About 8-9 years ago, I left the classroom to become a literacy staff developer. The district was in the midst of implementing a curriculum focused around the strategies, so there were meetings scheduled. I also offered to go into classrooms to model; actually the first year, I scheduled the modeling. What I didn't do was plan follow up by observing in teacher's classrooms.Big mistake. But I did hold monthly meetings with the grade levels I was responsible for. Then, I went to another district so I could work with junior high teachers. I discovered the same thing in both districts. Through conversations, I discovered that definitions of reading and writing workshop differed from my understanding and what teachers actually did in their classrooms. This knowledge came mostly from conversation, but some of it from observation in classrooms. In the past 7 years, I have come to realize that it is only through regular observation can we really see what a teacher does. All the people who I have worked with who do the same type of job I do are kind of surprised when they observe in SOME teachers classrooms. We all assumed that everyone would be the kind of teachers that I find on this list: thoughtful, reflective, constantly trying to improve through reading, or participation in discussions like these or through taking classes. To our dismay, we found that isn't necessarily so. Luckily, we do find many like all of you here, but it is surprising when we find some who really just go through the motions, or we wonder, "Why does he/she continue to work with children when it's obvious they don't like them?" I've also discovered that each grade level has a uniqueness. I am angered when I hear kindergarten teachers explaining how difficult they have it. I always respond by saying each grade level has pluses and minuses. In order to judge each person really needs to work in a different grade level. Conversations centered around specific focuses really help buildings and teachers discover what others are doing. Carol > This may be a dumb question, but how do you know what other teachers do in > their classrooms? I've been teaching for 20 years and the only teachers > that I > have ever heard teach are the ones next door to me. > > Nancy > > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL > at > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > >
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