Another WEEK?? REALLY???

I can't believe another week has passed. I have felt like I am a lost flounder so much of the time. Then I start to learn more and then realize... I have more to learn. Which such long school days by Thursday afternoon my brain has gone on hiatus. This Thursday was parent teacher conferences and I was in the computer lab most of the day helping parents sign their students up for a new software publishing program we will be using.

It is software that has been created by teachers so they understand the concepts that Teachers are required to teach their students. It isn't completely done for the student in the way that most childrens' software programs are. It allows them to put in text, format, pictures, drawings, photos, etc. So it provides the structure to enter in the information but the rest is up to the students. I was debating this a little bit with myself wondering if this was the best idea. Sure it is fun, but I do think kids need to create a book on their own with paper and construction paper etc so they understand how a book is put together. I still think this is great though because it gives them a more finished looking product. They still have to figure out what pages is first, do all the typing, place the photos on the correct page and more. I also think for students who don't have a computer at home it provides them with educational exposure to technology. Technology other than their PlayStation or Xbox.

Today we also had a school meeting about AYP, and how the school has been falling behind more every year. The principal took the blame saying he probably hadn't pushed enough. The school board is pushing the superintendent asking why? What I see from both of them is a proactive approach. The principal visits the classes and sees what the teachers are doing and so does the Superintendent. They are doing this not to find fault. ( Although, I'm sure they could find issues). They are doing it to find out what more they could do. This no child left behind is ultimately silly. A child is GOING to get left behind. Ideally they shouldn't but they will. You want to know why? Because you can't improve upon IQ.. it pretty much stays the same throughout your life. It can have minor fluctuations more having to do with taking the test than actual change in IQ. Does this sound harsh, perhaps. I'm not saying it is a waste of time and effort to help them. Absolutely not! We should help them achieve to the best of their abilities and find ways in which they can be successful. But a blanket score for them saying this is where you should be on this year. Just doesn't work. I don't know If I am expressing myself as well as I would like. But here is what teachers SHOULD DO, and here is what our Principal said.

We are not following our own prescription to get well. We have researched based programs that if used as designed... students WILL progress. But we aren't using them as designed. Why not? If a Doctor gives us pills we are not supposed to take them according to what we decide would be best. If the Doctor says one a day we don't take half of one.. or we don't skip a day. We could but we probably won't get well. We can't self medicate. We have the programs in place that are researched based and your students MUST be using them. The reasons the teachers gave for not using them was Time. There is simply NOT enough time. SO he broke down the daily schedule. So I know as a teacher a daily schedule even when you have a 90 minute reading block. It is broken up by I have to go to the bathroom, so and so's mom is picking them up early, announcements, I need a band-aide, transitions from one activity to the next, someone spilled a box of 450 crayons, etc. It's NEVER as simple as we have 90 minutes to teach reading. However, I'm sure that they could improve on their time spent on reading, math, and writing.

Part of me winces. Is only Reading, Math, and Writing, Important?? Well no..but that is what we are emphasizing more and more. I wonder okay what if we are giving up something important by focusing on that. Then I come back to the thought that if you can't read, do math, or write. How can you be successful in Science, or Social Studies? I just hope teachers can find ways to challenge the students who are excelling so that they aren't left in the shuffle of we have to get these kids on level.

The principal also mentioned that we can't blame parents. WHY NOT?? Well he said that we can't change the issues kids have at home. Obviously. So we must figure out how we can support them here so they will progress. Easier said than done isn't it. Teachers blame parents, parents blame teachers. It's never as simple as that. Parents if they want their kids to have a good education MUST BE INVOLVED in the process. They must be advocates for their kids just as teachers must be advocates for their students. In a dream world all parents would see the value of education, but they don't, won't, or simply don't have the skills to do so. What bothers me a lot is that EVERY singly school I've ever been to, parents don't feel welcome. Not all parents but the low S.E.S. parents definitely. Many teachers have a manner about them that is unwelcoming with these parents. Which in a way who can blame them. They probably read their names on the sheriff's report in the newspaper the day before. That can't matter though. If we want their kids to do well we absolutely must humble ourselves. HUMBLE OURSELVES, this may mean hugging the mom who is discouraged and reeks of cigarette smoke and filth. It isn't always easy but I think we must humble ourselves so that their kids will have more opportunities.

So from now to December I have a lot on my plate. I am on a committee that is doing a school-wide yard sale. We are taking donations of winter clothing items to sell at the yard sale. If you can't afford to leave town there isn't much opportunity to buy inexpensive items for your kids. They did a something similar in the spring and apparently it was very successful. I will also be planning and working on the Christmas program for all grade levels. The fifth grade class will be doing a re-write of the 12 days of Christmas and illustrating that for a book, as well as performing it at the Christmas program. I will be helping other grade levels with their book illustrations.. and integrating that into my own lesson plans. I know there are more items on my list but those are the big ones. I am also teaching science in 40 minutes with high level Second and Third Graders with one of my intervention times. I am figuring out what they are capable of. We studied rainbows this week and even made a large rainbow for our classroom.

You know what is neat here. Kids here mostly know the value of what they have and very few I've seen are spoiled rotten. I rarely see lunchboxes, coats, and other items left on the playground. Kids have time to play here. After school, I see many riding their bikes, playing outside, and spending time with their families. For the most part the students are very respectful of the teachers, the staff, administration. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that most families here have a faith they belong to. So the kids if nothing else are taught to respect a higher authority. Since there are enough of them that fit into that category... the rest must conform to their conformity. Conforming can be a good thing people :)! Kids want to fit in. Sometimes that is a really, really, good thing. The ability to adapt keeps us alive.
Back to the conformity thought... it always cracks me up when I hear of a non-conformist. Rarely I think can people truly be described as that. Supposed self proclaimed non-conformists have conformed to fit in to the self-proclaimed non-conformist groups. Well.. I have a lot of work left to do and only a couple more days of the weekend to do it.