell the whole story? I would say no."

4-18-13: The worlds are colliding!

One of my favorite _Seinfeld_ episodes contains the scene in which George tells Jerry about the "worlds theory". In it, George's romantic world (with Susan, his fiancée) starts to mix with his social world (with Jerry and Elaine), and George believes he is doomed because his two worlds are going to collide.

I had related thoughts last night, sitting at the Golden Apple Awards banquet, held at the Radisson Hotel in Green Bay and sponsored by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The program, celebrating its 20th year, is an extraordinary undertaking of the Partners in Education and many of the major players in the business sector of northeast Wisconsin. The glamour and glitz is on full display, with tuxedos, limos for the winners and a one-hour television special to celebrate the contributions of teachers to our community.

De Pere High's own technology education teacher, Aaron Pokrzywa, was honored with one of the seven major awards, so many of our staff members celebrated with him. Everything is first-class; the hosts go all out to make teachers feel like royalty. For one night, politics are cast aside, and the public and private sectors trade pleasantries and tributes.

Of course, the real world resumed today with frozen salaries, less take-home pay, higher insurance premiums, larger class sizes, less money for classroom supplies, greater push for private-school vouchers, and more "failing schools" rhetoric. The speeches tonight in the Radisson buzzed about advancements in technology, yet Pulaski voters recently rejected a referendum for such upgrades. At De Pere, we are hesitant to add any sort of fee request, even a $5 paper charge to help cover costs of student printing. Aaron and the other mechanics teachers would probably sacrifice a healthy limb for new and better equipment in the shop.

The great part about being a teacher, politically, is that 98 percent of the public believes what teachers do is important. That counts for something. The difficult part is that most people want a first-class operation at second-rate costs. That observation is not meant to be a complaint but rather a hypothesis about human nature: We all want the best product for the lowest price. That's why we head to the clearance rack at Kohl's and clip grocery coupons every Sunday morning.

I would not say De Pere High is struggling to get by, but we are by no means swimming in money. Programs and supplies are serviceable but not as elaborate or advanced as they could be. Our technology is mediocre at best.

The Golden Apple Awards are a welcome respite from the anti-public education sentiment that seems so prevalent in the news today. The Golden Apple show itself is 60 minutes worth of powerful inspiration. Individually, we teachers must be like George and keep the politically poisoned world away from the kids and our classrooms.

5-30-13: What a waste

In this book I have avoided reacting to daily news stories because the cycle of education news coming from Madison seems to be endless and, for the most part, distracting.

However, the news that broke last night about the state's Joint Finance Committee deciding to put the implementation of the Common Core on hold until further study is terribly distressing.

We at De Pere have spent three years working on implementing the Common Core – mapping standards into certain courses, adjusting curriculum so that it aligns to the new requirements, and re-writing many of our assessments so that our students are prepared when the big test day arrives.

My estimate is that the district has spent in the six figures in costs for substitute teachers so that we full-time teachers (not just English, but math and science as well) can make it work. Not only have the changes cost taxpayers financially, but regular teachers being pulled out of the classroom has cost our kids multitudes of hours and days with subs who are usually just filling the time.

I have no special affection for the Common Core standards themselves, but to put the implementation on hold at this point hurts every district that has been trying to get ahead of the curve and prepare its students for the future. The harder a district has worked, the greater the punishment will be if these standards are eventually rejected. The less a school has done the better.

Convincing me that this move is for anything but political and financial reasons would be extremely tough at this point.

My greatest confusion lies in the fact that the special interest groups who are against the Common Core are also the ones pushing hardest for increased accountability among (public) schools and teachers. How can we have true accountability if each state teaches and tests different standards? How can we have true accountability if public schools and voucher schools are not held to the same standards?

Wasn't the goal of the Common Core to have sameness across the country so that we can compare kids in Montana to kids in Oklahoma to kids in Minnesota to kids in Wisconsin and see which states and districts really are the best? Without a common language for educators to work with, everyone's state tests become meaningless. Proficiency will have different meanings in every state.

Politicians who are making these decisions cannot truly say that these decisions are made with kids' best interests in mind. If they want to do away with the Common Core, that's up to them, and I will roll with it.

As a parent, though, I would be livid about all the days that my kid had to sit there with a sub, only to have three years' work the regular teachers were doing thrown away.

Fifth passing time: By the numbers

I am not a huge fan of numbers. Anyone who did not open directly to this page probably knows that already.

Despite my distaste, though, Kirsten and I have charted data for all of our students ever since the program began. Some people feel as if they need data to confirm or deny the success of a program such as this, so this section is for them.

I have included the boys' data in this book; data for both genders is on our web site. I offer statistics from the three groups that have gone through two years with us.

Any reader who skips this part and goes ahead to the next chapter will not hurt my feelings.

**Grades for Group 1:** I charted the grades of the boys who spent two years with me. I took their eighth-grade reading grades and compared them to their grades in ninth- and tenth-grade language arts.

I assigned a point value to each semester grade, with 4 points for an A, 3 points for a B, 2 points for a C, 1 point for a D, and 0 points for an F. In other words, a perfect semester of two A's would be worth 8 points. The results of the Original 14, my first group, are shown below.

............... _8........9.........10.......Change_

B101...D/D(2)...B/C(5)...B/C(5).......Up

B102...F/F(0)...D/D(2)...C/Moved....Up

B103...D/C(3)...D/D(2)...F/F(0)......Down

B104...A/A(8)...A/A(8)...A/A(8).......Same

B105... A/C(6)...B/B(6)...B/B(6)......Same

B106... B/C(5)...B/A(7)...B/B(6).......Up

B107... B/B(6)...A/A(8)...A/A(8).......Up

B108... B/C(5)...A/A(8)...A/A(8).......Up

B109... B/B(6)...B/A(7)...D/C(3).......Up and down

B110... B/C(5)...A/A(8)...B/A(7).......Up

B111... A/A(8)...A/A(8)...A/A(8)......Same

B112...B/C(5)...A/A(8)...A/A(8).......Up

B113... B/C(5)...A/B(7)...D/C(3)......Up and down

B114... D/D(2)...B/B(6)....B/B(6).....Up

Overall, eight boys saw grade improvement from the eighth-grade marks, three remained the same, two went both up and down, and one went down both years. The one who went down in grades I did not reach at all; he ended up leaving school after his junior year.

**Grades for Group 2:** My second class of boys was considerably bigger and had more room for improvement. Two of the boys came in from out of the district and did not have eighth-grade marks in their folders. (NID = Not In District). Boy 207 left the class, thinking it was not for him, and joined a co-ed English 10 to start his sophomore year. He then transferred back for second semester.

............... _8........9.........10.......Change_

B201....NID......A/A(8).....A/A(8).......X

B202...B/C(5)...B/B(6).....C/C(4)......Up and down

B203...B/C(5)...B/B(6).....C/A(6)...... Up

B204... B/B(6)...A/B(7).....A/A(8).......Up

B205... NID......A/A(8).....A/A(8)........X

B206... B/C(5)...A/A(8)....A/A(8)........Up

B207... A/C(6)...B/B(6)...left class/B....Same

B208... B/B(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Same

B209... C/B(5)...B/C(5)....B/C(5)......Same

B210... A/B(7)...A/A(8)....A/A(8)........Up

B211... C/B(5)...B/B(6)...B/B(6)........Up

B212... B/C(5) ..B/B(6)...C/B(5).........Up

B213... B/C(5)...B/C(5)...C/B(5).....Same

B214...D/F(1)...B/C(5)...left school...Up

B215... A/B(7)...A/B(7)...A/A(8).........Up

B216... D/D(2)...C/D(3)..B/D(4).......Up

B217... B/F(3)...B/B(6)...B/B(6)........Up

B218... C/C(4)...B/C(5)...B/C(5)...... Up

B219... C/C(4)...B/B(6)...C/B(5)......Up

B220... B/B(6)...A/C(6)...C/C(4)......Down

B221... B/C(5)...B/C(5)...B/B(6)......Up

B222... B/B(6)...A/B(7)...B/B(6)......Up

B223... A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).....Same

B224... A/A(8)...A/B(7)...B/A(7).....Down

B225... D/F(1)...D/D(2)....moved...Up

B226... B/B(6)...B/B(6)....B/B(6).....Same

Overall, 15 saw improvement from their eighth-grade marks, six remained the same, two went down, one went up and down, and two were not able to be compared due to lack of grade transfers.

**Grades from Group 2 extras:** My second group had a huge influx of boys who wanted to join the all-boys program for English 10 after being in the regular co-ed class in English 9. For these boys, I researched not only their eighth-grade marks but their ninth-grade marks (listed in parentheses) as well, looking to analyze if the one year with me made a difference. Their results, comparing the ninth- and tenth-grade marks, are below.

............... _8........9.........10.......Change_

B251...B/B(6)....(C/B)(5)....B/C(5)......Same

B252... C/C(4)...(C/D)(3)....C/C(4)......Up

B253... A/A(8)...(B/B)(6).....A/A(8)......Up

B254...C/C(4)...(D/C)(3)....C/B(5)......Up

B255...B/C(5)...(A/B)(7).....B/A(7).....Same

B256...D/F(1)...(C/C)(4)....D/D(2)....Down

B257...B/C(5)...(C/C)(4).....B/B(6).... Up

B258...C/C(4)...(C/C)(4).....B/B(6).....Up

B259...A/C(6)...(B/B)(6).....A/A(8)......Up

B260...A/A(8)...(A/A)(8).....A/A(8) .....Same

B261...B/C(5)...(C/C)(4)....B/C(5).....Up

B262... B/C(5)...(B/B)(6)....A/B(7).... Up

B263... NID......(B/B)(6)....A/A(8)......Up

B264... B/A(7)..(B/B)(6).....A/A(8)......Up

B265.....NID....(C/B)(5).....B/B(6).....Up

B266...C/D(3)..(D/D)(2)....C/A(6).....Up

B267... C/D(3)..(D/D)(2)....D/D(2)...Same

B268... B/B(6)...(C/B)(5)....A/A(8).....Up

B269... A/B(7)...(B/B)(6)....B/B(6).....Same

B270... B/B(6)...(B/C)(5)....A/B(7).....Up

B271... C/D(3)..(D/D)(2)....C/C(4)....Up

B272... F/F(0)..(F/F)(0).....F/F(0).... Same

B273... B/A(7)...(B/B)(6).....B/B(6)....Same

Overall, 15 had better grades in the all-boys class for English 10 than they did in the co-ed English 9. Seven remained the same, and one went down.

**Grades from Group 3:** Grades for this group were much more mixed. Some of them tailed off sophomore year, and reaching them was more difficult due to the big class numbers. I believe I did my best work with Boys 313, 314 and 346, who seriously lacked motivation in middle school but found their niche in my classroom.

............... _8........9.........10.......Change_

B301... B/B(6)...A/B (7)...B/B(6)........Up

B302... F/B(3)...B/C(5)...C/C(4)....... Up

B303...A/B(7)....A/B(7)....B/B(6).......Down

B304...B/B(6)...A/A(8).....A/A(8).......Up

B305...B/C(5)...A/B(7).....C/C(4)......Up and down

B306... B/B(6)...B/B(6).....B/B(6)...... Same

B307... B/B(6)...A/A(8)....A/B(7)....... Up

B308...F/F(0)...F/D(1)....left program

B309...C/C(4)..C/C(4).....C/C(4).......Same

B310... C/C(4)...C/D(3)....D/D(2)......Down

B311...D/C(3)...C/C(4)....C/C(4)........Up

B312....B/A(7)...A/A(8)....A/A(8)........ Up

B313... F/F(0)...D/B(4)....B/B(6)........Up

B314... D/F(1)...C/D(3)...C/C(4).......Up

B315...A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Same

B316....D/C(3)...B/B(6)...B/B(6)...... Up

B317... A/A(8)...A/B(7).....B/B(6)......Down

B318....A/B(7)...A/A(8)....A/A(8)......Up

B319...C/C(4)....B/B(6)...C/C(4)......Up

B320....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/B(7)......Down

B321....A/B(7)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Up

B322....B/B(6)...A/A(8)....B/B(6).......Up

B323....C/C(4)...B/B(6)....C/C(4)......Up

B324....B/B(6)....A/A(8)....A/A(8)......Up

B325....B/B(6)...B/B(6)....A/B(7).......Up

B326....C/C(4)...B/C(5)...D/C(3).......Up and down

B327....NID......D/D(2)...D/D(2).......XX

B328....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8)........ Same

B329....C/C(4)...C/D(3)..C/D(3)....... Down

B330....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A./A(8).......Same

B331....F/D(1)...F/D(1)...F/D(1).......Same

B332....B/C(5)...B/A(7)...B/A(7)........Up

B333....A/B(7)...B/B(6)...A/A(8)........Up and down

B334....B/A(7)...A/A(8)...B/B(6)........Up and down

B335....B/B(6)...A/B(7)...B/B(6)........Up

B336....B/B(6)...B/B(6)...B/B(6)........Same

B337....A/A(8)...A/A(8)...A/A(8)........Same

B338....C/C(4)...B/A(7)...B/A(7).......Up

B339....B/B(6)...B/B(6)...B/C(5)........Down

B340....B/B(6)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Up

B341....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Same

B342....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Same

B343....A/B(7)...A/B(7)....B/B(6)......Down

B344...B/B(6)....B/B(6)...B/B(6).......Same

B345...C/C(4)...A/B(7)...B/C(5).......Up

B346....D/F(1)...C/D(3)...C/C(4)......Up

B347....A/A(8)...A/A(8)....A/A(8).......Same

B348....B/B(6)...B/A(7)....B/B(6).......Up

B349....B/A(7)...A/A(8)...A/A(8)........Up

B350....Moved before school year started

B351....C/D(3)...Moved during first semester

B352....D/D(2)..C/D(3)....D/D(2).......Up

B353...B/B(6)....A/B(7).....B/B(6).......Up

B354... B/B(6)...B/A(7).....B/F(3)........Up and down

B355...D/C(3)...C/F(2).....F/C(2).......Down

B356....A/B(7)...A/B(7)....B/B(6).......Down

B357....B/C(5)....B/B(6)...C/C(4).......Up and down

B358....C/B(5)....B/C(5)...C/C(4)......Down

B359....C/A(6)....A/A(8)...A/A(8).......Up

B360....A/A(8)....A/A(8)...A/A(8)...... Same

Overall, 27 saw improvement from their eighth-grade marks, 13 remained the same, 10 went down, six went up and down, and four were not able to be compared.

**Reading levels, Group 1:** At De Pere High School, students take a computerized reading test, the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI), 2-to-3 times per year to determine their reading level. Scores range from 400-1700, with the proficiency for freshmen set in the 1080-1230 range. A proficient sophomore scores between 1110 and 1310. Therefore, anyone who leaves my 10th-grade class above 1310 is considered advanced. Students are expected to improve 25-50 points per year. Results of the Original 14 are listed below.

......... _Start-9...End-9....End 10 ..Change_

B101....1035....1315.......1370...... +335

B102.....498......720.......Moved.....+222

B103.....804......939......1092....... +288

B104....1028....1159......1247.......+219

B105... 1320....1433......1436........+116

B106....966.....1070......1270....... +304

B107....1130...1210......1317........+187

B108....1433...1492......1580........ +147

B109... .855......885.......1124........ +269

B110...1256....1259......1318.........+62

B111... 1436... 1390......1368......... -68

B112....1525...1484......1562..........+37

B113... 1355....1316.....1270.......... -85

B114....1072....1051....1229.........+157

Overall, scores increased an average of 146.4 points over two years, with 12 of the 14 going up and two going down.

**Reading levels, Group 2:** **The SRI success continued with this group. The gains were not as great as with the first group, but a majority of the boys earned improved ratings.**

......... _Start-9...End-9....End 10 ..Change_

B201....1103....1202.....1216..........+113

B202....1275....1402.....1277...........+2

B203....1148....1303.....1301......... +153

B204... 1204....1356.....1433..........+229

B205....968.....1167.....1328..........+360

B206....1057...1200.....1335......... +278

B207.....883....1014....left class......+131

B208....1173...1266.....1266...........+93

B209....1128...1276.....1320...........+192

B210....1273...1294.....1277.......... +4

B211....942.....1101.....1119...........+177

B212....987.....1234.....1288.......... +301

B213....1030....1179....1119......... +81

B214....1325....1272....1327...........+2

B215....1281....1321...1295............+14

B216....999......858.....845............ -154

B217....1441....1335...1328.......... -113

B218....1002....1132...1187......... +185

B219....1025....965.....1058............+33

B220....1364....1391...1418...........+54

B221.....1229...1221....1281.......... +52

B222....1091....1239....1247.........+156

B223....1267....1312....1332.........+65

B224....1473....1433....1436......... -37

B225.....569.....906.....moved........+337

B226.....831.....1013....1071.........+240

**Overall,** _26 boys increased an average of 113.3 over two years, with 23 going up and 3 going down._

**Reading levels, Group 3:** **More boys went down with this group than with the previous two groups, but many of those were boys whose academic performance really tailed off as sophomores. I am proudest of the boys who raised their levels from basic to proficient.**

......... _Start-9...End-9....End 10 ..Change_

B301....1242......1269......1369......+127

B302....1122......1257......1303......+181

B303....1354......1700......1625......+271

B304....1361......1425......1424...... +63

B305....1162......1194......1200.......+38

B306....1240......1360......1382.......+142

B307....1296......1305......1381.......+85

B308....1047......1188......left class..+141

B309....1169......1344......976.........-193

B310....1070......1152......987.........-83

B311....1354......1311.....1276........-78

B312....1363......1395.....1292........-71

B313....1403......1454.....1609.......+206

B314.....900.......1006.....1186.......+286

B315.....1328.....1323.....1399.......+71

B316.....1148.....1277.....1240.......+92

B317.....1106.....1227.....1290.......+184

B318....1260.....1369......1345.......+85

B319.....983.......1090......1114.......+131

B320.....1312.....1314......1299....... -13

B321.....1395.....1387.....1477........+82

B322.....1139.....1106.....1304........+165

B323.....886.......1030.....1043........+157

B324.....1296.....1314.....1320.........+24

B325.....1383.....1391.....1450.........+67

B326.....976......1059......1142........+166

B327.....1151.....1145......989 ........-162

B328.....1573.....1606......1420.......-153

B329.....1127.....1260......1113........-14

B330.....1316.....1302.....1313......... -3

B331.....821.......955......1004.........+183

B332.....1103.....1295.....1342........+239

B333.....1240.....1412....1398........+158

B334....1118......1105....1298........+180

B335....1053......1115.....1142........+89

B336....1245......1092.....1194........ -51

B337....1298......1297.....1200........ -98

B338....1286......1284.....1229........ -57

B339....1285......1366.....1364........+79

B340....1269......1316.....1321........+52

B341....1430......1505.....1567.......+137

B342....1417......1357.....1459.......+42

B343....1291......1275.....1289........ -2

B344....1267......1237.....1257.......-10

B345....1053......1262....1369.......+316

B346.....842.......1083....1260.......+418

B347.....1411.....1419....1591.......+180

B348.....1183.....1226....1307.......+124

B349.....1352.....1297....1414.......+62

B350.....Moved before school year started

B351.....1044.....Moved during freshman year

B352.....803.......852.......1207......+404

B353....1260.....1276......1336........+76

B354.....1272....1399......1325........+53

B355.....938......1007......1130.......+192

B356.....1188.....1274......1312......+124

B357.....1276.....1296......1359.......+83

B358......950......930.......1241.......+291

B359.....1272.....1335.....1513.......+241

B360.....1323.....1313.....1504.......+181

B361.......xx... ....894......1108.......+214

B362......xx........1369.....1448....... +79

B363......xx........1133.....1274.......+141

**Overall,** _61 boys increased an average of 100.2 over two years, with 47 going up and 14 going down._

Chapter Six: Behind the scenes

The work teachers do from 7:55-3:04 every day is of chief importance.

However, the job of a high school teacher often extends beyond those hours. I know that fanatical critics of our profession like to keep tallies on how many cars remain in the faculty parking lot after 3:25, and I am sure a few teachers never take work home with them. I do not know any, but I am wise enough to know that every profession has its share of slackers.

In a nutshell, learning extends beyond the four walls of H108, both for the students and for us.

What do we do?

Community service, for starters. Raising good citizens is part of the single-gender program Kirsten and I envisioned when we started four years ago. Each year, our goal is to increase the amount of contact our kids make with their community, especially the elderly.

Second, we meet with parents. Whether our conversations occur formally (parent-teacher conferences) or informally (athletic events, email), parent contact is vital to students' success.

Lastly, extra-curricular events. I coach, keep scorebooks, and chaperone dances, with the level of enjoyment probably in that order.

What happens beyond the normal school day is significant. My hope is that this chapter provides insight into some of the not-so-obvious parts of the job.

8-8-12: Flexing our muscles

Sorting boys underwear.

That is what we did tonight.

Then we learned about the different types of jeans – 'R' for regular, 'S' for slim, and 'H' for husky.

Who says all learning is done in the classroom?

Eleven of the boys volunteered their summer night to help out the Service League of Green Bay's Back to School Store – a program that provides school supplies and clothes for children of low-income families in Brown County – at Green Bay East High School.

We came in to help pack up boxes, file away extra supplies, take down tables and metal clothes racks (photo above), load up the storage pod, and make the end of the night go faster for all the Service League volunteers who spent their entire day serving those in need.

Obviously, it is an excellent experience for the guys. The gym was hot and humid, and the work they did was not quite as fun as playing a video game on their basement couch. I am sure most of them had other activities they could have done tonight.

Welcome to my gang.

As every adult knows, young people need a place to belong. Most kids have somewhere, whether it is through sports, clubs, music, jobs, or friend groups. Still, even with all of those options, too many fall through the cracks. Kirsten, Sara and I hope that we can pick some of them out of those cracks by making this single-sex English program something special. One needs no particular talent to join, and membership is automatic.

Tonight, we lost about six or seven boys from our total when football practice was scheduled at the same time. That's OK. Those guys already have a place that they are accepted. My aim is to make this class, this single-sex fraternity, a group that makes all of its members feel important.

Young men want to be contributing citizens in their community but often need help finding when and where they are needed. As for tonight, what guy does not like knowing his muscles are appreciated?

One of the finest benefits from this night, though, is the connection I make with parents. Many of them came to help our group. Offering this experience in the summer sends a message to them that I care about these boys and their development on a year-round basis – inside and outside of the classroom, during the school year and the summer.

In addition, the night was a great chance to visit with the boys, ask them about their summer activities, and establish relationships that go beyond reading and writing. By working side-by-side counting packages of underwear in a sweaty gym, and by bringing my own seventh-grade son along, they see that I am willing to act on what I preach.

Will they then work harder for me in English class because of the out-of-school connection? I hope so. I am willing to do just about anything to make sure these boys succeed in high school and beyond. They need to become life-long readers and learners, no matter where that learning takes place.

8-24-12: One-on-one adds up

Usually, simple ideas work best.

Getting boys on board with reading does not have to mean planning elaborate field trips or designing multi-layered, multi-media presentations.

In mid-August, I gathered the emails of the parents of all of my students, letting them know that I will supply them with weekly blog updates throughout the year so that they can check what is going on in their son's English class. Additionally, I told them of my availability twice before the school year starts if their son wants to pick up a copy of our September book choice.

On this Friday afternoon before the first home football game, 29 boys stopped in to grab their assigned reading material. For me, this meant 29 one-on-one connections in a casual setting before the school year starts. I asked the returning sophomores what they did all summer and probed the incoming freshmen about what they expect from an all-boys class. Some arrived with their parents, while some bravely came alone.

Vince and I were able to swap summer fishing stories. Marshall told me about all the repair work that he did on his house. Three junior varsity football players came in before practice to share the exciting outcome of their first game. One of the freshmen has a father who was at Pennings the same time I was. Another's dad was a star basketball player at a rival school whom I remember playing against.

Eight freshman parents came in with their sons, asking about the single-sex program and how it is different from the co-ed class. Overall, the day was perfect – meeting face-to-face with the clients and selling the merits of my class to their bosses. The realized gains, I hope, will come later.

9-28-12: Dance the night away

Today was the last school day of the first month, capped off by an all-school dance for a couple hours after the varsity football game.

Bottom line: A teacher has not had the full educator experience until he or she has chaperoned a high school dance.

Little compares to the exercise of forcing my way into the middle of a mosh pit of 300 sweaty students (the center is about 20 degrees warmer than room temperature, by the way) and ordering the body passing of freshmen to cease. Tonight, I waded into the middle of the sweatstorm about five times, either telling the seniors to put the freshmen down, or else to get people off the shoulders of their stronger friends. My job is to keep the dance area safe; students know that, and because many of them know me, they obey when I get there.

Intelligently, De Pere High School started using random breathalyzers at dances a few years ago, and that seems to have significantly cut down on the erratic, irrational behaviors. I could be wrong, but I do not think many, if any, kids come into the dance after an early evening of drinking. The risk is too great. Any student who picks the wrong-colored poker chip out of a hat gets the breathalyzer – about 40 in all – and a positive test comes with a hefty price.

As for the "dancing" that goes on, that is a completely different story, one that led one of my fellow staff members at today's in-service to label me a "saint" for spending my night here. The grinding – boys stand behind girls, grab them by hips, and make a variety of gyrations – is not my first choice of dance moves to observe either. Why these girls put up with it I will never know; when I am dancing with my loved one, I much rather prefer to see her face, not the back of her head. Luckily, this dancing is not done by a majority of the kids.

Toward the end of the night, one of the seniors, a former student of mine two years ago, came up to me and asked, "So, how did you get stuck being here?" Honestly, it is not bad. The kids are well-behaved for the most part, and the music keeps me feeling young. Every year I ask the organizers to set aside time for a faculty dance-off, but "Hammer Time" does not seem to be too high on the DJ's song list.

10-14-12: Humor goes a long way

Kids will drive a teacher crazy sometimes, but they can also be tons of fun.

I chaperoned another dance last night – not just any dance, but the always-popular Masquerade. Every October our Student Council throws a costume bash, and more than 700 kids dressed up. Gumby made an appearance and tore up the dance floor. Who knew? The Blue Man Group was there, and Waldo was somewhere to be found. Many lifeguards, referees, and athletes wore simple costumes, while others dressed up in full animal suits (bears, gorillas) and sweated the night away.

A sample of their humor: About 30 minutes into the dance, one of my freshman students saw me in the back standing by myself. (I try to stay out of the way.) He came up to me, dressed in his cowboy outfit, and said, "Hey, Mr. Guyette, should I bring some girls over here to dance with you?"

"That's probably not a good idea," I replied.

"Come on," he said. "Your wife isn't here. She'll never know."

I laughed heartily. The guys know that my wife works in the high school as the athletics secretary.

Sure enough, about an hour later, he brought three girls in my direction and said, "See, Mr. Guyette, I told you I'd help you out."

We laughed again. He was having a great time, and that is what these nights are about.

My second noteworthy event of the evening came about an hour into the dance. Part of my job includes making the rounds through the boys' bathroom, and I found Vince with a crowd of five or six guys around him.

He had come to the dance in a duct tape costume – I complimented him on it when he walked in – but he was having problems with heat and breathing, and he needed help getting the tightly wound duct tape off. Group project, I figured.

About 15 minutes later, I checked the bathroom again, and Vince was still there. This time, the look on his face was not one of amusement. He was all by himself – thanks, guys! – and was still trying to get some of the tape off his arms.

Yes, his dressers put the tape DIRECTLY on his arms. I had my room key with me, so I took him to H108 and carefully cut the rest of the tape off with a scissors.

10-17-12: Meet the parents, Part I

When I posted a poll about Common Core familiarity on the blog about a month ago, more than 60 percent of parents said they had "little or no" knowledge about the new curriculum.

Yes, the changes are reported frequently in the news media.

Yes, the new standards are on-line and can be found with a simple Google search.

And, yes, our principals have sent home multiple memos and articles about this new state and national focus.

It is not enough.

The Common Core is much too complex to breeze through and then form intelligent questions and opinions.

Tonight, Sara and I held a meeting to discuss the nuts and bolts of the Language Arts Common Core with parents. Twenty-eight came. We were ecstatic. Getting 28 parents into a high school on a Wednesday night to talk about English is a major coup.

Sara and I had poster boards up around the room and began the night by giving each of the parents a marker. The parents filled the poster boards with skills they want their sons to possess before they graduate high school. Next, we distributed a handout of how De Pere High School is breaking down the 67 standards by year and semester. Our presentation, subsequently, was built around the parents' responses as we compared their answers to the wording of the Common Core items.

Sara and I spoke for about 35 minutes, and a question-and-answer session followed. The most interesting parts came when the parents answered the questions of one another.

Some wondered what was in place before the Common Core.

Some worried about their sons falling behind as the implementation process begins.

Some questioned whether they should stop helping their kids at home.

Still others fretted about the future of cursive writing and penmanship, especially since the ACT requires a written essay.

Overall, everyone learned something.

The parents found out what it means when they see a "3" in RL.9-10.2.c on their son's grade sheet. In my observation, many parents ease off academic involvement once their kids reach high school for two reasons: The content is more complex, making homework help less frequent, and the number of teachers their child has in a given year can reach double digits. A child does not have a true 'contact' teacher at this level.

Tonight was a good night.

(Update: Even with the Common Core put on hold later in the year, it was still a good night.)

10-23-12: Start of a season

Seventh-grade basketball practice started today.

At heart, I am a competitive person. I love to play chess and many board games, and I participated in sports all through high school. When I worked for the _Press-Gazette_ , nothing beat a great scoop on my competition. Teaching is a non-competitive profession; I am not battling to do better than my peers. We are in this together, and we want all DPHS students to succeed.

To fill that competitive urge, I started coaching basketball at the middle school level many years ago. The season is short – 7 weeks – and I love the middle school philosophy. We focus on player development and making sure all of the boys have a high-quality experience. If we win, great; if we lose, that is OK, too.

Many of our boys have never played organized basketball before, so it is a learning experience for everyone. Those boys who do play competitively will have a myriad of tournaments come spring, so win-loss records for their school team are not worth worrying about for them. They will learn how to win as they get older.

For years, my son Mike came to practice with me. When he was smaller, around second grade or so, he would shoot with the "big kids," who were often kind enough to give him a nugget of their attention. Last year, as a sixth grader, he would occasionally scrimmage with us and be elated if he even got off a shot.

This year, he is on my team. Some of his buddies are on the team, too, and with 19 guys on the roster, I will be getting to know quite a cross-section of boys from my son's class. Talent-wise, I am not setting my expectations too high: The two seventh-grade football teams finished a combined 0-12.

I know, though, that this season will be unlike any other.

10-27-12: Raising good citizens

Some high schools across the state require community service hours for their students as a graduation requirement. Thankfully, De Pere has never followed that trend. Our philosophy is that mandated service takes the true meaning out of the work; instead of the joy and satisfaction of making a positive contribution to the community, a forced student might come away from the experience just glad to get it over with.

At De Pere, many of our clubs promote service learning. Today, the single-sex classes took their turn.

Starting at 9 a.m., five groups of students and parents met at homes of elderly residents in De Pere and Allouez, a suburb of Green Bay. Each group had two or three assignments, which I collected from the Volunteer Center of Brown County as well as recommendations from students' parents. The boys and girls were armed with rakes and a spirit of camaraderie. In all, we raked, trimmed and clipped for 12 houses before meeting at Subway a little past noon for lunch.

The benefits for the students are multiple: The boys and girls interact with each other in a new environment that enriches friendships; they see the joy their work brings to the elderly community members who are physically unable to care for their yards; and, most of all, they cultivate a sense of pride and self-worth.

As for me, the positives abound as well: We, as a school, meet and help taxpayers who probably do not have many connections to the school any more; I get to socialize with parents in a setting other than conferences and with students somewhere other than my classroom; and, selfishly, I get to enlist my seventh-grade son in the project and teach him civic duty.

Beyond all of that, though, it is the right thing to do.

11-15-12: Meet the parents, Part II

Round 2 of parent-teacher conferences is always a long day, not only in terms of hours but in the amount of energy required to stay strong until the end. We teach four classes in the morning, followed by six-and-a-half hours of meetings.

Not every teacher's schedule is as crammed as mine. All 58 of my slots filled up over the two days and three sessions; some gym teachers barely reach double digits. Most parents – especially those of freshmen – are eager to know how their child is doing with reading and writing. Conferences validate the reason I teach English in the first place: These skills are essential for college and career success, for those who cannot read and write well face a huge post-high school hurdle.

Parents who attend usually fit three types:

>> **The A-student parent.** These parents know their child is kicking butt in class, and the kid probably has been for years. Even though these parents do not need to come in, I do not mind if they want to take a slot. They likely have done something right with their parenting skills to steer their children in the proper direction. They deserve a quick pat on the back. For the parents, knowing the teachers fosters discussions at home about school and shows that they are still interested, even though they have a kid in high school. These conferences are easy.

>> **The F-student parent.** In general, about 30-to-40 percent of the parents of failing students come in. Sadly, the majority do not. I always feel bad for these kids; they are messing up in their "job" and seemingly do not have anyone in their support system to go to. Most of the F-student parents who visit are angry and exasperated at their kids, not the teachers. They are seeking advice about what they can do at home, or they ask if we are seeing trouble in class.

Many parents lament the amount of time their sons spend playing video games at home. Often, a mother and father will discuss right in front of me what restrictions they are going to place on their son once they get home. Every once in a while, a parent will act surprised and place blame for the F on the teacher, but rarely. Almost all parents I deal with see me as a partner, not an enemy.

>> **The B-or-C-student parent.** In an average year, this group is about 75 percent of my conferences. These parents know their child is not a whiz at reading and writing, and many of them believe (usually accurately) that their son could get A's if he worked a little bit harder. Rarely does anything I say about these boys come as a surprise. Many of these boys are smart kids who somewhere along the line lost their love for reading. They have high-quality thinking but do not have the organizational skills or patience to put their thoughts on paper. Often, these boys are getting all A's except for English (I heard that four times this year), and their parents are looking for new strategies to boost their son's weak area.

At De Pere, we only have conferences once a year. It is too bad, because the parent-student-teacher-school connection should be more than a November-only event.

12-7-12: Some things are immeasurable

The reason so many teachers scoff at the idea of merit pay is because so much of what we do cannot be measured, and many of our most important moments are done without any other adults seeing or recording them.

Tonight, that is what I am thinking about.

Nothing that happened this week will be placed on my yearly evaluation. If I were not writing this book, my bosses would never know about all the predicaments that occurred. But these quandaries do pop up, and, as I reflect late on a Friday night, they are the moments that affect me most. We teachers, especially elementary teachers who I assume deal with far more conflict than I, are on the frontline of the development of our youth, and we manage fragile psyches. How I – or any teacher, for that matter – handle key moments goes a long way in making or breaking a kid's day.

Powerful.

Before practice on Wednesday, two of my basketball players got into a tussle. One of them came to me crying and shouting, explaining that another boy had kicked him and tried to knock the ball out of his hands while they were shooting around. So, I called the accused boy over to get his side of it. He denied everything. I did not see the incident, so one of them was either lying or greatly exaggerating. I have never had a problem with either of them, so there was no history to influence my evaluation. Without going into great detail, the two boys eventually came to an agreement; soon after, I sat the team down before practice and talked about the need to treat each other like brothers.

"You guys have six more years together as a class," I said, among other things, "and the sooner you start to accept and respect one another, the better those years will be."

The crying boy quickly turned his emotions around and had a good practice – until he took an elbow to the eye on a rebounding drill with 10 minutes left. I left my assistant in charge for the last 10 minutes while I took the boy to the office and got one of the janitors to put together an ice pack for him. When I returned, practice was breaking up for the day, and my assistant told me about an incident in which he had to discipline another boy for intentionally pushing a teammate over during full-court work.

I found this boy outside the locker room as he waited for his ride to arrive and asked him what happened. This boy started sobbing as well.

"The other team was stacked and they scored a lot of baskets and they were rubbing it in," he said, his voice cracking.

As a teacher, I made sure to point out his error, and we talked about how to handle himself the next time that situation arises.

"Life," I say, "is full of times like this."

I shared some of my personal experiences of losing, such as when I coached a youth baseball team that finished 1-15. I told him that how we handle ourselves when we are losing says much more about our character than how we handle ourselves when we are winning. I did most of the talking. He listened and nodded. When I was done, I patted him on the shoulder.

"It's a learning experience," I told him. "That's why we're here – to learn and make ourselves better."

The next day, I had another issue with two different boys. Just like the other incidents, I had no previous problems with either of them. During a layup drill, one of them blatantly and viciously threw the other one to the ground.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Remember, we're on the same team!"

About two minutes later, one of them threw a ball at the other one, and I soon realized that this was not an accidental or isolated incident. My assistant took over practice while I summoned the two boys aside.

Boy 1 started bawling and said that this "feud" went all the way back to fifth grade, claiming that Boy 2 has been teasing and bullying him constantly since then. I handled it by letting Boy 1 vent, allowing Boy 2 to hear it, and telling them both that all teasing hurts. I told them they do not have to be best friends and hang out together on Friday nights, but at practice they need to be good teammates and respect each other's space.

When I got home, I emailed the middle school principals and recommended conflict resolution.

(Update: The middle school counselor emailed to let me know that the two boys sat on the couch in her office during study hall the next day and talked things out. Awesome.)

In class this week, I taught to the Common Core about colons and semicolons, vocabulary definitions and nuances, and how to start a research paper. My effectiveness on these lessons will eventually be measured on a test.

As I sit here, though, I worry much less about test scores than I do about people.

12-17-12: End of the season

The most emotional basketball season I have ever had ended today with a loss. We finished 4-4.

Sure, there is not much pressure to win in seventh-grade basketball, but the up-close view I had of my son's every basketball move the last two months has been a combination of elation and anxiety. Keeping track of the development of 19 boys at practice every day has been a challenge; watching Mike's progress out of the corner of my eye was an experience that is hard to put into words.

This was my sixth year coaching middle school boys, so the basketball part of the equation was not difficult. Organizing the practices and games comes naturally at this point. But to understand everything about my last two months, one has to know Mike.

Mike is not gifted athletically; in addition, he has Asperger's Syndrome, an autistic condition that limits his social effectiveness. Put them together and it is easy to see that middle school basketball is not his perfect environment. However, he loves sports, he knows a great deal about the game, and he has always wanted to play for me.

Mike scored two points this year. He maybe got a rebound. I subbed him in and out like I do all of the other second-tier players. Nonetheless, he came to every practice and always finished in the top five when we ran sprints. He made new social contacts, which are extra-difficult for him to cultivate in everyday life. He made half-court shots for soda twice; however, since he does not drink soda, he donated his loot to the team as a giveaway at the final practice. I could not have been prouder.

Even today, I remember what an enormous impact sports had on me as a boy, and I desperately want Mike to get a taste. He was too scared to go out for football this fall. The fear of the unknown will stop the average tentative boy in his tracks; those with Asperger's have a higher wall to climb.

Like his old man, Mike is not a natural socialite. But my heart melted every time I would drive past groups of kids and see him with a bunch of new buddies – teammates! – as they all walked their way from the middle school to the elementary school where we practiced.

His penance for having a dad as coach was that, because I had to wait until the last kid was picked up after practice, he always had to wait, too. I'll never forget, though, one night when he decided to make the best of it.

We usually finished practice at 5:00. On most nights, all of the boys' parents had come by 5:10 or so, and Mike and I would then head home for dinner. On this night, one of the boys' parents was very late. First came 5:15, then 5:20, then 5:25. Mike was waiting inside with me, while the boy waited outside the door, hoping for his ride to arrive. Mike finally looked at me and said, "I'm going to go wait outside with Bryce."

"OK," I said.

For the next 15 minutes, I listened to as much as I could through the thick glass doors. I could not make out any words, but the two of them were having a grand old time, talking and laughing about something. Bryce has never been in Mike's friend group, and I have never heard him talk about Bryce at home. For Mike to reach out and take that step of friendship was amazing. I know that it sounds like such a normal, basic act for a teenage boy, but Mike's branching out like that blew me away.

Those are the memories I have of his season. Maybe the good experience will convince him to go out for track this spring _(update: he did!)_ , or for football next fall, or for the school play once he gets to high school. It is hard to overestimate the importance of being on a team for a young male. Sports totally shaped my experience at Abbot Pennings and the person I eventually became.

My success at basketball not only gave me an identity at Pennings, but it helped me land a high-school job at the _Green Bay Press-Gazette_ as a late-night scoretaker, and it fueled my passion for journalism that shaped every aspect of my college years. The teachers and coaches at Pennings influenced me in more ways that they know.

Watching Mike develop as a player and a person was an experience I would not trade for anything. I hope he plays again next year, but if not, I am optimistic that he has at least grown in self-confidence, and that gain might manifest itself in another area later in life.

That hope, of course, applies to all of the young men I teach and coach.

I will always have a front-row seat to watch Mike's life; with the rest of them, I can only have faith that something I have said or done during the past two months will make an impact on them.

12-23-12: The joys of yearbook (sarcasm alert!)

I am not proud of the following fact: Today, the first Sunday of Christmas break, I spent three-and-a-half hours in Room H108 putting the final touches on the first 48 pages of the yearbook. While most people were watching the Packers-Bears game on TV, I was looking for pictures from pep rallies and talent shows. Woo-hoo!

The first 48 pages of the 184-page yearbook are due to the printer by tomorrow. I gave my staff every opportunity to finish the pages themselves, and they completed about 42 of them. Some of the pages were started and never finished. A couple pages were never started. I did not spend a great deal of time on the creative aspect today. The pages are done; that is about all I can say.

Because the yearbook is a money matter, I had to finish the job. We charge $50 per yearbook (even though our production cost is $50.24) and have to meet deadlines in order to avoid additional charges. I cannot take the money out of my students' paychecks because they do not get paid, and I cannot all of a sudden raise the price of the yearbook; all I can do is award poor grades.

Bummer.

All told, I have about another 10-12 hours worth of correcting papers during the break. I am sure some teachers have more than I, and some have less. English teachers who teach college credit classes will use the break to whittle away at their stack, which contains much thicker papers than mine.

Once correcting is finished, I will have about five nights off. The mental break is much appreciated, for another batch of performance tasks and freshman research papers – not to mention finals in three weeks – are coming down the chute once we get back.

Next Sunday, I intend to watch the Packers-Vikings game paper-free.

1-16-13: Lots of issues

As I write about a variety of educational issues that are coming to a head, I begin with a quick anecdote to show how electronics are a runaway freight train:

I received an email this morning from a mother wondering what her son Justin needed to do to improve his grade to an 'A'. Justin is on the A-B border, so I told her about the two assignments Justin did not do well on. In order to improve his grade, I wrote, Justin could come and see me, and we could discuss an alternate assessment to work on. I sent this email at 10:23.

At about 10:35, Justin came into my room – he was in study hall in the commons during this hour – to ask what he could do about those assignments. Being a good sport about it, Justin admitted that he had just taken a text from his mom. Parents are texting their kids constantly during school hours. (A poll on my parent blog last month revealed that 31 out of 39 parents said they text their children during the school day.) This is now a common form of parent-teen communication. Students today are distracted to the hilt, and we teachers are not getting much help from home.

Meanwhile, at the monthly after-school staff meeting, the two big topics were safety and paper.

In response to the awful Connecticut school shooting last month, two De Pere police officers spent a day going through our halls to analyze safe and unsafe spots. They are formulating a plan that will likely include changes to our security measures. The only rule for this year is that we cannot do anything that costs money. Instead, the decision has been made that teachers will keep their doors closed and locked whenever students are in the classroom. Our doors can only be open during passing time. This procedure costs no money. (Insert your own "school is a prison" joke here.)

Many of us teachers are unsure what to think. As someone whose room has no view of the outside world during the day, being in a locked room – literally! – for 8-to-9 hours cannot be good for my mental health, especially in winter.

The next most important issue at our school is paper use. We spent about one half of our 35-minute meeting talking about how we are running out of paper and need to stop printing unless our life depends on it. The high school has almost exhausted its entire paper budget for the year in one semester. Again, I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

I have never wanted to be an administrator because they have to deal with so many financial issues, and it is no secret that budgets are continuing to dwindle. The principals are under loads of pressure to make smart financial cuts during a time when state aid is shrinking.

Unless something changes dramatically, De Pere High School will be out of paper at some point in the second semester. I can get by without new books or markers, but teaching reading and writing without paper will be tough.

Ironically, the second issue of the school paper came out today. I write a back-page column in each issue titled the "Advisor's Corner". Here is a copy:

The evolution of news stories and media focus since the Newtown, Conn., shootings of Dec.13 has been interesting to say the least.

Initially, we Americans dealt with the event itself. That anyone would mass murder little kids machine-gun style is horrifying, enhanced by the unspoken realization that it could happen anywhere, including De Pere.

Next, the gun debate sprung up. Let's face it, folks: That game is already over. Gun purchases are skyrocketing, and tougher laws will be passed when camels fly.

Not surprisingly, the Newtown tragedy did nothing to slow the rate at which Americans gun each other down. According to Slate.com, more than 300 Americans were killed by guns in the two weeks following Newtown, with assailants not even taking a break on Christmas Day.

Subsequently, the need to treat mental illness was the answer. No one wants to pay for it, though, so until people start volunteering in mass numbers, that issue will remain stagnant.

_After that, people started losing their minds._ Arm the teachers! They don't need more books, they need rifles! _I am all for the Second Amendment, but anyone who thinks having more guns in a high school enhances safety hasn't been in a high school recently._

Eventually, my hope is that the discussion will get to the root of the issue – how we treat each other. Of course, this issue has many layers and requires deep introspection rather than screaming and blaming, the latter two being American specialties.

We – all of us – need to improve our personalities and priorities, and no law will change either of these.

So what does all of this mean for the 1,400 of us who share this building every day? I cannot guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen here, but we can always take measures to reduce the risk. Since this is my column, I have a few ideas:

_Equally accept everyone's talents and interests._ _Our society tends to glorify athletes and relegate non-sports talents to secondary status. Until the Gamers Club and the Chess Club and the Drama Club and the Guitar Club and the Book Club on equal terms with football and basketball, our culture will continue to have many young people who feel unappreciated._

_Put the electronics away and talk to each other._ _More human interaction equals more connection. People are less likely to harm others whom they know and respect. Every time cell phones and music headphones come out, the student body's connectivity quotient contracts._

_Show compassion and empathy as often as possible._ _Much of what we see in the media teaches us to laugh and criticize those who suffer misfortune. Resisting that notion is easier said than done._

Every time a deranged gunman destroys a community, the media reports about how the people of that town "came together" after the shooting.

It'd be better if each community could come together before anything tragic happens. We all share this responsibility.

2-11-13: After-school lessons

I spend much of my workday teaching lessons to other people's children, but this winter I gave one to my son.

Mike has developed a love for sports, and, like most kids, he also has affinity for money. My wife and I arranged for him to work with me, keeping the scorebook at the middle school girls' basketball games once a week. (We split my checks.) Today was the last of our five days of work.

On the first day, back in mid-January, Mike sulked. He did not want to be there. Like most boys, the last place he wanted to be seen was at a girls' basketball game. Whereas many girls enjoy coming to the boys' games, very few boys return the courtesy. I could count the male student spectators on one hand.

Naturally, Mike felt as though he was not where the cool guys were. Only a couple bags of popcorn from the concession stand saved that first day from being a complete disaster. He sat in disgust through the seventh-grade game, finally relenting and learning the process for a couple quarters of the eighth-grade contest.

However, once he realized I was not going to give in, he actually started to enjoy it. Usually, he and I would work for one half of each game. Today, he did both games by himself and did not even need me. I just sat next to him and helped with the substitutions coming into the game.

Mike conversed with Steve Endries, the eighth-grade teacher who was running the clock, and interacted with the two referees. Mike was part of the game crew, feeling as though he was part of something important. By the end, he was even saying hello to some of the girls as they checked into the game. I chuckled. For Mike, this was a major step as a social being. He cannot wait to work more games next year.

A boy is never too young to learn that girls' sports deserve respect. Many young men criticize girls' sports as being slow, boring, and undeserving of equal funding. If seeing the girls in a competitive situation like basketball helps Mike to develop friendships with members of the opposite sex, then he will be a better person.

Having a dad for a teacher is not always a benefit for Mike. This, though, was one opportunity that he received because of me, and I do not mind using this perk.

3-18-13: Sexist attitudes are irritating

Along that same theme, the third issue of the school paper came out two days ago. My column on the back page sparked quite a bit of conversation among the students. Here it is:

An open letter to the boys of De Pere High School:

Your persistent criticism of girls' and women's sports needs to end. I have heard enough.

Many of your male egos are running wild with delusions of gender superiority simply because you can run faster or jump higher than the average woman.

Instead of being grateful and humble about the athletic gifts you have (not to mention the fact you'll never endure the pains of childbirth), you use the physical factor as an open invitation to mock women's sports. You laugh that they are too slow, incredibly boring, and woefully overfunded.

You often seem to do this in front of your buddies, thinking that such condemnation will elevate your status in their eyes as you bond and compare bicep sizes.

To justify yourself, you make claims about how "nobody goes" to the games, or girls "don't want to win" as much as you do, or how they "don't have to work as hard" as you do.

Since your male peers won't say it, I will: You are way off base.

Denigration of women's sports is simply a cover-up for your insecurity, immaturity, or both.

So the boys can dunk and the girls can't. So what? So the boys can run faster and hit harder. Who cares? Why does that matter?

Human beings – boys and girls – play sports for the same basic reasons. Sports offer a competitive outlet, and participation creates intangible learning opportunities in the areas of character, integrity, resiliency, collaboration, pride, and many more.

In short, sports often make us better people.

If you don't want to watch girls' and women's sports, that's fine. I don't watch many WNBA games, either.

However, as those of us with daughters know especially, sports must be there for them as they develop and grow. We can't go back to the days before Title IX when girls were not allowed to play.

That's what's important, not how fast or exciting the games are.

Disparaging women's sports does not make you more of a man. It has exactly the opposite effect.

My sophomore boys were mostly skeptical. One said, "You don't really mean this, do you, Mr. Guyette?" Some said I was booed in their classes when a "shout out" came on the announcements from the broadcast crew.

The day will come when the boys start to see the world from a view other than their own.

Some conversions will take longer than others.

3-19-13: The safety dance

Exaggerating the impact of the Newtown, Conn., shooting on schools would be difficult. During an in-service this morning, the staff was spoken to not only by our own police liaison officer, but also the middle school liaison and a pair of city officers.

I am not at liberty to address any specifics of the conversation, but the information presented was valuable and extensive. We are talking about safety more than ever, and we will be taking actions on multiple levels in the coming months.

Three years ago, administration decided to have a teacher patrol the building every hour in an attempt to cut down on students wandering the halls and leaving the premises. In a building as large as ours, with as many entry doors and wings as we have, the more people patrolling the open spaces the better. This is my duty for the second semester – fourth hour, 10:00-10:50 – in place of the freshman study hall I had the first two quarters.

Carrying a radio communication device so that I can instantly connect with the office in an emergency, my job is to make laps (usually 8 or 9 per day) around the school and check students' passes. If they do not have one, I send them back to the class they came from. The exchange is tricky: I try to be congenial yet stern. My role is to make the students understand that hallway monitors are here for their overall safety, though a healthy portion of kids perceive my presence as a pain in the butt.

Unfortunately, I cannot get any work done during this hour, but the exercise is great and I am able to run errands on most days. The walking usually boosts my mood, for I can have quick, 15-second conversations with many students and teachers during the hour.

It is also a perfect excuse to wear my tennis shoes.

4-16-13: Community education

Our leaf-raking entourage was nominated and recognized this morning at the WPS Volunteer Awards honoring community service in the Green Bay area. More than 800 folks – primarily adults and other local businesspeople – attended the breakfast at a convention hall in downtown Green Bay from 7:30-9:30. I brought Barry to represent the boys program and Deb to represent the girls.

Several other schools also had nominated groups that carry out Make-A-Difference Day projects; Barry, Deb and I sat with an advisor and two students from Ashwaubenon High. Both of us advisors had the same goal today: Expose young people to the greater business community and show them what successful people do with their lives. Of course, the quantity of volunteer work our groups do is a grain of sand compared to the award winners, but Barry and Deb, when they are older, will hopefully look back on this day and be inspired to do something remarkable.

Getting out of school for a couple of hours was a short-tem bonus too, and the kids got to experience proper attire and appropriate behavior at a formal event. Both of them were great. They were polite to the older folks also seated at our table, and neither was distracted by a cell phone. On the 15-minute drive back to school, we chatted about the winners, and both of them spoke to their classmates about what they heard and learned at the ceremony when they went to English class today.

I humbly emphasize that my efforts are not unique. Many teachers at De Pere High, as well as other schools across Wisconsin, lead projects and activities that promote community service and spirit in our students. Few of them have any immediate financial benefit to the community.

I have heard and read quite a bit the last two years that teachers are not worth their compensation because they are not helping the economy. Any tax dollars that are spent, critics say, should go toward jobs and private industry. Teachers are not creating jobs nor revenue, and in the short term the critics are right. Tangible, measurable results – available today! – of many lessons that we administer do not exist.

One of my favorite lines from the book _Season of Life_ is that the coaches tell parents they will not know how well they did with any given team for another 20 years. Of course, many people judge a coach's value by the wins and losses at the end of each season, but Joe Ehrmann and Biff Poggi were more concerned about what kinds of men their players became. Then, and only then, could Joe and Biff evaluate their effectiveness.

Where will Barry and Deb be 20 years from now? What will they be doing for others? If the seed that was planted today grows into something wonderful, gratification will be shared by the community.

5-4-13: Our final service project

Four groups of boys spent their morning raking leaves, cleaning yards, and washing windows for the elderly as part of our spring community service project. In all, we fixed up the exteriors of eight homes; none of the owners, I would guess, are under 80.

The boys who volunteer are a mix of academic quality; some who worked today do not always display the best classroom behavior, but their squirrelly behavior in school does not mean they are not good people. The four freshmen I worked with today are among the top 10 who get put on the The Board the most. Still, they have a strong parental influence at home, and something is connecting in their brains about being service-oriented at a young age. We had a great time.

Another group of boys was given $10 by a man whose home they polished up. They could have pocketed the money and I never would have known. Instead, when I came by later in the morning to check on their progress, they gave the money to me and said they wanted to donate it to a local charity.

"I am proud of you," I told them. "It says a lot about your character."

My plan is to take some of the money and buy them donuts to show my appreciation for their efforts. The real value comes from the intrinsic reward of doing good deeds, but a treat from me might encourage them to do it again next year.

Anything for a donut, you know.

5-20-13: Academics are not always No. 1

How important are sports? Let me offer two examples from this week.

First, Arnold came to me this morning asking about doing a one-on-one discussion for his fiction book instead of writing an essay. Chatting with him would please me greatly. Most of the book talks I have with the freshmen attain depths that the boys do not reach on their own.

"When can I do that?" he asked.

"Any day after school," I replied.

That's the problem. Arnold has lacrosse practice after school.

Next, my top newspaper student has been trying to get to the police station about a mile away to see if she can locate a police report regarding the De Pere district computer shutdown from two weeks ago. Because Veronica is only 15 and cannot drive yet, the only time she can get there is after school.

She, however, plays soccer.

For Veronica, missing part of soccer practice to pursue an academic assignment is out of the question. I say this not angrily, but matter-of-factly. My guess is that 99 out of 100 kids at De Pere would make the same choice. Rightly or wrongly, students operate as if they cannot miss practice time for a school sport for any reason, even if it is to see a teacher for academic purposes.

Furthermore, I have always felt that the public would be astounded at the amount of class time missed by athletes who leave school early to participate in competitions. This part I _do_ get frustrated about. The track and cross country teams leave early once a week during the heavy parts of their seasons. Golfers miss whole or half days regularly in the spring, tennis players exit after 2 p.m. so that they can finish before sundown, and the list goes on and on. Eighth hour is a formality for some classes during a four-week stretch in spring.

Some books, such as _Schools That Do Too Much_ (2003) by Etta Kralovec, argue that elimination of taxpayer-funded school athletics would make the biggest impact in improving academics. I won't go that far. As stated already, I find great value in sports, and taking them away completely would cause ... well, I don't even want to envision what would happen.

But our current set-up has its issues.

Obviously, when an athlete leaves school early, lessons are missed. Everyone can see that. What I tend to notice, however, are the side effects.

**Side effect No. 1:** When athletes know they are getting out of school, the early dismissal becomes their main focus. Physically, they are in the classroom, usually wearing their game jerseys. Mentally, they are somewhere else, thinking about the game, the bus ride, getting snacks, where to leave their equipment, etc. As usual, I have no scientific support for this claim; I only know what I see.

**Side effect No. 2:** Non-athletes build up resentment when athletes leave early. Parents or administrators who deny the rift between athletes and non-athletes are kidding themselves. When athletes are released, the non-athletes see the exodus as favoritism toward those who play sports. The accuracy of their perception does not matter; they are not happy. I do not know how else to say it.

**Side effect No. 3:** Athletes fall behind and are out of the loop when they return to class. Not only are the students missing the class on game day, but they will likely not participate much in the days after as they try to catch up.

Teachers hear all the time from various parts of the population that American education is in trouble. But our societal priorities – which come from a mixture of sources – are not always on math, science and reading. We teachers have budget freezes for paper, supplies, and books, yet our sports booster clubs routinely pay extra money so that athletes can ride comfortably in motor coaches instead of yellow school buses to events 45 minutes away. That being said, I know that I cannot tell people how to spend their money, now or ever.

I am almost – _almost!_ – at the point of being numb to our reality. This is the system we have and the society we live in. We love our sports, and we are perhaps better than any other nation at offering them to our children.

We have fantastic sports programs at De Pere, and the number of kids who are involved with them is impressive. As I stated before, I believe sports programs help students learn lessons and develop characteristics that they cannot acquire in a classroom. We also have many winning teams in De Pere, and that fact is extremely important to our kids, our parents, and our community.

In the end, though, whether we want to admit it or not, this focus comes with a price.

5-27-13: The value on 1-on-1

As a way to earn extra money, I tutor students for the English and reading portions of the ACT. I am currently tutoring six different students in preparation for the last test of the year, June 8.

From the beginning of this month through June 6, I will spend 14 weekday nights at the De Pere library, usually 6-8 p.m., helping students learn the tips and tricks to succeed on this dreaded but vital standardized test.

Students frequently tell me that scholarships they are applying for have ACT minimums; in one case, a student told me he had to raise his score from a 23 to a 25 in order to get a $5,000-per-year scholarship. Usually, students come to me so that a higher score can open up more college options, and with the price of higher education today, the $100 they pay me for five hours worth of individual work seems like peanuts if they get where they want to go.

Tutoring is wonderful for many reasons, but the best one is this: When I work with the kids in this setting with so much at stake, I have their undivided attention.

One would be amazed at the amount of learning that can take place in one hour when a teacher can individualize learning for a student without any distractions: no cell phones, no friends to visit with, no announcements over the loudspeaker. They have to answer every question and try every example for every new concept until they get it right. They badly want to learn, and they are always appreciative of the time I spend with them.

Learning participial phrases while sitting in the back of the room of a class with 30 kids is not always easy and will often take weeks of teaching and re-teaching.

One-on-one, I can do it in 10 minutes.

6-4-13: Single-sex graduation

Nights like tonight are the reason teachers teach.

The connections we are able to make with our students far outweigh the stresses played out in the political realm. Outsiders can cut my take-home pay and disparage the public school system all they want, but they cannot take away the magic we educators have the potential to create.

The LA10 end-of-the-year celebration tonight was beautiful. About 100 students and parents came to the back commons of De Pere High School from 7-7:45 p.m. to receive awards, give speeches, devour desserts, and reminisce about the good times we shared over the past two years.

Wayne, who began freshman year as a timid kid who barely said a word, spoke confidently on behalf of the 59 boys. Both of his parents were there to watch and take in a proud moment.

The girls' speeches about overcoming the death of a classmate last year were touching. Handing out awards for a variety of accomplishments (Class Discussion, Class Spirit, Class Humor) and dubious achievements (Best Singer, Took the Most Crap, "Best" Representative of Notre Dame Middle School, Can't Live With Him/Can't Live Without Him) evoked laughter everywhere.

Everyone who was on the board the past two weeks was entered in the final drawing ever for these guys. Wayne's mom came to the front and drew the name – Mark – who then had to give the second boys speech. Of course, it was terrible, but that's part of the show: One more thing to razz Mark about. After the final speech was given, the girls posed for a large group photo, followed by the boys. _(See next page. Special memories for everyone.)_ Visiting with parents afterwards helps me fortify bonds with the De Pere community; many of these parents will send their younger sons to me in future years.

Several of the boys were missing due to a baseball game, but that was OK. Many of the guys who were there are not athletes. Some of the guys who came are excellent students, but even those who are not academically strong showed up. For some, this is their club, the place where they know they are loved no matter what grade they are getting. Everyone ate well, and the parents remarked to me how much they enjoyed seeing the boys so happy together as a group.

In Madison tonight, as the state budget was being decided, many people believe that public schools lost.

In the back commons of De Pere High School, though, we all won.

Sixth passing time: In the boys' words

Sara, Kirsten and I evaluate the kids on all kinds of assignments and assessments for nine-plus months. At the end of the year, we give the kids a chance to evaluate us. Most of the comments are positive, but I would hate to give the impression that every boy is transformed. No program is perfect, and the atmosphere created by 30 boys – many of whom are not academically gifted – does not work for everyone.

Here are the boys' end-of-the-year reflections, along with my comments in parentheses:

FRESHMEN

>> "I am excited to come back next year, as this class brings laughter and a positive atmosphere for being yourself." (We all need to laugh.)

>> "My freshman year would not have been the same. If I didn't have this class, I would not have done well in English and I would spend one more class trying to impress girls. Thanks for an awesome year, and party like it's 1999!" (Dale knows how much I like Prince.)

>> "The atmosphere of the all-boys is a lot better, but our discussions weren't always the best because of the some of the dingleberries in our class." (Some boys do not yet know how to handle serious topics, and instead of being quiet and listening, they will act out immaturely to deflect the discussion.)

>> "This was by far the best English class ever. Lots of funny stories were shared as well as people just being the morons that they are." ('Morons' is an affectionate term, I think.)

>> "Without the female gender, you really see everyone's true personalities." (I am not sure if this comment was positive or negative.)

>> "I will always remember this class for the love and happiness I felt. Whenever I had a bad day, I knew I would get to go to this class the next day and I would smile. Can't wait for next year." (That's powerful stuff.)

>> "There's a time for fun and a time for seriousness, and it's well-blended in this class." (Cool.)

>> "It's the most fun I've ever had in school. It's such a chill feeling. We all enjoy our jokes and jabs." (Everyone is a comedian.)

>> "It's a nice break from girls complaining non-stop in class." (Whatever I can do to help.)

>> "The class was one of the best experiences for me. There was no pressure of being embarrassed by a girl. I believe everyone grew closer even though everyone was trying to get you boarded." (Well, that's half the fun.)

>> 'The books were good, but I still hate reading." (Not everyone converts.)

>> "I enjoyed grammar for the first time in my life. Last year I got 50-60 percent on grammar tests and quizzes. This year I got over 97 percent on all of them." (Boys like to have fun, but they also like to learn. Success inspires self-confidence.)

>> "This was a life-changing class. I made a lot of friends." (Coming from a child with Asperger's, this comment is especially satisfying. The social aspect greatly helped this boy gain a fraternal acceptance into a group of guys that he had not experienced before.)

SOPHOMORES

>> "It was not like any other English class, for this one I actually looked forward to. You taught us life lessons beyond English. Any English teacher can tell us what a noun or pronoun is, but only you could tell us lessons to remember for a lifetime. The most important thing you taught me is how a young man should act." (We try to go beyond the academics, for sure.)

>> "Much of the activities performed in this class were pretty easy. My only downfall to taking this class was in missing the opportunity of taking LA 9-10 honors. I feel I would have been more challenged writing-wise. ... The atmosphere might have been a little rowdy, and I may not have fit in the best in the class, but I still value the time spent with the people around me." (Serious, high-achieving students like Jason are better served in an honors class, though I think the other boys came to respect him for his work ethic and intellectual class participation.)

>> "It's an experience like no other. There's no worrying about girls or if you have to fart. I loved how during discussions it didn't matter if you were popular or not, you could find a common interest with the people around you no matter what social status you were." (I am not going to think we totally break down those borders, but we try.)

>> "The class is about learning basic English skills but more than anything it is a family. Over the past two years we have read about controversial topics for males and had deeper discussions than any other class. Sure we would get off topic, just as any room full of boys would, but at the end of the day, we were able to learn English while learning to be men." (Barry was big into community service and bringing treats.)

>> "The environment was so fresh that it hardly ever felt like I was in school. It might as well have been just like a group of guys hanging out in someone's basement. That environment made me want to succeed and make my brothers proud." (Miles's somewhat tentative personality emerged in this atmosphere.)

>> "I would recommend this class to any incoming freshman, especially one who is struggling in language arts and social life. Somebody in my class was very quiet before this class. Now he has great motivation and isn't quiet any more. It increased his self-esteem, and he is enjoying school more now just like me." (That's why this class works better the first two years, not the last two.)

>> "The bonds that are made in a single-sex class are irreplaceable, both between the students and the teacher. I think we all learned about ourselves as much as we learned about grammar and each other." (Mission accomplished.)

>> "I thoroughly enjoyed the class, but the immaturity and obnoxious behavior of the some of the students made me re-think my decision about taking a faster-paced language arts class instead. ... As for advice, be sure you can tolerate and enjoy the full range of personalities within the class." (Ron is one of the more mature boys, and I know he was often frustrated with his peers.)

>> "Allowing students to be with kids of the same gender helps the learning process because you see guys like you struggling, and then you have the ones who succeed who will help you. It allows for a good atmosphere where guys don't have to put on a façade for girls and you can be yourself and learn." (That's why we started the class in the first place.)

Some of the comments from my third hour were so I nice that I don't even know what to say.

>> "Before high school, I hated reading and I would do anything to not read, but now I like reading. I recommend this class to anyone. You come in an immature freshman and leave with knowledge, lessons of life, and a mature (for most) junior."

>> "Coming from Notre Dame Middle School, I knew about 10 people as a freshman. This class gave me the opportunity to meet so many people. I was welcomed. I was so worried the first day because I knew almost no one. This class gave me a place to fit in and that is priceless."

>> "I look up to you as a father figure. When I am older I want to have the same life as you – have a job that I can support my family with and knowing every day when I go to work that I will leave happy."

>> "I learned about English but also so many life lessons that will stay with me. I can honestly say that this class has changed me for the better."

>> "When I signed up for this class, it was to sit on couches and listen to music. I had no idea just how much I would learn. I am different because of this class. I am better because of this class."

>> "This class has brought everybody in it closer. Most males not in the class always say they regretted not taking it. It should almost be a requirement because it is necessary for male teens. Males need time to spend time with just the bros."

>> "This class taught me to avoid sexism and the terrible situations young men sometimes put themselves in. I strongly believe I have become a smarter man about society."

Chapter 7: A visit with my mentor

I had wanted to have this conversation with Fr. Gery Meehan for years.

So there I was, sitting in his office on a sunny Sunday afternoon in April, talking about single-sex education and gaining insight from a man whom I consider one of the wisest I know.

Fr. Meehan was my principal at Abbot Pennings. I never had him for a classroom teacher, nor was I ever in his office for discipline problems, but I got to know him well because of my involvement in clubs and athletics at Pennings. Fr. Meehan, who attended an all-boys high school growing up in Philadelphia, was our biggest fan.

As an adult, I realize how much guidance he and the rest of the faculty gave me at Pennings, even if I did not know it back then. Nonetheless, I must have seen something in him as a teenager, for I asked him to be my confirmation sponsor.

As I made the drive over the Fox River to talk with Father, who spent 30 years at Pennings as first a teacher and then the principal, two specific incidents flooded into my memory as if they happened yesterday. Both exemplify why he is a great man.

The first – occurring in fall of 1987, my senior year – was the most traumatic experience of my adolescence.

Thanks to my parents, I clearly understood the difference between right and wrong as a teenager, but I was clueless about the price one sometimes has to pay for making unpopular decisions.

As the president of the Student Council, I, along with my fellow elected officers, was in charge of the Homecoming activities. Traditionally, this meant the following: float building the weeks prior to the football game; a parade over the bridge from west to east De Pere along with a halftime ceremony on game night; and a dance to organize and decorate for Saturday night.

As someone who worked on the Class of '88 float each of my first three years, I knew the drill. A handful of guys and friendly St. Joseph's Academy girls spent many weekday nights at a farm of someone in the class, building the structure and hooking it up to a car for the parade. The reality of the situation was this: Lots of guys said they were going to build, told their parents they were going to help, and then never showed up.

My sense was that float building was a great deal of work done by a few conscientious people under the guise of a great excuse for many others to have weeknight parties. The other Student Council officers agreed with me that float building was not worth the effort any more, so we cancelled it. Every other tradition would carry on as planned, but the floats were out. We decided to inform the students about the decision one class at a time during the lunch hour the next day.

Telling the freshmen was no big deal; they did not have a sense of what they were going to miss. The sophomores and juniors questioned the decision a bit more, but their protest was nothing I could not handle. My fellow seniors, however, were incensed. The next 15 minutes turned into a series of personal attacks as I stood alone in front of my peers and explained the decision. None of the other officers came to my defense; instead, they all stood on the side.

I was not ready for it. The furor caught me off-guard. I was taking away a three-week excuse to get out of the house, and they were getting nothing in return. When the bell rang, I collapsed emotionally and headed straight to Fr. Meehan's office.

I cried and cried and cried and cried. He sat with me for the next 30 minutes, letting me release and giving me a place to be until I could gather my emotions. He knew that the decision was made for the right reasons, and he showed great empathy. I will never forget that. Never. He could have told me to tough it out and moved me along to psychology class, but he did not. At my lowest point in high school, he displayed compassion.

The next episode came in March when my fellow basketball team members and I wanted to attend the state tournament in Milwaukee. The previous Saturday night, we lost the sectional final to Appleton Xavier, a team we had beaten twice during the regular season. To make matters worse, our arch rivals at Premontre won their sectional, so they were going to be playing at state. We were stuck in class, our hearts and minds clearly elsewhere.

Remember, these were the days before prep sports were all over TV and the Internet, and the only way to find out how Xavier and Premontre fared was to be there or wait until the paper the next day. Our parents gave us the OK to go, but the school disciplinarian said that if we spent the day in Milwaukee, we would serve seven hours of detention, helping to clean rooms after school.

Fr. Meehan, sensing what was happening, stepped in and overruled, giving us the green light to get it all out of our system. He understood. We seniors were all grieving about the end of our playing careers, and we needed one last time to be together, even if it was in the stands cheering against Premontre and Xavier and not on the arena floor representing our school.

Again, compassion.

Meeting with Father was not nerve-wracking because I have seen him many times over the years, but I was not sure how this conversation would turn out. The school has been closed for 23 years, but it took me two seconds upon entering his office space to notice that his walls and shelves are filled with the green, fighting Squires logo: yearbooks, pins, pennants, photos, collages, plaques, and more.

I told him about my project and wanted to reflect with him about why Pennings worked. He knew I was teaching at De Pere High School, but he was not aware of the all-boys program. For the next 40 minutes, he gave me all he had. At the end, I thanked him for all of his influence during my teen years.

"I hope I was able to help you," he said.

And with that, our "on the record" conversation was finished. (His comments are below.) Before I left, though, he had one more item to show me. He pointed out his bed, which was covered by a thick blanket. Almost sheepishly, he pulled the blanket up and revealed perhaps his favorite Pennings souvenir. The white bedspread had a huge Squires logo in the middle, and all around the edges were the embroidered names of the Class of '85. Very special.

"The moms made that for me," he said.

As Fr. Meehan led me back out of the priory, he could not resist one more story. Toward the end of our talk, Father had shared with me some of his personal history and how he befriended Abbot Bernard Pennings, who possessed such a significant role in the development of so much of the St. Norbert College campus. The two met in the late 1950s when Fr. Meehan was a student at St. Norbert College and Pennings was in his 90s. I did not realize that Fr. Meehan knew Pennings the man, and this information helped explain why he was so proud that Pennings' image was a part of an artist's collage that was made when the school closed.

"There was something about him that just really made me feel at home," Fr. Meehan said. "I feel that he was genuine. Just to have time with him was fantastic. He meant something to me as a person. He was my hero."

Minutes later, Father led me down a hallway and into a room that contained a large (36" x 36" or so), framed photograph of the abbot. Fr. Meehan had rescued the photo out of the garbage one day, astounded that anyone would put such an object in the trash. Since then, Father has had the photo restored, framed and placed in the prominence that it deserves.

He was proud.

As I departed the room, I almost expected the image to speak to us. If it had, it would have said something along the lines of, "Gery, you have done well."

Here are excerpts from our talk:

**On the need for all-boys high schools:** "It is a maturation experience at the time when you are going from boy to man, and it helps to affirm some things that need to be affirmed. What does it mean to be a man? And what are the things that really speak to a young man? When it's all-male, they get to choose the things that are affirming to them in their male role. When you do that with each other man-to-man, that makes a tremendous difference. It's kind of like putting the final touches on certain masculine qualities and experiences and needs that they have. Without that type of experience, they can be held back. I never wanted to have an all-boys school so that the guys could say they were cooler or more significant. That was never the goal. Pennings allowed the male to learn things about himself that he needed to know."

**On emotional development:** "I think there was a comfort that allowed them to be themselves because they didn't have to pose. Let's be honest: When the young men are with the young women, they are more reserved and there are certain aspects that they are not going to share, and sometimes they take on qualities that they wouldn't take on if they were by themselves. Young men still need to have experiences with young ladies, but (academic maturity) needs to be made in personal, male way."

**On bullying:** "One might automatically assume that there would be a lot more bullying because it was all-male. At Pennings, I didn't see that. Sure, occasionally there might be a guy who thought he was a little tougher than another guy, but if you watch the interaction, there wasn't this constant harassment. I think maybe the seniors looked down toward the freshmen, but there seemed to be a relaxed atmosphere. They were able to be themselves and they liked it."

**On single-sex education:** "Don't we have the right to various avenues of development? We don't all have to do the same things the same way. Why did separate schools exist to begin with? Maybe historically it was because women were not allowed to be educated. But I also think they probably recognized that there was value in having separate but equal schools. I wonder, too, if parents didn't feel that their boys needed some development at that age and it would be better for them to be in an all-male environment. I think it allowed for some more serious thinking to occur."

**On Pennings itself:** "Families were willing to sacrifice the fancy facilities because the education was what was making the difference. It isn't because you have the best gym in town that you are the best school in town. It was what was happening within in the environment. Some of our parents had the money to do all kinds of fancy things for their kids, but they were willing to send their kids to our humble environment.

Conclusion: Looking back on the year

My greatest fear when I started this project was that something unusual – a tragic incident, curriculum mayhem, personal issues, etc. – would occur and tilt the overall direction of the book.

However, as I look back, this year was rather routine.

This book, in my humble opinion, is an accurate reflection of a year in a high school English class. This IS a year as a teacher. I tried not to give a day-by-day account or make the book feel like an expanded copy of my lesson plans, for not every day is all that interesting to an outsider. Sure, much more happened than what I included in the book, but some nights I was just too tired or had too many papers to correct before I fell asleep. Besides, a 600-page book about appositives and prepositions and participles would be sleep-inducing.

The only unusual event was the Connecticut elementary shooting, which heightened our security measures. As a post script, administrators announced on the last day of classes that next year students will be wearing lanyards with their student ID visible at all times. The boys were not too happy about the change, but I am all for it. Once I explained to them my experiences as a building supervisor, where I only know about 25 to 30 percent of the kids I see in the halls, they began to see the value of simple safety measures. Many jobs, I told them, follow the same rules in today's world. This will likely not be the last time they wear an identification badge.

Writing and reflecting helped me to gain a greater understanding about why there is a frayed relationship between the business sector and teachers. Businesspeople are under pressure to perform all the time with quantifiable results that are based on sales or other financial measurements. Conversely, most of the important things we do are incalculable. Yes, data can be accumulated about how well our students perform on standardized tests, but even "data devotees" have to admit that those statistics rely on a number of factors. The effectiveness of person-to-person interaction is REALLY tough to measure. In a class of 30 students, two thirds might thrive with a teacher's style, but the rest might not. We all had that teacher that we could not stand in school, but maybe someone else loved his or her style and soaked up everything that was said.

Many of the lessons I described in this book go beyond simply giving right and wrong answers. I do know that the boys became better writers, and many of them read more books in one year than they normally did, but for me that is only part of the job. I am extremely concerned about whether they understand the responsibilities of manhood, personal achievement, and community involvement.

Some might say that this is the parents' job and not mine, but I think high school teachers and parents work together as partners on these issues. Sometimes teachers and coaches can motivate and reach teenagers in ways that parents cannot. Some boys need us more and some need us less, but the overall development of a young person works best when he or she has a variety of adult role models to follow up the ground work laid by the parents.

My second favorite title for the book was "Planting Seeds", because that is what we do until they leave us and play out their lives after they graduate from De Pere High School.

The biggest trap I had to avoid was the day-to-day madness in Madison. Reading about political battles affecting schools on a constant basis is draining. I could have made Chapter 5 three times longer if I wanted to comment about everything politicians said or did regarding public schools in the past 10 months. I will say this: There's a lot of hot air coming from both sides. Thankfully, the kids don't care about that stuff; they are trying to wade their way through the teenage years with their own personal battles and issues.

My goal for next year is to increase community service opportunities and help the boys connect with younger readers. Most research shows that boys who lose the love for reading start to do so around fourth or fifth grade, and I wonder if a push from high school boys they look up to would help to keep some of the wayward readers on track.

This summer, I will teach two classes, which will keep me busy through July 11. The first is a prep for the English and reading portions of the ACT. The class is mostly filled with students who just finished sophomore year and will be taking the ACT for the first time in the fall. About one half of the students are all-boys graduates, so it will be nice to connect with them on a more personal, more relaxed basis in the summer. The second class is a chess class for students entering grades 5 through 8. This is another great way to meet groups of boys who someday might want to join the all-boys program at the high school.

After that, I will shut it down for three weeks and use the time to recharge my emotional batteries. I begin tutoring again in August, and usually by about the middle of that month I am ready to go again, diving headfirst into another year of ... well ... what you read in this book.

Thank you for taking the time to share the journey of the 2012-2013 with me.

\- Rob Guyette

June 16, 2013

END

_Rob Guyette can be contacted at_ ayearinthecave@yahoo.com

