On Friday I stood with a fourth grader from my jump rope team waiting for her father to pick her up.
"How does your dad walk here?" I asked, wondering if I should drive her home myself, and if so, could I drive by where he walks in case we meet him en route.
"Slowly" she replied. "He's kind of slow"
Sunday, October 7, 2007
my bff
My bff's last day was Wednesday. It was our last day before parent conferences and intersession break, so it created a natural transition for him. I'm not sure I'm at peace with it yet. As I spoke with the speech teacher at his new school I tried to portray what a great kid he is, while at the same time giving her enough information to make his transition easy. I hope I did an adequate job. Part of me is tempted to join him on his first day, since my own school will be on break. But part of me knows I should let him go alone, allowing them to transition him the way they see fit. And, part of me knows that when I watch him read if you give a mouse a cookie for the first time, I may tear up, and that wouldn't be good for any of us.
So goodbye bff. Thank you for your great smile early in the morning. Your cheery voice and your laughter at lunch, and our hunts of 'g for gramma' at the end of the day. Good luck!
So goodbye bff. Thank you for your great smile early in the morning. Your cheery voice and your laughter at lunch, and our hunts of 'g for gramma' at the end of the day. Good luck!
beauty of year-round schooling
It is Sunday and I am currently sitting at a coffee shop not doing school work. If I want to I can ignore the fact that school exists for 2 more weeks. I could dance with happiness for my two-week intersession break.
Ignoring school is always difficult for me to do, but the two week break does give me time to reflect, relax, catch up on professional reading, mentally problem solve school issues, and of course, dive into my stack of trashy literature.
The kids, however, are not given 2 weeks off to sit around and do nothing as I have elected to do. For a mere $25, ($5 if they qualify for free or reduced lunch), they can attend our intersession classes. Each kid takes 2 classes just for fun. The classes explore topics we don't get to fit into our academic schedules. In the past I've taught a jump-rope class, a writers' workshop class, and a class for 5th graders on how to tutor first graders (mini-psychology actually). As a teacher, intersession gives me a chance to try out adventurous teaching methods I wouldn't necessarily risk during the school year.
Intersession always reminds me of my college's spring term. Every spring we had a 6 week term when we only had to take 2 classes. Sometimes this was an easy way to knock out a terrible pre-rec (I spent one spring term taking baby bio), but it was also a time for our professors to teach what their speciality. Spring term classes tended to be quirkier, taught with more passion, and much more interesting than our fall or winter classes. I love that my elementary school gives the same opportunity to staff and students.
When we return to our regular school schedule the kids come back with all sorts of new knowledge. They have new friends and know more teachers. (Feeling more connected in a school is one of the ways to encourage children from poverty to be engaged in school according to Ruby Payne) Later, in the midst of a standard science lesson, children will suddenly make a connection with what they learned at intersession. Intersession gives our kids life experiences middle class kids might get through summer camps, family vacations, or after-school activities.
Better yet, they have less time to forget what they learn in their regular class. They have more time to practice their English language skills. They are not left alone for 12 summer weeks to watch tv because it is not safe for them to run around outside alone.
I am a firm believer in year-round schooling and fear the day I may have to return to a regular calendar. However, under my new position as a special education teacher I've become aware of the problems the calendar creates for my special ed kiddos.
On Friday, our last day of parent conferences, I walked by our school child-care to find one of my kids being picked up early for his behavior. I was shocked to hear this because we'd made so much progress this year. Sitting down and talking to him (Or, trying to talk to him anyway) he expressed that he hated intersession and didn't want to go. The change in schedule was unnerving to him and he regressed to his coping mechanisms.
I wanted to cry. Although I had made social stories for some of my kindergartners who I knew would have trouble with the transition, I hadn't even thought this little one would struggle. It's easy to forget, I am learning, that kids can make progress in one situation, but we have to teach them to transfer those skills to all situations.
So, Tuesday approaches and the friends on my caseload will be making the transition. It will be a learning experience for all of us. I've warned the intersession coordinator that I wouldn't be answering my phone Tuesday morning to aide in any crisis that occurs. We'll see if I can actually follow through and sleep in instead of driving to school.
In the meantime, I'll relax and enjoy the next two weeks. Praise the Lord for year-round schooling.
Ignoring school is always difficult for me to do, but the two week break does give me time to reflect, relax, catch up on professional reading, mentally problem solve school issues, and of course, dive into my stack of trashy literature.
The kids, however, are not given 2 weeks off to sit around and do nothing as I have elected to do. For a mere $25, ($5 if they qualify for free or reduced lunch), they can attend our intersession classes. Each kid takes 2 classes just for fun. The classes explore topics we don't get to fit into our academic schedules. In the past I've taught a jump-rope class, a writers' workshop class, and a class for 5th graders on how to tutor first graders (mini-psychology actually). As a teacher, intersession gives me a chance to try out adventurous teaching methods I wouldn't necessarily risk during the school year.
Intersession always reminds me of my college's spring term. Every spring we had a 6 week term when we only had to take 2 classes. Sometimes this was an easy way to knock out a terrible pre-rec (I spent one spring term taking baby bio), but it was also a time for our professors to teach what their speciality. Spring term classes tended to be quirkier, taught with more passion, and much more interesting than our fall or winter classes. I love that my elementary school gives the same opportunity to staff and students.
When we return to our regular school schedule the kids come back with all sorts of new knowledge. They have new friends and know more teachers. (Feeling more connected in a school is one of the ways to encourage children from poverty to be engaged in school according to Ruby Payne) Later, in the midst of a standard science lesson, children will suddenly make a connection with what they learned at intersession. Intersession gives our kids life experiences middle class kids might get through summer camps, family vacations, or after-school activities.
Better yet, they have less time to forget what they learn in their regular class. They have more time to practice their English language skills. They are not left alone for 12 summer weeks to watch tv because it is not safe for them to run around outside alone.
I am a firm believer in year-round schooling and fear the day I may have to return to a regular calendar. However, under my new position as a special education teacher I've become aware of the problems the calendar creates for my special ed kiddos.
On Friday, our last day of parent conferences, I walked by our school child-care to find one of my kids being picked up early for his behavior. I was shocked to hear this because we'd made so much progress this year. Sitting down and talking to him (Or, trying to talk to him anyway) he expressed that he hated intersession and didn't want to go. The change in schedule was unnerving to him and he regressed to his coping mechanisms.
I wanted to cry. Although I had made social stories for some of my kindergartners who I knew would have trouble with the transition, I hadn't even thought this little one would struggle. It's easy to forget, I am learning, that kids can make progress in one situation, but we have to teach them to transfer those skills to all situations.
So, Tuesday approaches and the friends on my caseload will be making the transition. It will be a learning experience for all of us. I've warned the intersession coordinator that I wouldn't be answering my phone Tuesday morning to aide in any crisis that occurs. We'll see if I can actually follow through and sleep in instead of driving to school.
In the meantime, I'll relax and enjoy the next two weeks. Praise the Lord for year-round schooling.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
two silly yet different worlds
Last night my husband spent hours on his blackberry trying to solve a problem I told him seemed really silly. I smugly thought that while I may not have his earning potential, or his respectful workplace, at least I wasn't one of 4 grown-men desperately clutching his blackberry at 9pm, worrying about a very small mistake that most people may not notice.
A few minutes later I checked my email and saw that a parent cancelled on an IEP meeting and outright made it impossible for us to meet within the 30 day federal guidelines. I became vocally frustrated until my husband poked his head in and said, "How dare she worry about keeping her job and feeding her kids instead of getting fired for taking time off just to sign a paper for some silly American law that doesn't make much sense in her world."
Sometimes we all need perspective.
A few minutes later I checked my email and saw that a parent cancelled on an IEP meeting and outright made it impossible for us to meet within the 30 day federal guidelines. I became vocally frustrated until my husband poked his head in and said, "How dare she worry about keeping her job and feeding her kids instead of getting fired for taking time off just to sign a paper for some silly American law that doesn't make much sense in her world."
Sometimes we all need perspective.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
No runners kept behind
This morning I woke up to a message on my phone from one of my best friends who isn't a teacher. In the middle of the night she was contemplating stories about my kids and had a question.
"So, I was thinking about your runners. You have 4. So what if they all ran at once? But some ran really fast and some ran slower and some ran in the middle. But you can't keep up with all of them at once, so you have to make the slow ones run faster and the fast ones run slower so everyone runs in the middle. But that really isn't fair to the fast ones. Maybe they should add to No Child Left Behind and create a No Child Kept Behind. "
She and I ran cross country together in college and both have memories of one season where some of the girls would insist that everyone run together on our long, slow runs. If anyone ran faster than them they would throw a miniature fit. If anyone ran slower they were considered a slacker. Finally our coach stepped in and presented us with some scientific data about heart rates and how 'slow' is different for everyone. Our runs needed to be differentiated for our physical needs.
Our coach got it. Do our congressmen?
This morning I was excited to hear someone who isn't in education begin to think about what NCLB means for the gifted and talented kids. If more people start asking these questions, maybe we can begin to re-write the law.
"So, I was thinking about your runners. You have 4. So what if they all ran at once? But some ran really fast and some ran slower and some ran in the middle. But you can't keep up with all of them at once, so you have to make the slow ones run faster and the fast ones run slower so everyone runs in the middle. But that really isn't fair to the fast ones. Maybe they should add to No Child Left Behind and create a No Child Kept Behind. "
She and I ran cross country together in college and both have memories of one season where some of the girls would insist that everyone run together on our long, slow runs. If anyone ran faster than them they would throw a miniature fit. If anyone ran slower they were considered a slacker. Finally our coach stepped in and presented us with some scientific data about heart rates and how 'slow' is different for everyone. Our runs needed to be differentiated for our physical needs.
Our coach got it. Do our congressmen?
This morning I was excited to hear someone who isn't in education begin to think about what NCLB means for the gifted and talented kids. If more people start asking these questions, maybe we can begin to re-write the law.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Nature spies
I was lucky enough today to join one of my classes on their fungi hunt in the nature place behind our school. This is energetic and occasionally chaotic class (my favorite kind) and they were particularly excited about discovering fungi hidden among the logs, leaves, and trees.
I had to admire how the teacher let them run free among the leaves. Although they were loud and possibly interrupting the classes learning inside the school, I appreciated that she allowed them to be the six year olds they truly are. The excitement for nature wasn't quashed with "walk quietly and whisper about fungi". Who wants to whisper about fungus? Instead there were screams of excitement for fungi spottings while feet crunched through the leaves to find the place where the fungi was hidden.
As a classroom teacher I made the mistake of always worrying about what my classroom looked like from an outsider's perspective. I wondered about who was judging my noisy learners and tried to keep a lid on it. Even when I knew learning was still happening amongst the noise and mess, I still glanced over my shoulder wondering what might be said about me in the teacher lounge.
If and when I go back to the classroom I want to keep these thoughts in mind.
I had to admire how the teacher let them run free among the leaves. Although they were loud and possibly interrupting the classes learning inside the school, I appreciated that she allowed them to be the six year olds they truly are. The excitement for nature wasn't quashed with "walk quietly and whisper about fungi". Who wants to whisper about fungus? Instead there were screams of excitement for fungi spottings while feet crunched through the leaves to find the place where the fungi was hidden.
As a classroom teacher I made the mistake of always worrying about what my classroom looked like from an outsider's perspective. I wondered about who was judging my noisy learners and tried to keep a lid on it. Even when I knew learning was still happening amongst the noise and mess, I still glanced over my shoulder wondering what might be said about me in the teacher lounge.
If and when I go back to the classroom I want to keep these thoughts in mind.
today's conversations in the hallways
As I stood outside the boys' bathroom door and coached one of my kiddos through pulling up his pants, flushing the toilet, and washing his hands a co-worker walked by and asked,
"How many masters degrees does it take to get your job?"
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I was in the process of literally running from one end of the school to the other when a parent of a child I taught a few years ago walked by.
"Oh my! Does someone have a bun in the oven?"
NO! oh goodness. On top of everything else, now I look pregnant?! Just to quash all rumors, I'M NOT but now I'm on a diet.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I overheard a kindergarten teacher giving an assessment to one of her kiddos.
"What sound do you hear at the beginning of cat?" she asked.
"MEOW"
exactly.
"How many masters degrees does it take to get your job?"
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I was in the process of literally running from one end of the school to the other when a parent of a child I taught a few years ago walked by.
"Oh my! Does someone have a bun in the oven?"
NO! oh goodness. On top of everything else, now I look pregnant?! Just to quash all rumors, I'M NOT but now I'm on a diet.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
I overheard a kindergarten teacher giving an assessment to one of her kiddos.
"What sound do you hear at the beginning of cat?" she asked.
"MEOW"
exactly.
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