There is still confusion about these two programs here in our great commonwealth of Kentucky. Many parent's do not even want to think about either because it means their child is growing up. An event we all wish we could use a slow motion button on but alas, it is inevitable.
Preschool is a state funded program of which only as certain percent of children qualify. It is based on income and certain needs of children. Pre K is NOT mandatory and it is not required for enrolled students to attend every day. It is only a half day program in our area. Pre K focuses on learning social skills and basic knowledge for the appropriate age group. A child can be as young as three years-old to enter Pre K but only if certain qualifications are met. This is a great way to introduce a child (and new parents) to a school setting. Preschool teachers are required to have an Early Education Degree in order to teach preschool and they have a different set of benchmarks to follow than regular schools do.
Kindergarten students must be 5 years-old before October 1st of the school year in order to be enrolled in Kindergarten. K is just like any other grade. It is mandatory. You may keep your child from going to Kindergarten if he or she will turn six during the school year (that is the way I understand it). If you feel your child is not ready or mature enough for Kindergarten talk to a teacher. Chances are you are correct. I always urge parents to follow their gut instinct. Kindergarten students go all day. Absences are counted. District and state policies are put into place for those with frequent absences and tardies. Some schools have opted out of nap time or phase it out by mid year. Kindergarten teachers are required to have an Elementary Education Degree. This means they can teach K-5 grade in Kentucky.
For your child to begin Kindergarten it will be helpful to him or her to know the alphabet, count to at least 10 orally and by rote, know their colors, shapes, and how to spell their names. These things are not required but as a parent and an educator I think these things will help your child in the long run. Kindergarten is not just about coloring anymore. Since KERA and all the new core demands it has came a long way. Most Kindergarten students are reading simple CVC words and some sight words before they move on to first grade. Kindergarten students learn geometry, addition and subtraction, logical reasoning, sequencing, and other things in math. In science they learn about life cycles, rocks, plants, etc. They learn many things about social studies, life skills, and arts and humanities. By mid year they should know their alphabet and the sounds each letter makes and they need to know how to count to 100, at least. They will know their days of week, months, and seasons. These things are just a drop in the bucket of what students learn. They still have time to work on their social skills too. Students work to achieve "I can" statements as they do in all grades now that correlate with the Common Core standards in reading and math. We will also be seeing changes in our science content in the near future.
As always, this blog consist of my opinions and common knowledge. Thanks for letting me share!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
2+2=4
In college we are discouraged from teaching memorization. After all, memory is low on the Bloom's Taxonomy. I know I've blogged about this before but when I see 12 year-old kids counting on their fingers it drives me mad.
2+2=4 as long as we are using our wonderful Base 10 system. That is never going to change. In early primary grades they learn why. In intermediate grades they know this and they know several strategies on how to make 2+2=4. So there is no need for them to use those strategies anymore. They need to be able to look at math sentence that uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division and automatically know it. Instead they are relying on their fingers, number lines, and manipulatives. This causes them to take much longer and distracts them from the issue at hand. For example, if a child is adding or subtracting fractions it is rather helpful if they already know that the least common denominator for 6 and 12 is six. If they have this memorized then they can quickly put down that 12 is the least common denominator and that six will go into twelve two times so if the problems uses the fraction 5/6 they can finish it up quick sticks, without fingers, number lines, etc because they should have their facts and sums memorized by then. It would be terribly embarrassing if this child grows up and is seen at a grocery store figuring things out their fingers that they should know in their head.
That my friends is my recent soap box lecture on the importance of memorization. Memory is grand thing. It doesn't stay with everyone forever so let's use it while we can. ;)
2+2=4 as long as we are using our wonderful Base 10 system. That is never going to change. In early primary grades they learn why. In intermediate grades they know this and they know several strategies on how to make 2+2=4. So there is no need for them to use those strategies anymore. They need to be able to look at math sentence that uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division and automatically know it. Instead they are relying on their fingers, number lines, and manipulatives. This causes them to take much longer and distracts them from the issue at hand. For example, if a child is adding or subtracting fractions it is rather helpful if they already know that the least common denominator for 6 and 12 is six. If they have this memorized then they can quickly put down that 12 is the least common denominator and that six will go into twelve two times so if the problems uses the fraction 5/6 they can finish it up quick sticks, without fingers, number lines, etc because they should have their facts and sums memorized by then. It would be terribly embarrassing if this child grows up and is seen at a grocery store figuring things out their fingers that they should know in their head.
That my friends is my recent soap box lecture on the importance of memorization. Memory is grand thing. It doesn't stay with everyone forever so let's use it while we can. ;)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Worksheets are boring
Here is a worksheet, there's a worksheet, read this worksheet, finish this worksheet. Really, are we still living a worksheet world. I am an adult so my attention span is supposed to bigger than that of school age children. If I had to sit a desk and do worksheets or read out of a text book five days a week for several hours a day you would need to order my straight jacket in XL. We expect young children to do this day in and day out? Then if a child is easily bored with sitting and doing worksheets and it hard to keep on task society wants to label them with a disorder. We have too many resources for children to sit all day and do worksheets and read from textbooks. This is not teaching, it is sucking the life out of children. With the use of technology, a ton of teaching strategies, and more importantly; our brains, we need to get these kids up and moving a little. Must they be doing something active all the time? Of course not. Plan activities not just lessons. They need to get OUTSIDE every now and then for something besides a few minutes of recess. Teach them how to stop and smell the roses...what are roses anyhow? Are they plants or animals? How do we know that?....sorry one of those teachable moments just clicked. How about group work? Oh, they are to rowdy? Is it because there haven't been guidelines and procedures set for them for group work? If they do not know what to do then, yes, it could become quite chaotic. My son once came home from middle school telling me how he despised group work. He tends to be a loner, more of an intrapersonal learner but I ask him why. Shrug of shoulders, of course. "Were the kids not doing their assigned 'jobs'?" He looks at me like I lost my mind. "Did you want to do something else in the group besides what you were told to do?" Crickets could be heard chirping for miles. "I don't know what you mean Mom. Nobody does anything but sit around and argue about who needs to do what." Yes, if kids do not know their roles this could be a big problem. If you have a group of finger pointers and tattle tales it would probably be best if you assigned the roles yourself. I think it is a good idea to give them a list of the roles needed and let them decide in a timely manner. Plus, less trees are killed in the process and the copier gets a little break so much more important things can be printed out, such as, school lunch menus. ;)
Have Fun Teaching
There are many great teaching resources out there in this huge cyberworld of ours. It is very hard to narrow them down enough to see which ones are the best. One of my faves is Have Fun Teaching. There are sources for every types of learner. They have worksheets, coloring sheets, flashcards, fun activities, videos, songs, oh the list goes on! I love the songs about counting, ABCs, and other subjects with their catchy beats. Check it out!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Arts and Humanities~To be or not to be...
When my kids began school and I started hearing about all this A and H stuff I thought it was a bunch of nonsense. Lets get rid of that and focus on what is really important to get these kids reading and understanding math. After starting college and having to take some of those dreadful courses myself I thought maybe a little A and H but we need to focus on the main content to get those scores up! Now here I am still rather wet behind the ears but with enough experience to think...Arts and Humanities is such as great thing! It really helps the kids in reading and helps get those test scores up! See a pattern?
In the last couple of years I've had the pleasure of working with many different children with many different learning styles. Some of those kids have some learning challenges that makes them feel pretty bad about themselves (no matter how we tell them how great they are). Children with learning differences in reading and or math often excel in other areas such as art or music. When arts classes are offered they have a chance to explore what they are good at and develop a passion for it. The passion leads to wanting to learn more about what they love which gives them incentive to study harder or try a little harder. See the patten there? I am not a artist or a musician so it was harder for me to see where these classes could possibly do any good. Have you seen a child with learning differences come out of a music or art class smiling from ear to ear? It is awesome. They feel good about themselves. That is a big issue when a child feels so miserable about themselves for what they feel should be a simple task that is not simple for them. The arts classes reaches so many learning styles and I've seen the difference it has made for so many that I now give these classes a big thumbs up.
Now if we can just get these kids outside more....but I'll save that for another blog.
In the last couple of years I've had the pleasure of working with many different children with many different learning styles. Some of those kids have some learning challenges that makes them feel pretty bad about themselves (no matter how we tell them how great they are). Children with learning differences in reading and or math often excel in other areas such as art or music. When arts classes are offered they have a chance to explore what they are good at and develop a passion for it. The passion leads to wanting to learn more about what they love which gives them incentive to study harder or try a little harder. See the patten there? I am not a artist or a musician so it was harder for me to see where these classes could possibly do any good. Have you seen a child with learning differences come out of a music or art class smiling from ear to ear? It is awesome. They feel good about themselves. That is a big issue when a child feels so miserable about themselves for what they feel should be a simple task that is not simple for them. The arts classes reaches so many learning styles and I've seen the difference it has made for so many that I now give these classes a big thumbs up.
Now if we can just get these kids outside more....but I'll save that for another blog.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Homework- To be or not to be?
Please remember my blogs are MY opinions. If I use articles and resource I will cite the source. Otherwise my opinions come from common knowledge and experiences I've had. These opinions my differ from your child's teacher. We all have our differences of opinion and our own unique teaching styles.
Students hate homework, parents get fed up with homework, teachers get bogged down grading homework. So why have homework?
I agree that some students have too much homework. That only creates stress and resentment toward school. I feel homework is very important especially when it comes to math and reading. A classroom becomes like home. It is familiar and students get comfortable in the classroom because they feel safe (hopefully) and it is part of their everyday life. When math lessons are given the teacher usually goes through the concepts step by step. Sometimes there are posters that remind the students how to do certain concepts. When math homework is sent home it helps the teacher assess what the student knows outside his/her element. I had such a struggle in math I feel that a little math homework is important. No more than 30 minutes. Same with reading. I think it is important that a child reads a few minutes each night for practice. The more a child practices a concept the better he/she will get with that concept. Same thing with adults. ;)
Three hours of homework...I have to disagree with. If your child is bogged down with homework each night I think it would be a good idea to talk with the teacher. This could be an indicator that something isn't quite right if he/she is not getting their work finished at school. It could be something as simple as they are getting distracted by a friend they are sitting near. It could be they are piddling and not staying on task. It could be the child has a learning challenge. When you talk to your child's teacher it is important that you do not come across as accusing the teacher of not knowing how to do her job. Talk together figure out what is best for your child and work on strategies to help your child.
Students hate homework, parents get fed up with homework, teachers get bogged down grading homework. So why have homework?
I agree that some students have too much homework. That only creates stress and resentment toward school. I feel homework is very important especially when it comes to math and reading. A classroom becomes like home. It is familiar and students get comfortable in the classroom because they feel safe (hopefully) and it is part of their everyday life. When math lessons are given the teacher usually goes through the concepts step by step. Sometimes there are posters that remind the students how to do certain concepts. When math homework is sent home it helps the teacher assess what the student knows outside his/her element. I had such a struggle in math I feel that a little math homework is important. No more than 30 minutes. Same with reading. I think it is important that a child reads a few minutes each night for practice. The more a child practices a concept the better he/she will get with that concept. Same thing with adults. ;)
Three hours of homework...I have to disagree with. If your child is bogged down with homework each night I think it would be a good idea to talk with the teacher. This could be an indicator that something isn't quite right if he/she is not getting their work finished at school. It could be something as simple as they are getting distracted by a friend they are sitting near. It could be they are piddling and not staying on task. It could be the child has a learning challenge. When you talk to your child's teacher it is important that you do not come across as accusing the teacher of not knowing how to do her job. Talk together figure out what is best for your child and work on strategies to help your child.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Kermit, it is pretty easy to be green!
I am going to toot my own horn, mainly because I like to do that. I was making math fact circles and decided to use the large pieces of the leftover card stock to make math fact strips. I noticed I still had a lot of leftover so the light bulb went off! That rarely happens. I started cutting the rest into tiny squares of assorted sizes. I am going to put the alphabet and numbers on them put them in a sandwich bag and have one of my little students to draw a square out of the bag and identify what is on the square. TOOOT!!! I came up with that idea all on my very own! I could also put dolch words on them, vocabulary words, spelling words...the list is endless.
So have you had any ingenious ideas that is easy on the environment or your purse lately? Please share!
So have you had any ingenious ideas that is easy on the environment or your purse lately? Please share!
Bipolar is not a bad word
When many people hear of a mental condition of any kind it scares them. What do they think the people going through these conditions are feeling? It is bad enough to have to deal with all the symptoms PLUS being labeled as "crazy." Bipolar is something we hear more about every day but people still want to whisper the word as if by saying it out loud they will "catch it." Bipolar is often hereditary, people have gone years being bipolar trying to fit in and work like "normal" people before they get help. There are medications and therapy for people suffering from bipolar to help them lead a "normal" life. I use the term normal loosely because I've yet to figure out what normal is.
Several well known people lived or live with bipolar disorder. Abraham Lincoln has been noted as having manic depression. A condition now known as bipolar. He was a Senator then our President during our country's most trying time. Here are a few other famous people that has/had bipolar disorder.
If you have a relationship with someone who suffers from bipolar disorder or anything other mental health condition please educate yourself. Read books, articles, search the net, or go to the doctor with your loved one to see how you can help this person and still maintain a healthy relationship.
Other links:
Several mental health issues can be found here
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/ds00356
Several well known people lived or live with bipolar disorder. Abraham Lincoln has been noted as having manic depression. A condition now known as bipolar. He was a Senator then our President during our country's most trying time. Here are a few other famous people that has/had bipolar disorder.
If you have a relationship with someone who suffers from bipolar disorder or anything other mental health condition please educate yourself. Read books, articles, search the net, or go to the doctor with your loved one to see how you can help this person and still maintain a healthy relationship.
Other links:
Several mental health issues can be found here
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/complete-index.shtml
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/ds00356
Monday, August 15, 2011
Depression is a serious thing
When I started feeling like I was slurring my words and my mind was going totally blank I blamed it on stress and Fibro Fog. The fibro part probably didn't help, as a matter of fact it generally goes hand in hand. Depression was the farthest thing from my mind. What did I have to be depressed about? I have always been very blessed. I was raised in a good Christian home, had a loving husband, my kids were healthy, and I was realizing a dream. What I never wanted to admit was I had several bouts of depression over the years. I am not even sure when it started. I can thank genetics for this chemical imbalance.
Depression is not just being a little sad. It is a demon that must be fought. For some people it is a daily fight that is hard to win. My body hurt so bad, I did not have enough energy to raise my arms to put my clothes on. I thought I had a stroke or something. I always believed one could control depression. I was proved very wrong. I started having morbid thoughts that did not seem like my own. I could not remember anything from one minute to the next. All these things did just happen over night either. I was just oblivious to what was happening to me. When I started thinking how much better every one would be with out me and planning out what I hoped to be my death I still was clueless as to what was happening. People say they do not understand how other people can commit such an atrocious act. Be thankful you have not reached a point in your life where you have that understanding. Don't get me wrong, there are people who try things for selfish reasons only to get attention. People suffering deep depression have little or no control over their thoughts. Thankfully I had the support I needed. My sister drove me to the doctor, my husband was supportive, and I had MANY friends praying for me. I was one of the lucky ones to get help. Many are not. It is hard to understand for those who have never suffered from depression to realize it isn't just a mood you can get over.
My daily plea is if you know someone suffering from depression please help them to get help. There is help out there. Medication is what saved me but there are tons of therapies offered as well. Help this person with research, talk to others who have been going through the same difference. Help the person keep a log. My husband went to my doctor with me and told him things I did not realize I was doing. This really helped me to understand things and figure out what steps to take.
Depression is not just being a little sad. It is a demon that must be fought. For some people it is a daily fight that is hard to win. My body hurt so bad, I did not have enough energy to raise my arms to put my clothes on. I thought I had a stroke or something. I always believed one could control depression. I was proved very wrong. I started having morbid thoughts that did not seem like my own. I could not remember anything from one minute to the next. All these things did just happen over night either. I was just oblivious to what was happening to me. When I started thinking how much better every one would be with out me and planning out what I hoped to be my death I still was clueless as to what was happening. People say they do not understand how other people can commit such an atrocious act. Be thankful you have not reached a point in your life where you have that understanding. Don't get me wrong, there are people who try things for selfish reasons only to get attention. People suffering deep depression have little or no control over their thoughts. Thankfully I had the support I needed. My sister drove me to the doctor, my husband was supportive, and I had MANY friends praying for me. I was one of the lucky ones to get help. Many are not. It is hard to understand for those who have never suffered from depression to realize it isn't just a mood you can get over.
My daily plea is if you know someone suffering from depression please help them to get help. There is help out there. Medication is what saved me but there are tons of therapies offered as well. Help this person with research, talk to others who have been going through the same difference. Help the person keep a log. My husband went to my doctor with me and told him things I did not realize I was doing. This really helped me to understand things and figure out what steps to take.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Memorization
In college we were told to remember not to use "remembering" in our lesson plans. Remembering is on the low level of Bloom's Taxonomy. OK, I think it is a little more important than that. We have to remind students to remember to go to the bathroom and have their things in order before the bell rings every day. We have to tell them to remember to study for a test. When they study they need to remember the information they are reading. Therefore, I think remember is an important part of learning. Sure, it's simple and probably should be "understood" in any behavior you use on your lesson plan but really we need to teach these kids to remember things. For example, when they start learning multiplication they are taught it is adding numbers multiple times. They are shown how in many ways. They are expected to remember them but we do not teach them to remember their facts. Many middle school aged students do not know their multiplication facts. They know how to do it for the most part but it should not take nearly a minute to figure out that 12x6=36. They should know it in a split second. So by all means, let's use "remember!"
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Teacher Tam's Educational Adventures: Get a Freebie and Maybe Win My Whole Store!
Teacher Tam's Educational Adventures: Get a Freebie and Maybe Win My Whole Store!: "Let's celebrate the end of summer vacation and the beginning of my blog with a freebie of your choice and a contest! EVERYONE who particip..."
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Worksheets don't grow dendrites...but they are inevitable
Even before I heard of Marcia Tate's philosophy about staying away from worksheets all the time I was already doing my planning as such. BUT those worksheets are still necessary. For one reason if you have 20 plus students with multiple learning differences you still only have two hands and one body and you need to see that each student is getting the help he/she needs. That is why we have morning work. :/ If everyone had an aid or two in their classroom perhaps we could almost eliminate worksheets altogether. Alas, this is the REAL world.
When I do use worksheets I try to make them practical. I do not mind using the workbooks that go along with the text book programs at all. But what about reinforcing what students already know. "Practice makes perfect." OK, I don't agree with that wholeheartedly, but practice does tend to make us better at any kind of task. Repetitiveness in key in learning, worksheets do help out if used correctly. Handing out worksheets to have a child to do just have something to do is something I disagree with. Worksheets should include content the students are learning or have learned already. Review and practice sheets help the student keep this in his/her mind better. I like to make time to go over the worksheets. If I have a document camera I use that and fill in the blanks for them and I discuss each problem. I like to have the students to answer and explain how they go their answer (especially in math). I can remember several worksheets I did when I was in elementary school. I know, I am a little on the weird side anyhow, but at least those trees weren't cut for nothing.
Although many different teaching strategies should be used in a classroom, let's not burn all the worksheets yet.
When I do use worksheets I try to make them practical. I do not mind using the workbooks that go along with the text book programs at all. But what about reinforcing what students already know. "Practice makes perfect." OK, I don't agree with that wholeheartedly, but practice does tend to make us better at any kind of task. Repetitiveness in key in learning, worksheets do help out if used correctly. Handing out worksheets to have a child to do just have something to do is something I disagree with. Worksheets should include content the students are learning or have learned already. Review and practice sheets help the student keep this in his/her mind better. I like to make time to go over the worksheets. If I have a document camera I use that and fill in the blanks for them and I discuss each problem. I like to have the students to answer and explain how they go their answer (especially in math). I can remember several worksheets I did when I was in elementary school. I know, I am a little on the weird side anyhow, but at least those trees weren't cut for nothing.
Although many different teaching strategies should be used in a classroom, let's not burn all the worksheets yet.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
First Day Memories
Ahhh, the first day of school. The smell of new clothes, new supplies, and NERVES. I was always nervous about the first day of school. That was back when we had longer summers and so many changes seem to take place during those summers. I remember several of my elementary first days but the first days seem to be more interesting to me in the "later" years.
Sixth grade year. The worst....ugh. All summer my friend and I were a bundle of raw nerves. Merging with the enemies, changing classes, having lockers...that was a lot for this little girl to take in. I wanted my mom there but I didn't want anyone to know it. So she went and stayed in the shadows for me.Yes, I was a little spoiled. When one kid was AWOL we joked that he was still trying to open his locker....he was! That was so funny. We laughed at him for the rest of the day. I am sure he did not find it as amusing as we did. I was still very tired from the wild slumber party I had on the Friday before and fell asleep on the bus. No one bothered to wake me up so the bus driver had to turn around and take me back home. Fortunately he hadn't gotten to far. It was his first year on that route and I suppose he thought I had rode with my mom. Guess that is what I get for making fun of that boy at school.
Freshmen year. Oh geez. That fear was made worse thanks to the Class of 89 throwing green crayons and M&Ms at us on our "visit" day. I stayed all night with Julie and we got the low down from some upper classmen on where to go, how NOT to stand, and what to do to be "cool."
Jr. Year. Stayed all night with Julie and for some silly reason we stayed up all night talking. I was so sleepy. My boyfriend came and got me from her house and took me home that afternoon. He actually took me out to the Little Dipper to eat. That was rare. Should have known something was up. I nearly fell asleep waiting for our food and he laughed at me. I did not appreciate that! After we get home he is rambling about how we should see other people and yada, yada. I was way to sleepy to comprehend. I remember saying. "I think you are right. Goodbye." I went in and went to bed and didn't get up til morning. I realized that I was now single. Darn it, I had already wrote his name all over my notebooks and stuff and now they were going to look ugly from me marking his name out. And that was that with that relationship....as far as I was concerned. A couple of weeks later I met Belvedere!
Sr. Year. Aahhh! The joys of being high on the totem poll. It sure was foggy that morning. My gang met at the big DQ. I had been dumped by the Great Belvedere but he was inching his way back into the picture. And the fun began!
Now here I am, some years later, hoping to relive those first day jitters but as a teacher instead of a student. Life has such interesting twist and turns.
Sixth grade year. The worst....ugh. All summer my friend and I were a bundle of raw nerves. Merging with the enemies, changing classes, having lockers...that was a lot for this little girl to take in. I wanted my mom there but I didn't want anyone to know it. So she went and stayed in the shadows for me.Yes, I was a little spoiled. When one kid was AWOL we joked that he was still trying to open his locker....he was! That was so funny. We laughed at him for the rest of the day. I am sure he did not find it as amusing as we did. I was still very tired from the wild slumber party I had on the Friday before and fell asleep on the bus. No one bothered to wake me up so the bus driver had to turn around and take me back home. Fortunately he hadn't gotten to far. It was his first year on that route and I suppose he thought I had rode with my mom. Guess that is what I get for making fun of that boy at school.
Freshmen year. Oh geez. That fear was made worse thanks to the Class of 89 throwing green crayons and M&Ms at us on our "visit" day. I stayed all night with Julie and we got the low down from some upper classmen on where to go, how NOT to stand, and what to do to be "cool."
Jr. Year. Stayed all night with Julie and for some silly reason we stayed up all night talking. I was so sleepy. My boyfriend came and got me from her house and took me home that afternoon. He actually took me out to the Little Dipper to eat. That was rare. Should have known something was up. I nearly fell asleep waiting for our food and he laughed at me. I did not appreciate that! After we get home he is rambling about how we should see other people and yada, yada. I was way to sleepy to comprehend. I remember saying. "I think you are right. Goodbye." I went in and went to bed and didn't get up til morning. I realized that I was now single. Darn it, I had already wrote his name all over my notebooks and stuff and now they were going to look ugly from me marking his name out. And that was that with that relationship....as far as I was concerned. A couple of weeks later I met Belvedere!
Sr. Year. Aahhh! The joys of being high on the totem poll. It sure was foggy that morning. My gang met at the big DQ. I had been dumped by the Great Belvedere but he was inching his way back into the picture. And the fun began!
Now here I am, some years later, hoping to relive those first day jitters but as a teacher instead of a student. Life has such interesting twist and turns.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Words can be haunting at any age!
When I was doing the second part of my student teaching I wasn't realizing I was "sick." I thought I was majorly stressed and that is why I was slurring my words, not comprehending anything, and crying a lot. It wasn't until I could not stop crying or even put my clothes on that I realized I was having a severe depressive episode and needed medical help. So maybe because of my condition things seemed much worse than what they really were. Nonetheless, I am still haunted by all the negativity that I was around.
Let's call the school Hades Elementary and my supervising teacher Ms. X. I have a four page chart of many of the negative things she told and my reasoning for doing what she claimed. I just thought I was messing up that bad. Now that I am more clear headed I realize not everything was all my fault, but there's always that little record playing in the back of my head hearing her voice and negative comments and making me second guess myself. I was 34 years-old at the time, not a kid like most student teachers are. I hate to think of the impact she has had on some of her students although she is known as a great teacher and had even won awards for her area. If the student had a question that dealt with the subject she was talking about and she did not want to answer it she would just tell them: "That's irrelevant." After that I noticed how the students would just wilt and some of them stopped asking questions altogether. She kept reminding them about THE test as if the only reason she was there was teach content and nothing else. She even discouraged the students from talking to me. They were instructed not to ask me for permission for anything because they were "taking advantage of my kindness." REALLY? I was not allowed to give them pencils. What little time I was allowed to give lessons she would tell me how horrible I did. Of course I had to get my lesson plan approved by her before I taught. She would change her mind at the last minute and I would have to redo things. During an observation from my supervisor I blanked out. It was like my brain stopped functioning at all. The kid were asking me questions and talking but it sounded as if they were all under water. I kept trying to teach but I was messing up the information and causing confusion. That was my fault but she was actually nice about that! My supervisor was not so understanding. When it came time for me to tape my lesson she told me I had wasted two hours of HER instruction time and not to bother turning the lesson in to my supervisor. She made me feel like she was going to fail me no matter what I did. I could go on and on about the negativity. I only had to endure a few weeks of this. As long as the students followed her every direction and did not ask many questions she was fine.The had the exact same task to do most every day. She would mix it up with simulations every now and then. They loved that. So in this case, for the most part, the good out weighed the bad. I even witnessed her telling a parent how "bad" her kid was. The child may have had some problems but you talk down about someone's kid to them. Yes, focus on weak areas and how to improve but do not come off as judgmental.
If the question is "irrelevant" to what is being taught there are ways to handle that. Yes, some students find it rather amusing to get the teacher off track by asking off the wall questions but usually younger children are innocent when they do this. If a child...or in my case an adult...is constantly talk down to and made to feel stupid it is hard thing to get over. Self esteem and confidence fly out the window and may never return. No matter what our position is in life we should always have positive thing to say to people, young and old. Don't let your words be haunting words.
Let's call the school Hades Elementary and my supervising teacher Ms. X. I have a four page chart of many of the negative things she told and my reasoning for doing what she claimed. I just thought I was messing up that bad. Now that I am more clear headed I realize not everything was all my fault, but there's always that little record playing in the back of my head hearing her voice and negative comments and making me second guess myself. I was 34 years-old at the time, not a kid like most student teachers are. I hate to think of the impact she has had on some of her students although she is known as a great teacher and had even won awards for her area. If the student had a question that dealt with the subject she was talking about and she did not want to answer it she would just tell them: "That's irrelevant." After that I noticed how the students would just wilt and some of them stopped asking questions altogether. She kept reminding them about THE test as if the only reason she was there was teach content and nothing else. She even discouraged the students from talking to me. They were instructed not to ask me for permission for anything because they were "taking advantage of my kindness." REALLY? I was not allowed to give them pencils. What little time I was allowed to give lessons she would tell me how horrible I did. Of course I had to get my lesson plan approved by her before I taught. She would change her mind at the last minute and I would have to redo things. During an observation from my supervisor I blanked out. It was like my brain stopped functioning at all. The kid were asking me questions and talking but it sounded as if they were all under water. I kept trying to teach but I was messing up the information and causing confusion. That was my fault but she was actually nice about that! My supervisor was not so understanding. When it came time for me to tape my lesson she told me I had wasted two hours of HER instruction time and not to bother turning the lesson in to my supervisor. She made me feel like she was going to fail me no matter what I did. I could go on and on about the negativity. I only had to endure a few weeks of this. As long as the students followed her every direction and did not ask many questions she was fine.The had the exact same task to do most every day. She would mix it up with simulations every now and then. They loved that. So in this case, for the most part, the good out weighed the bad. I even witnessed her telling a parent how "bad" her kid was. The child may have had some problems but you talk down about someone's kid to them. Yes, focus on weak areas and how to improve but do not come off as judgmental.
If the question is "irrelevant" to what is being taught there are ways to handle that. Yes, some students find it rather amusing to get the teacher off track by asking off the wall questions but usually younger children are innocent when they do this. If a child...or in my case an adult...is constantly talk down to and made to feel stupid it is hard thing to get over. Self esteem and confidence fly out the window and may never return. No matter what our position is in life we should always have positive thing to say to people, young and old. Don't let your words be haunting words.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
ADHD does not equal bad kid!
Recently I watched an amazing HBO documentary about dyslexia. This program primarily interviewed teens and adults who had to survive school with this challenge but many of them also suffered from ADHD. This made it extra hard on those people.
ADHD is a disability where the chemicals in the brain are not adequately flowing. OK, that is a simple term but you get my gist. These children (and adults) have an extremely hard time focusing on anything. They have a very hard time keeping still. Somewhere on their bodies they have to have something moving. Tapping feet, fingers, shaking, it all goes with the territory. They have little control if any over this. This exceeds hyper. You may have to remind them of things several times and they may forget several times. This does not make them a bad kid! They are just like any other kids. They need guidance. Some more than others. Discipline and and routine are very important to them. Berating and yelling all time is not going to help matters at all. In fact, it hurts. They will feel that they are stupid and lazy if you treat them that way. Why would they want to do more than what is expected of them. If they are in a positive environment they will more likely try harder to behave or concentrate. The next time you hear someone called a bad kid perhaps you should think about who is really "bad" in the scenario.
ADHD is a disability where the chemicals in the brain are not adequately flowing. OK, that is a simple term but you get my gist. These children (and adults) have an extremely hard time focusing on anything. They have a very hard time keeping still. Somewhere on their bodies they have to have something moving. Tapping feet, fingers, shaking, it all goes with the territory. They have little control if any over this. This exceeds hyper. You may have to remind them of things several times and they may forget several times. This does not make them a bad kid! They are just like any other kids. They need guidance. Some more than others. Discipline and and routine are very important to them. Berating and yelling all time is not going to help matters at all. In fact, it hurts. They will feel that they are stupid and lazy if you treat them that way. Why would they want to do more than what is expected of them. If they are in a positive environment they will more likely try harder to behave or concentrate. The next time you hear someone called a bad kid perhaps you should think about who is really "bad" in the scenario.
Whatever happened to being appropriate?
I am far from perfect by any means. I was not always as angel as a teenager but my parents did teach me some values. Just a little while ago I was eating a sandwich with out a paper towel under it to catch the crumbs and begin to worry that my mother would catch me. I've been married for 17 years. Dropping crumbs is not a moral issue but it is something as simple as learning morals.
My father-in-law told me he hated when he had to go stay at a certain aunt's house when he was little because he knew when he came home there would be another baby in the house. He was smart enough to figure this out on his own. It certainly was not told that his mother was with child. No one was going around feeling her belly, asking her about doctor visits and the like. What happened to those days? I was born in 1974. My siblings were never told that my mom was expecting. I was not allowed to say the word pregnant when I was a child...even it was true about someone, I'd get my mouth smacked. My sister told me "virgin" was a bad word and I shouldn't use. Feminine products or any other issues were not up for discussion either. ESPECIALLY around mixed company. If questions came up there was a private talk. Look now, not much later it is advertised everywhere. Ladies don't care to announce personal matters to the whole world. Now we have the internet and other social media where any Tom, Dick, Harry, or Jane can display whatever they want. I do not want to someone ultrasound, that is private. I certainly do not want to see your belly. Cover up your nakedness! Have a little shame!
Unwed parents used to go around with their heads hanging in shame. Now, people do not know what shame is. Remember the first time you said a bad word in front of an adult. Wow. I was 19 years-old when I said a "little" blackguard word in front of my dad. He assured me I better not do that again if I knew what was good for me. I took his word for it. Like I said, I certainly was no angel but I did have the sense to know what to say and how to act around adults. I never drank. I have tasted some alcoholic beverages. As a matter of fact, I like wine. I have never been drunk. Had of been stupid enough to act that way when I was a teen I would have been trying to hide because I would have been so ashamed and so scared that my parents would find out. Now kids tell everyone they see about how drunk they got and who all they were "with" the night before. We should really be reminding kids how to act because the world is not helping them.
My father-in-law told me he hated when he had to go stay at a certain aunt's house when he was little because he knew when he came home there would be another baby in the house. He was smart enough to figure this out on his own. It certainly was not told that his mother was with child. No one was going around feeling her belly, asking her about doctor visits and the like. What happened to those days? I was born in 1974. My siblings were never told that my mom was expecting. I was not allowed to say the word pregnant when I was a child...even it was true about someone, I'd get my mouth smacked. My sister told me "virgin" was a bad word and I shouldn't use. Feminine products or any other issues were not up for discussion either. ESPECIALLY around mixed company. If questions came up there was a private talk. Look now, not much later it is advertised everywhere. Ladies don't care to announce personal matters to the whole world. Now we have the internet and other social media where any Tom, Dick, Harry, or Jane can display whatever they want. I do not want to someone ultrasound, that is private. I certainly do not want to see your belly. Cover up your nakedness! Have a little shame!
Unwed parents used to go around with their heads hanging in shame. Now, people do not know what shame is. Remember the first time you said a bad word in front of an adult. Wow. I was 19 years-old when I said a "little" blackguard word in front of my dad. He assured me I better not do that again if I knew what was good for me. I took his word for it. Like I said, I certainly was no angel but I did have the sense to know what to say and how to act around adults. I never drank. I have tasted some alcoholic beverages. As a matter of fact, I like wine. I have never been drunk. Had of been stupid enough to act that way when I was a teen I would have been trying to hide because I would have been so ashamed and so scared that my parents would find out. Now kids tell everyone they see about how drunk they got and who all they were "with" the night before. We should really be reminding kids how to act because the world is not helping them.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)