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?