Getting Together

Perhaps if we get together we can keep our heads above water with this work thing. What do you think? Isn't it time for a lunch together?

Subbing Snafus

I also have had this problem. I thought I had everything in place to sub in my kid's school district-I did finish the application process back in June and find that they have closed the sub pool. This is in spite of the fact that I know teachers that would like to hire me and told me to give them my number. I was told to call back in Oct and perhaps the situation will be changed. Then I tried to get on the sub website to look at jobs with the district that I was told I was already on the sub list for only to find that they have changed the system and my log in now longer works. So now I have an email to the woman in charge of substituting and hopefully will find out that this is a glitch in the system. Today I spent 3 hours reapplying in their new system-which includes them sending out new recommendation requests to my same references-they have already filled out forms for THE SAME SCHOOL DISTRICT! Ugh!

Subbing

It is even hard to get called up for sub jobs right now in the great Northwest. The district I would really like to work at, where my kids go to school, is only accepting sub applicants if you have a special ed, music or PE Endorsement, or secondary math or science endorsements. Most of my fellow graduates that I have talked to haven't heard any information about subbing either.

I decided to be proactive, and went to visit the human resources dept in person to find out what I needed to do to at least get on the sub list. I was prepared to beg, to give them my first born child, offer up my kidney, just to get on the sub list. You think I jest, but with a husband who has been without a job since February, and the teacher job market the way it is, I really want a job. So after talking to the ladies there, I only had to ask and plead a little bit( I think I was I little pathetic so they took pity on me. Amazingly they didn't want my first born or my kidney.) They said if I could get a principal in the district to request an override for me, they would enter me into the system.

Next step -- offering up my kidney or first born to the principal I know the best to see if she would add me. Luckily, she couldn't use either of them , and took pity on my as well. I would love to say that they were all dazzled by my stunning resume, my numerous accomplishments, my inner light shining through, and my desire to teach which made them realize that they just had to have me. However, since I don't have anyone banging down my door to come teach full time for them, I'm thinking not.

So while I still haven't given up hope of getting my own classroom, I am trying to wrap my arms around subbing. Frankly I am terrified. I remember having subs when I was a kid. The stories you hear from your own kids. The jokes, the lack of respect, the pranks... am I tough enough to make sure they listen and respect me? And never knowing what you are going to teach? Not having days or weeks to think out how you are going to present something? Not knowing which kid needs extra help in which area.

So I am doing the same thing I do whenever I have something new in my life that scares me. I am researching it. I have books on subbing requested at the library and at Paperbackswap , i have been looking up websites and reading all sorts of tips I can find. Next I will start asking friends who teach all about subbing. Will educating myself help my fear? Only time will tell.

back to school --

I have decided I am like a woman who has just found out she is pregnant. I go out and longingly look at school supplies instead of baby clothes. I look at the stickers and pencils, put them in my cart, reasoning that they will be good for any age. No matter if I get a job teaching first or fifth, I can use stickers and pencils.

Then I move onto books. This one looks good. I can envision future students picking up the books, lovingly looking through it, eagerly reading it, wanting the next book by that author or in that series. But like the woman who doesn't know yet whether to buy the blanket in pink or blue, I put it back on the shelf, because I don't know yet what grade I may get.

I look at storage totes, I could buy those for my future classroom, with the plan of putting pencils and scissors and supplies for the students to share. I look at wall posters, and teacher-type decorations. Should I start a theme? What sort of theme will my future classroom have? Like the new mother's dreams of how to decorate the nursery. Again, she wonders, should I wait until I know whether it is a boy or girl, or decorate in green and yellow? Should I wait till I find out how old, or decorate in sealife or rainforest?

What about furniture? Bookshelves are safe --teachers always need bookshelves right? But what if I don't get that class I am dreaming of? What if I wind up subbing for awhile? Do I want to store bookshelves or desks for a future classroom?

So I buy school supplies for my kids, secretly inhaling the smell of new pencils and crayons, buy some safe school supplies for my future classroom and secrete them away in the garage with the rest of my "saving for when I become a teacher" stuff. I resist buying anything tied to a certain age for now.

Solo Teaching

I am spending more time in the classroom on my own. It is great, and scary. I am finding I have a tendency to over plan my weeks. I have too much stuff to do, and too little time to accomplish everything. I feel like I should be able to cover things in more depth, so they really understand it. My Master Teacher says I need to remember they are second graders, in many of these things we are introducing them to the concept, and they will go into more depth in future years.

It is hard to remember that. I want to cram so much into their little heads in such a short period of time!

And in addition to wanting to learn everything about one subject, I want to do this with every subject. It is funny. In school we talked about including health, art, music, drama, social studies, nonfiction and fiction texts, poetry in addition to the reading,writing and math. How? It is so hard to find the time to squeeze everything in! I find myself struggling with whether it is better to cover a lot about a little, or a little about a lot. In my head I know how important all those things are, but I find myself having a whole new empathy for teachers who let those things slip through the cracks.

First Week Full Time Student Teaching

So I am done with my first full week of student teaching. (YAY!) Part of me is so excited to be there every day, part of me was exhausted and longing for the week to be over. Of course I was battling a terrible cold all week, and the kids and I could really tell when the cold medicine was starting to wear off, as I became more stuffy and more hoarse as the hours ticked by. It is nice to see the entire weeks routine. When I was just there two days a week, there is just so much that you miss out on.

We started the week with a sub, which turned out was a great transition. I taught all day, and the kids came to me instead of the sub. That really set the tone for the rest of the week, and I see the kids coming to me and asking questions now almost as often as my Master Teacher. Listening to some of the other interns struggling with having the students give them respect and listen to them makes me really appreciate having that boost.

We had conferences this week, which seemed to go well. I am still not sure how I will handle conferences next year. It is a bit intimidating. I did get a huge compliment from a mom whose son is a special ed student. She said she really appreciated that I treated her son like a regular kid, she started crying as she talked about previous experiences. It really makes you realize that these little ones are somebodies baby, they are special to someone, and we should never forget that.

I am taking over the science -- starting with insects! Love those bugs!! I am bringing in ladybugs, walking stick bugs, and caterpillars. It will be so much fun. I checked out a TON of insect bugs from the library and propped them up all over the place. The kids loved them. During silent reading time they all were reading all about bugs, even the girls! I can't wait till the get to see the walking stick bugs. They are so crazy looking.

How did everyone else's first week go?

Done with classes -- now what?

I have to admit to feeling a bit adrift this weekend. We had our last classes, all my assignments are done and turned in, and I find myself asking - "what do I do now?". You would think I would be dancing around the house singing and laughing and cheering that I made it this far and have no more classes, yet I find myself stopping and thinking, in an almost panicky sort of way " What am I forgetting?" I keep checking my computer, checking blackboard, checking my calendar, sure I have missed something. Perhaps I am entering into withdrawal. I feel like I should be printing up 50 pages of readings for the week, posting messages or responses to bulletin boards, writing papers, writing lesson plans... and yet there is nothing to do. I feel adrift and a little lost.

I know, you are all shaking your heads at me and thinking " freak", but it is true. I have been so used to spending all weekend doing readings and homework, it will take me a little while to adjust to not having that routine and getting into a new one.

Then of course I start thinking about the future. I know in theory I am educated and prepared for teaching. I know all the buzz words, studied the developmental stages of learning, different learning styles, ways to integrate curriculum, ways to be culturally sensitive and all that. I have passed the tests, taken all the courses, done the papers and reflections. I am ready.


But am I really? Will I be able to handle this? What will happen when it is just me and a room full of twenty-four 2nd graders? Will I be able to teach them, or will I do something that will mar their little minds for the rest of their lives? Maybe I will forget to teach them something vital, or fail to explain something to them that will change the way they look at academics for the rest of their educational existence? Will my class roar out of control and look like something you see on an episode of the Simpsons?

I guess the only way to know for sure is to face my fears. To tackle them straight on, and to try my best each and every day.

What the economic stimulus means for education...

Interesting stuff from Edweek.org... their most recent newsletter...

Click here to view the newsletter in it's entirety...

Obama's Education Ideas

This week Obama voiced some interesting ideas about education.

This article from USA today has the highlights:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-03-10-obamaeducation_N.htm

Best Teacher Websites

Here are some great websites for teachers. It is handy to have them all in one place and categorized!

http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/50-online-reference-sites-for-teachers/

Separating Boys and Girls in the Classroom

This is an article from NY Times. It discusses how schools are separating boys and girls to see if test scores increase and behavior problems decrease.

What do you think about this? Is it practical?

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/education/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=Education&st=cse

Benefits of Blogging

Here is a list of 8 reasons blogging makes for a better teacher.
My favorite is "self-reflection." It is true blogging forces you to think about your practice and reflect before you can write. It almost makes time for this when maybe you wouldn't otherwise do it!

http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/8-ways-blogging-makes-me-a-better-teacher/

Grade Level Teams

Throughout the year I have seen many benefits to grade level teams. I am in one of four Kindergarten classes in my school. The teachers collaborate on tons of things; they encourage and support one another on anything from homework for the month to issues with parents.
Last week I sat in on the K and 1st grade meeting. They discussed the successes and failures that they are witnessing in their classes. Then the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers joined the meeting. These teachers essentially asked for a LONG list of things they wanted addressed before students enter their classrooms. The K/1 teachers explained how they can only do so much. Also, some of the things that the 2nd and 3rd grade teachers were asking for were developmentally-based, according to the K/1 teachers.
I left the meeting feeling like it was very ineffective. I think the K/1 teachers felt attacked and the older grade teachers frustrated with what they are seeing with their students. I couldn't help but think that there has to be a more diplomatic, kind way to approach one's colleagues. It almost seemed like "what not to say/do in a staff meeting" experience. I am wondering in what ways the meeting could have been more successful? How could communication have been improved?

Names. Helpful or Invasion of Privacy? What do you think

So a couple of weeks ago we had a late start and a district directed work time. They handed out lists by grade level to each of the teachers with their students' Dibble test results summarized on them. On these sheets were listed the grade level averages, and then listed each teacher, and each teacher's classroom percents for fall and winter test results. They had four columns, students at high risk, students not at grade level, and students at grade level or above, and then total class percent. It listed the number of students in each category in the fall, and where they were when tested in the winter, and then what percent had moved up, and what total percent of the students were testing at grade level or above.

I looked at this, and the first number that jumped out at me was the percent of students each teacher had at or above grade level. It was highlighted and obvious. I suppose I am a bit too competitive, because I naturally started looking at each teachers numbers and comparing how many students they had at grade level or above. They ranged from 90% to 65%. My first thought was, wow, that teacher at 65% must not be very good.

Then I looked further. I started looking at where the students started out the year. I looked at the teacher with 90% and saw that she had started the year with just 2 students in the high risk and 2 in not achieving grade level category. The teacher with the 65% had started out the year with 8 in those two categories.

I started thinking about the kids in our class who fell into the lower categories, and how much extra time we spend with them, and there are two of us in the classroom. I tried to imagine having 8 students like this in our class. Suddenly her 65% took on a whole new light. How can you dedicate enough time and energy to make a significant difference in these cases?

After I found out how angry some of these teachers were about these sheets going out with the teachers names on them. They felt the district was trying to shame some, that it was unethical and unfair to show everyone these numbers. They argued that it would be like posting employee evaluations at a regular business. No one would dream of it. One teacher even went to the union and filed a complaint.

I wonder at the strength of these feelings. Why they were so angry. It didn't seem like a big deal to me. It was pointed out to me that they feel it is a step towards trying to tie teacher pay to students performances.

If you go back to the teacher with 65%. When you delve deeper, more information than is in those numbers appear. I asked, why did she have such a large number of students who need extra help? It seemed disproportionate and unfair to her. I was told it is because she is a great motivator, and a very calm influence, and has a reputation of doing very well with kids who are hard to reach. She may not be able to get them up to grade level all the time, but they make more improvement in her class than anywhere else. Would it be fair to tie test scores to her pay? She is working harder than the other teachers because of the kids in her class. She willingly takes on a higher number of these kids, but would she if her pay was dependent on their scores? Would she speak up and refuse these kids in her class? Or would she be penalized and maybe burned out and leave the profession in time?

I am curious. What does everyone think? Should teachers be given the rest of their peers results? Is it a step towards tying grades to pay?

Music and dance drive academic achievement

Interesting video and article from Edutopia, the George Lucas educational foundation. Judy would be pleased! ;)

http://www.edutopia.org/arts-opening-minds-integration-video

Family Communication

Speaking of parents and families...I have been thinking about how I will communicate on a regular basis with my students' families. I liked creating a newsletter, but I also like the idea of having a class website or blog as a central place for all communication. Also, I think once a week would be appropriate to fill families in on the week's events and provide reminders/information about the upcoming week.
Any thoughts about family communication?

Conferences and teacher/parent meetings

We were talking in class today about conferences and other teacher's meetings with parents. I have been thinking alot about it, and feel like I need to let all my fellow future teachers know how the parents you meet with feel.

I am a white, middle class, college educated woman, with a supportive family who loved school, and has nothing but positive memories of school. I know the teachers well. I volunteer at the school, I have been on the PTO board for years, have served on the technology committee for the school, am the school's bond and levy representive. I am on a first name basis with the principal, and know her well enough to have her actually sends me funny emails . I am not the norm. And yet, I am nervous before every conference. My palms sweat, my stomach is tight, I have overwhelming feelings of protection for my children. If I feel that way, what do others feel like?

When I went in for an IEP conference for my daughter, with all these people I know and have worked with, I was intimidated. It was a them and us, all of them on one side, my husband and I on the other. In my head I know that these people are here because they care. I know that they are here to try to help, but it still feels like I have failed in some way. I have given birth to someone who is not perfect. They have all been analyzing my child and passing judgement on her, and on my parenting.

With 4 kids, I have been to many conferences, most of them good, but still I get a bit nervous before each one. I would like to pass on some things that some teachers over the years have done which I have appreciated greatly.

First - Make it a comfortable environment. Don't put the parents in little kids chairs while you sit in the big chair. Candy is a great ice breaker. My husband loves the teachers who have candy in a bowl, the sweets make the conference sweet he says. Some teachers put out tableclothes on the table, with candles, have coffee and water. This is all nice, but doesn't fit everyone. A bowl with tootsie rolls, jolly ranchers, kisses, etc. is simple and a great ice breaker.
Put up kids' work in the hall outside the door, parents stand out there while they are waiting for you to finish the previous family, and it is nice to look at the kids work while you are waiting.

Second -be welcoming. We talked about this a little today, but greet the parents. I know you don't have much time, and have alot to cover, but take the time to say hello. Ask them how they are. It really does set a nice tone to things.

Third --start with the positive. Tell them how much you like their child. Tell them about something cute, funny, or nice their child did recently. Parents know their child isn't perfect, but they like to know the good stuff.

Fourth -- Show them their student's work, mix in the good and bad, don't just show them the bad things. Their strengths and weaknesses.

Last -- don't forget to ask them if they have any concerns.


Most of all remember. This is their baby you are talking about. Whether they are 6 or 16, this is still their baby. Remember they are nervous too. Remember you both want what is best for the student. You are on the same team.

Lend a Helping Hand

I have been asking myself the same thing lately...am I really prepared to teach. Can I apply what I am reading and experiencing in the classroom on my own and in my own future classroom? It is one thing to read about something, but it is quite another to put it into practice (sometimes on the spot)!

I think it gets back to not being afraid to ask for help. Like we talked about in class today, if we are not sure of an answer, be honest! Ask for help. Turn a potentially embarrassing situation into an opportunity to invite others (students included) to work with you to come to a conclusion.

Speaking of technology... here is a blog posting from one of my favorite blogs. She discusses the importance of teachers helping each other overcome their technology troubles.

http://bettyb.teacherlingo.com/default.aspx

How much is enough?

So as I sit here after math class and everyone being long gone, a question keeps going through my mind... How much is enough? Robin brought up the fact that many teachers only have a "2" on the Vanhealy (?) geometry scale so how are their students going to get to a "3" to make it in that subject in later grades? Some of us already are realizing that we do not know enough math for what the kids need to learn these days while some of us can solve the most advanced problems. I realize that teachers need to be well rounded in all subject matters but how much is enough? I think of all the classes we have taken and I wonder...Do I know enough about multi-cultural education? Literacy? Do I know my diphthongs from my phonemes? How are my mapping skills? History? Maybe it's not that I wonder if I know enough, it's if I know enough of the "right" stuff. Yes, my brain is full of useless trivia and I do realize that I am a relatively intelligent person but I still am left feeling inadequate at times. I am sure I am not alone in this as others have expressed the same concerns. Do teachers who have been in the profession for many years still feel this way? Do we ever truly know enough? Obviously we as teachers need to constantly be learning as well but is professional development really enough to keep teachers up to date on everything? Then you throw in technology and i wonder if many teachers really know enough to be teaching the future of our country. Not looking to solve the problems of the universe here or really expect any tangible answers but just putting down some of my thoughts...

The "Obama Effect" for test scores

There is an interesting article about the possible positive side effects of having an African American in the highest office in the country.
Check out this article.
This is very interesting considering the Nieto chapter 2 we just read about African American children not wanting to succeed at school because it negates their culture.

More money for schools???

I came home today feeling gloomy. We had a staff meeting after school and the principal said she had bad news...then talks of budget cuts progressed and she informed the staff that a "seniority" list was being created at the district office because new teachers were on the chopping block. She basically said they had to somehow cut several million dollars from the budget and some special programs would be cut...class sizes would be getting bigger and there would be fewer teachers on the payroll. She said she just wanted to be honest and realistic with the staff so they knew what was going on and wouldn't be taken by surprise. Of course, a fellow cohort member and I were quite disturbed by the news...we will be looking for jobs when many more experienced teachers could be losing theirs! And I don't want to stand on my soapbox for long but it's a shame that it's simply a decision of cutting new teachers when in fact they may be even more effective than some "old" teachers. But that is another discussion to be had at a later date! Anyway...so I come home and open my email and here is this newsletter I got talking about how much money education could be receiving as a result of the new stimulus package. Pretty interesting stuff if you read the article and also the comments people have left..... interesting stuff indeed....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-19-school-stimulus_N.htm

READicide part 2

You can download a 160 page pdf here...I just finished reading it...good stuff!

http://www.stenhouse.com/assets/pdfs/gallagher%20readicide_pp1-160.pdf

And I LOVE the quote at the very beginning of the book... For those educators who resist the political in favor of the authentic

READicide

I thought this fit in perfectly with our literacy class. Should be a very interesting book to read...

http://thedreamteacher.blogspot.com/

JustOneThing

Tags: Web2.0 classroom technology tools apps

So I came across the video about the one thing that teachers need to know about using technology in the classroom. After watching it, it seems like, duh? I can do that. Of course , now the trick is actually doing it.

I am finding it is hard to think about incorporating technology when there are no computers in the classroom. They do have a computer lab, but only get 1/2 hour a week in it, and not everyone has a computer, and it is not the day I am there. I can try to trade spots with another teacher who has the lab on the days I am there. I am going to have to try to brainstorm ways to incorporate technology for this class. Any ideas or suggestions are most welcome.

I admit it - I'm a Homework Hater

I admit it. As a parent, I hate homework. I resent it. When my kids come home from school I ask the required parental question " do you have homework?" Secretly I have my fingers crossed behind my back hoping that they say no, or that they did it already. When they say no, especially when all four of them say no, I want to jump up on the counter and do a little happy dance. I have often wondered if this makes me a bad parent, a bad partner to my child's education, or evil in an educational way.

I also wonder if teachers really know what goes on with their students after they leave school. They can't be completely clueless to everything their students do. On any given day after school we may be juggling sports practices or games, (soccer, football or basketball depending on the time of year for us, and we don't do baseball or volleyball like some families), music lessons, drama club, chess club, doctor, dentist or orthodondist appointments, play dates, cooking, eating dinner, chores and all the other day to day life stuff. We don't do dance, gymnastics, church activities or scouts as many other families do as well. Sometimes we like to do family stuff -- like play, or snuggle, talk about our days, read a book or watch tv together.

So when they answer that yes they do have homework I know that our whole afternoon and evening is going to change. Suddenly I feel like I become the bad guy. I have to remind, cajole, nag, plead, beg, order, yell, convince and hope that they will do their homework. There are tears, temper tantrums, hurt feelings, pouting, screaming, throwing and breaking things -- and not all of them from the kids. So many times I look at their homework and feel like I have time traveled to a younger version of myself, and feel the insecurity again of not knowing what I am doing. I am supposed to be smarter than my children, yet often I find myself baffled by their homework, or I'm told I am doing it wrong. When they have homework the whole feeling of the evening will change. The loving, snuggling, fun, free to do whatever we want day is gone. Instead the day will be changed, it will be more tense, more stressful, and less fun.

And the guilt if we don't do it. My first grader has a homework log. Each night we are supposed to record the amount of time we spend doing homework, and what kind we do, spelling, math flash cards, dolche words, or read alouds. We are supposed to hit 100+ minutes a week, and the students are keeping a running graph of their homework minutes. At conferences I was told that we had only turned in our homework log sheet 60% of the time. Sixty percent. My son has a D in first grade because I haven't filled out his homework log efficiently enough. I admit -- I have been fudging on his homework log. I don't keep track, and on now on Sunday night I just fill in random times on the days to make it look good. Am I going to hell for this? I don't know. I know my life and my child are happier.

And my older kids? The guilt is worse there, because of course, their grades matter more. I know that in theory they are old enough, they are supposed to be responsible for their own homework and the consequences if they don't get it done. However, in reality, if they don't get it done, the parents get called, get the letters home that must be signed and returned. In those calls or notes I feel the underlying accusation that my parenting skills are at fault, that somehow I have failed because their homework isn't getting done and turned in. I get the helpful newsletters which recommend having a set time, a quiet place free of distractions set aside for their individual use. Ha! And how do you decide when to step in and how much to interfere, and whether to let them learn to fail or succeed on their own? And isn't it the school's responsibilite to deal with this, and mine to deal with all the other things that come up, like missed curfews and sibling rivalry?

I don't want it to sound like I don't care about my kids' education. I do. We do things together at night. We play games, which I tell myself covers the math facts. We read. We do fun experiments (currently we have eggs in vinegar and blue food coloring on the window sill). We go out to walk the dog and look at the changing seasons, collect rocks, leaves, bugs and other things we find along the way. We cook together and measure out the ingredients. We measure how much the kids have grown. We sing silly songs. We color, and draw and paint and make playdough. We watch movies. We play legos and create space ships that will travel to far away lands, and think up names for the next Mars Rover. We take trips, like to the Museum of Flight, or the beach.

So now, as a future teacher, I have to ask myself what will I do about homework? I listen to some of my fellow interns talk about different school districts having requirements for the amount of homework, increasing for each grade. I read studies which dispute the effectiveness of homework. I struggle with the idea of giving something to my students that I as a parent despise. I wonder about my perceived teacher impressions of me and my childrens homework. I wonder if we are normal, or if we are at the "really bad homework people" end of the spectrum. Do other families hate homework as much as me? Do they do it anyway, or do they fudge the reading logs and homework logs minutes too? Am I a homework rebel? Do my childrens' teachers mutter under their breath about my lack of support in the homework area? As a teacher will I judge children and parents by whether they turn in homework or not?

Reading "Creating Welcoming Schools" by JoBeth Allen this week has made me feel better about my homework hate. It made me realize I am not alone.

Unfortunately it doesn't solve any problems. I walked in tonight after a long day of school to ask the dreaded question, and the even more dreaded answer. Four yes-es. Ugh. One temper tantrum, one teary break down, one snit, one yelling contest and one "we don't do it that way" later we are done. One more fun loving family evening gone.