Phonograms

Well, busy first week back to work. A lot of training and getting ready for the first day on Monday. This afternoon I was attempting to get my SMART Board, Overhead Projector, and Document Camera to work. I was having technical difficulties. Whoever wired the room for these didn't really do a very good job. Actually, I take that back. The crazy teacher who asked them to wire the room that way had a few screws loose. I now have everything connected but I am being strangled by cords. So I have a couple of cords to get so that I am not injuring myself. I think I own both of them so I should be ready to go. The bad news is that because I had my desk all set up and bookshelves by it I had to move everything off the shelves. So I have to organize again. :( So it goes.

In the morning I am going to the Health Fair. I will have blood drawn and a couple other free health screenings. Then I plan to go work in my classroom for a couple of hours. A friend is coming tomorrow to shop for Back-To-School. So I will hang out with her for part of the day. Then probably back to work in my classroom. I don't really feel prepared yet for next week.

My head almost imploded today. A first grade teacher walked into my classroom giving me files related to last years students. She saw my "phonogram" wall and asked me "What are phonograms?" The average person I wouldn't think anything of explaining it to them. A teacher... SHOULD KNOW. So I explained it then she said "Oh I thought there were only 41 phonograms." I tried very hard not to shoot my mouth off. I just ended up staying silent. Silence is golden. Another teacher in there with me said after the she left said to me that most students come in reading so the  teachers are not as focused on that. She said the students already have that ability. I continued to keep quiet. Then she said when you are teaching students of poverty it is different. I stayed silent. We then switched topics. I cannot believe that you would get that lazy about teaching reading just because the students arrive with some skills. Improve their skills! Show them why our language works the way it does. Give them tools to sound out larger words, but DO NOT, NOT teach them.  Yeah I just yeah.... Head implosion. She also admitted that she didn't have her students write much last year. It just wasn't a priority. Okay then. I  will have some challenges ahead if all the first grade teachers had that attitude.  Well, I am off to bed so I can get up early for the health fair!