Disenthrall

A new TED video of Sir Ken Robinson is available! His 2006 talk is still one of my favorites. The most poignant point that he makes this time is that our education system is based on a fast food model. Also, he suggests that we cannot just try to improve on this broken system. A transformation is in much need.

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | Video on TED.com

Varsity Banquet

This afternoon, the team celebrated a successful season of badminton. The players and I ate pizzas and pizookies at the BJ's in Arcadia. It's been a trying season for me personally, no one on the team will ever really know what I've sacrificed and lost to make time to coach. I have to believe that something good ultimately will come out of this season. After handing out the awards, I told the group that I just hope that they had fun.

Gift from a student

My student Julianna had been telling me about her ceramic pig for weeks. She insisted that she'll give it to me. I jokingly insisted that I didn't want to see it. Today, my pig arrived. On the other side of the pig, it reads "Increase the Peace". Cute.

Honors Pre-test

The math department gave out honors and AP pre-tests to students this afternoon. It's always refreshing to see students who are willing to stay after school to take a math test. These are the top students that our schools have to offer academically. Let's hope that we'll get our top students passing more and more AP tests.

The starfish story

On our last day of Link training, my coach John gave us this starfish pin and told us the related story. John's a masterful storyteller, his message really touched me. It closely reflected how I often feel as a public school teacher...

At a beach, a young man is picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. An old man gazed in wonder as the young man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked, "Young man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time. There're thousands, if not millions of dying starfish." The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "You can't save them all!" exclaimed the old man. The young man looked at the small starfish in his hand and threw it to the sea, and said, "Well, I saved that one!"

JV Banquet 2010

Our JV badminton players enjoyed a fun afternoon with Coach Kilmer and myself at Shakey's. We had pizza with mojos, played arcade games, shot baskets, and I even participated in an eating contest! Coach Kilmer is awesome; he handed out the certificates and awards to the players. Congratulations to our Most Improved Players: Elida and Arturo, and Most Valuable Players: Melissa and Louie. Coincidentally, all four are my students.

Visiting Sistine Chapel

I had my graduate class in Second Life tonight. I'm still not a fan of Second Life, I think its user interfaces are too cumbersome. Nonetheless, our virtual field trip to the Sistine Chapel was very neat. If you have a SL account, you ought to check out the Sistine Chapel virtually. It brought back my memories of being there in the summer of 2004.

May Development Day

Mr. Perdomo emceed the May Development event for about 100 potential Link Leaders for next school year. Mr. C. and I got involved in two separate activities. I felt that I could have done a lot better with my Name Tag activity. Mr. C. on the other hand was fantastic with Team Juggle. During the last activity, we divided the 100 students into four large groups for 64-Square. In all, the event went well and had high energy. I, however, feel that I need to be much better. While I know I am hard on myself, I also know for certain that my section was perhaps the weakest today. I'll need to put in more time to practice to "make it happen".

Panoramic classroom

Joshua took this photo and emailed it to me instantly using his iPhone. What a powerful gadget!

Guest teachers

After their AP tests, the calculus students are visiting other math classes and teaching a lesson for their year-end assignment. So far, I have had two lessons in which an AP student presented a lesson. Lizette went over the conics section and Ke taught a lesson on arithmetic sequence. I think it is great that my students are getting a different perspective and learning from these higher performing, advanced students. This format is Ms. Kwak's brilliant idea.

Difference Maker

The ASB students went to a seminar called LeaderShop this weekend. They each received a "Difference Maker" pin and were asked to give it to a special teacher of their choosing. I am so blessed to have received three! Attached to the pin is the following poem:

Most people might not get a chance

Or just don't take the time,

To thank the ones who change their lives

The way that you changed mine!

A thousand things you did for me

I'm sure you're unaware

But I know, because you showed me,

I, too, now help and care.

Thank you for being a giver

When I was still a taker

You are a special kind of person

You are a Difference Maker!

*Thanks, Elida and the Twins - Paula and Maria!*

Friday's pool party

A picture of me cooking for the Link leaders. I joked that I went to college so that I didn't have to flip burgers. It was a fun event.

Betrayal

I think I do a pretty good job of focusing on the positives, especially on this blog. Evil acts, however, do exist. Sadly, I have seen and heard a lot of negatives recently. We should acknowledge them and learn from them.

Students told me yesterday that during an AP test, a particular student broke a test taking rule. I don't have the details on the extend of the violation, but it's leaving the AP teacher feeling sad and mad. She feels betrayed for she has given so much for her students. Let's hope that the situation is resolved quickly so that this teacher and her honest students get to realize their efforts.

Rumors exist that there was injustice during a recent anonymous voting for a leadership position.

Another teacher friend told me that an older male student in her college math class yelled at her for deducting points off of his quiz for not showing work.

Very few students (only about one in four) said "thank you" after I handed them either a donut for breakfast during the CSTs last week or a burger/hotdog during yesterday's barbecue.

I can only point fingers at myself. If I am ever so lucky to have my own children, I strive to teach them to be honest, kind, and grateful.

End-of-year poolside BBQ

Link Crew celebrated a great year with a pool party with barbecue. The great team of coordinators helped set up a grill, icicle machine, and audio. I contributed by cooking! It was a lot of fun grilling burgers and hotdogs for 50+ kids. We started right after school and concluded the party at around six. The leaders enjoyed a nice day outdoors with loud music, most of them jumped into the pool and just played.

Strangest coincidence

My internet wasn't working at home, so I went to the Pasadena City College library to use the internet. It's my first time on this campus. I walked by a kid who I immediately recognized as Francisco. He was a student during my first year of teaching at Marshall Fundamental. We were genuinely glad to see each other. I'm glad he's in college. He told me that I was a good teacher and had taken the time to teach him math. Francisco, by the way, is now 22 years old.

Mr. Yip returns

After a memorable training, I returned to my classroom with more vigor. I could hardly wait to share my experience with my colleagues. I chatted with previous trainees, which include a counselor and an assistant principal. I also shared some of the tenets that I picked up this week with my students. In particular, as I showed my students pictures from Temecula, I tried to articulate the concepts of "going big", "being your best self", and "making it happen". To fully realize the potential of this training, I ought to be more involved in our already-successful program. I am grateful and excited for the opportunity.

Day Three: Part Two

I continued to learn a lot on our last day together in Temecula. Our awesome coach John guided us through more activities. At the conclusion of our small group meeting, John gave us many gifts (story of starfish, our certifications, and more learning materials). I invited everyone to take a group photo. When everyone agreed, I realized that my camera was in my car by the lobby! I decided to sprint my way up hill to get the camera. Go Big! I'm glad the group was still there when I returned. There were so many great ideas from today and yesterday:

• Be audacious.
• You're not doing it alone.
• Say a little, play a lot.
• Trust it (the Link methods).
• Make things happen.
• Teach kindness.
• Give power and skills to your leaders.
• Believe in your leaders.
• Everyone can read a map, but people relate to stories.
• Create "How come we didn't get this?" moments (so that kids want more).
• It's not about being the best. It's about being your best self.
• Practice.
• Be responsible for your own learning.
• Lazy people don't change the world.
• Carolyn's Mission: Change the world.

Day Three: Part One

Group One - Led by our coach John, I had the best of times with my group mates. We are a bunch of dedicated educators who are passionate about what we do. I wrote to John: "Thank you for being the best for the world, and being the best in the world." John made it happen.

(Left to right)

Top - Me, Annie, John, Gilbert, Nestor

Middle - Steve, Barb, Noreen, Christine, Jana

Bottom - Tricia, Ingrid, Patricia, Carolyn, Lisa

Day Two: Part Two

During our break, I had an excellent open conversation with my roommate Mr. C. We shared a lot of perspectives and values despite our different backgrounds. The afternoon session introduced these three concepts:

1. "Yes, and..." Avoid using the ubiquitous "but". "Yes, but..." is really a "No, but...". Don't be sarcastic - it's like taking someone's flesh. Creating distraction from the negative.
2. "Go Big!" Going big does not mean being loud. Confidence balanced with respect. Be a possibility advocate. Be the best for the world, not the best in the world. (my favorite)
3. "Total Support" No criticism without creation. Welcome the devil's advocate. Ask: "What's my contribution to others' efforts?"

After dinner, I shared a meaningful conversation with two other teachers. Jeremy, a 17 year veteran from Missouri, talked about his experiences in Japan. Another was Christine, an enthusiastic first year teacher from San Diego, she talked about her experiences in Spain. And I shared my experiences and perspectives from Hong Kong and England. We had so much in common!

Day Two: Part One

Day Two of the training continues to be phenomenal. We went over logistics, but also got involved in many activities. The most enjoyable parts are the reflections of the purposes of these activities. I'm learning so much!

• Build relationships during orientation, it's not at all a registration.
• Take them out of the comfort zone to build confidence.
• Good programs grow - watch the enrollment/applicant number.
• You never stop being who you are during an activity/game.
• Don't A-S-K, don't G-E-T.
• Link Crew is not a rehabilitation program.
• Good observations lead to good questions.
• Fun is about everyone. Funny is about you, and usually at someone else's expense.
• Less is more.
• Slow down to go fast.
• Experiences don't teach, the reflections do.

I spoke to one of the Link coaches about my observation (that I'm the only Asian here). Granted, it's a tough questions for him. It's sensitive and really not by his choosing. He was honest and said someone else mentioned that it is a "very white" conference. His answer was: schools will send who they send. I'm actually perfectly okay with that. It was beyond his role, and ultimately, it is the schools who chose the trainees.

Day One: Orientation

The photo shows the golf course that I jogged around this morning. Immediately after breakfast at 8 am, the simulation of the LINK CREW orientation began. We went through the big group intro, small group activities, as well as pair-sharing. I've taken in so much, yet I'm still yearning for more. We did many interactive modeling. Though I've never been a fan of educator role play, I found today's modeling to be meaningful and practical. Some random ideas that I picked up today:

• Purpose creates energy
• Structure creates behavior
• The 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Excitement
• We are too left-brain focused according to Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind" (3 A's: Asia-regarding outsourcing, Automation, and Abundance)
• We must sometimes destruct before construct
• "We didn't just say it, we made it be." Shane Koyczan - Slam Poet
• Protect the leaders' space
• Prevention over intervention
• Decrease anxiety and anonymity (Mr. C. added apathy) to increase connection and energy
• Bullet points exist in the head, not in the heart

One observation: the trainees here don't represent our student population. As far as I see, I'm the only Asian, and there are no more than five blacks.

Meet & Greet

I checked into my scenic room at 5pm. When Mr. C. arrived, we headed to dinner and met a few other high school teachers. Of course, we talked a lot about education. We were all pretty excited about this training. The food, as advertised, was fantastic. At 8pm, we met the coordinators of the training, who were all very upbeat and enthusiastic. They said that they strive to make this the best professional development experience for us. I feel like the way I did when I first arrived to Pembroke College in Cambridge during the summer of 2004.

Gifted students

Here's a neat article from L.A. Times on the search for gifted students. I have observed that our system spends substantially more time, effort, and money on interventions for the underachieved compared to the gifted. That's not fair.

To Temecula

I head for Temecula Creek Inn this afternoon for a three day Link Crew Training. All previous attendees tell me that this is an amazing training. Like all other participants who are looking forward to gaining something from this training, I additionally look forward to leaving something behind. I can't wait for the day when my energy and peace of mind as a teacher is restored.

Friday afternoon

After a long school week, I was really looking forward to playing some badminton with the kids. To our disappointment, the gym was set up for a Mariachi concert. Standing outside the gym, I offered the kids and Coach Aldo to join me to order the end-of-season awards before grabbing a bite. I took Louie, Mayra, Elida, and Melissa, while Aldo took Sam in our cars and headed to J & J's Trophy on Foothill. I placed the order for the plaques. Then, the seven of us went to eat pizza at Costco. We joked and laughed the afternoon away...

No badminton, but simple good times nonetheless.

Go Kemp Go!

I met Coach Kemp when I was a freshman at West Covina High School. Him and his mom, Mrs. Wells, became the biggest influences of my high school years and beyond. I played all four years of badminton for Kemp. It coincidentally were the only four years that he coached at WCHS. He coached me to be the best player that I can be. We lost in the CIF badminton semis during our last two years. Tonight, he coached the Diamond Bar badminton team to the finals! They'll face a great team in Mark Keppel on Saturday. No matter what happens, Coach Kemp is the best coach ever. I wish him the best of luck.

Motivation

A colleague commented on Facebook in regards to the students' motivation on taking standardized tests. She questioned if incentives really help. According expert Dan Pink, only intrinsic motivation improves performance. It relies on Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.

Video from TED.com

All Done

The badminton season ended tonight. We lost 6-15 to a very good Cypress team in the quarter finals. While I'm proud of our players, I have a long way to go as a coach. Aside from badminton skills, I need to teach our players good sportsmanship, teamwork, and competitiveness. I am grateful for the help from Coach Kilmer and Coach Aldo. Now, I still need to schedule and plan for our banquets and awards.

Cuts Hurt

According to the SGV Tribute article, twenty-one teachers have received "pink slips" in our district this year. Let's hope that they will get re-hired. I got a "pink slip" in 2009, which was later rescinded.

Badminton Comic

Mrs. Coulter, my administrator for Saturday morning classes, gave me this timely comic.

(See also: GoComic.com)

Why a "College Going Culture"?

My school strives to create a "College Going Culture". One of my favorite bloggers Seth Godin wrote a post on the melt-down in higher education. Here are his five points:

1) Most colleges are organized to give an average education to average students.

2) College has gotten expensive far faster than wages have gone up.

3) The definition of 'best' is under siege.

4) The correlation between a typical college degree and success is suspect.

5) Accreditation isn't the solution, it's the problem.

Some of these concerns also applies to the high school level.

(Image from Corbis Images)

Friendship

My school's secretary to the principal decided to leave. Lorrie was my best friend at work. She had my back since day one. She was the first staff I spoke to when I first visited the school. We promised to stay in touch. As a colleague, I cannot afford losing her support. But as a friend, I want her to be happy at her work.