It is so worth it - and that's why the posters keep posting - these are the people who know how worth it it is. But the trend is terrifying for public education in America.
On Tue, Sep 9, 2008 at 4:09 PM, Susanne Lee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > after reading a lot of the emails on this site and the "To Understand" > site, I also wonder why I spent so many years in school for education (I > also have a masters in business, my first career) and why I have spent SO > much money for my classroom just to be faced with what you are faced with. > Why would you have to write a "plan" for EVERY student. It just seems like > extra paperwork for the teacher. I cannot understand that. The more we > are "dictated" as to what and how to teach, the more teachers want to > leave. And it is the "good" teachers that are leaving. WHich makes it > scary for what will be left in the education system. Precisely, the reason > why I left the corporate world. I have since found out that I cannot make > changes (although I do think I may make a difference in at least one child a > year). Is that worth it??????????????????? > > > --- On Mon, 9/1/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Small Group Instruction > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, September 1, 2008, 9:12 PM > > My district has adopted HM with fidelty.? The district has > "provided" us with a timeline that gives each story, the skill, etc. > and when to teach it.? We are required to teach a 90 minute literacy block, > 60 > minutes of which must be stations and small group instruction.? We have > even > been told this how to weight grades -at the elementary level-and what > categories > we must use.? Because our school is in school improvement K-3 teachers will > have > 80 hours of reading first training, although "we aren't becoming a > reading first school" according to our principal.? We also have to write a > personalized education plan for EVERY student regardless of their > achievement > level.? In the past we only did this for students who were in jeopardy of > failing.? I have decided that since we can't control what children come to > our school, then we have decided that the teachers are "broke" > otherwise everyone would be at grade level, so they are trying to fix us!? > Not > sure why I spent 6 years in school.? Sometimes wish I could get find a new > profession. > > Rosie > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Carol Carlson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > <[email protected]> > Sent: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 7:32 pm > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Small Group Instruction > > > > > > > > > > > I have been waiting to post this, but now seems like the right time. > > When I came to my current, I was thrilled--their articulated > curriculum was reading strategies with specific genres for each grade > level. In grades K-3 there was a basal, but it was used differently > in each of our buildings. Reading and writing workshop were used in > all buildings.The biggest problem was that intermediate teachers > could really do what they wanted because there was a lack of direction. > > WE adopted 6 traits the first year I was in my position. > > I thought I could provide that direction. Together with a language > arts committee, we refined expectations; we gave meat to what > teaching the strategies meant. We moved away from whole class novels. > We created book rooms so teachers could provide guided reading when > appropriate. I purchased the comprehension toolkit for every 3-6 > grade teacher. Together with the Great Source Daybooks, these > materials helped teachers explicitly teach strategies and gave > students opportunities to practice their strategies. I felt we were > making progress. > > However, last year we had a new board--they wanted differentiation. > They COULD NOT be persuaded that the language arts curriculum WAS > differentiated. Two consultants pointed out our strengths, but the > board didn't see it that way. There was inconsistency, but the > complaints came from parents whose children attended those schools > were whole class novels were more the norm than not. So, the whole > district is suffering. > > For this year, a language arts task force is being created to "look > at materials for teaching reading." In speaking with the outside > consultant who was hired, it is obvious he feels a basal meets the > needs of the TEACHERS. He says it equalizies instruction--never mind > that it might not be the best instruction. > > An "enrichment coordinator" was also hired for this year. Now, he is > > pulling out students for William and Mary curriculum. He's also told > me that a basal will help teachers identify specific goals and > objectives. Yet, in the junior high where we are using a completely > new anthology, he wants teachers to go through the anthology to > identify goals so that differentiation can occur. I don't know how he > expects teachers to find the time to teach--they will be doing so > much assessment in order to identify those who need the > differentiation!!! > > For the first year in my entire career, I dread going to work, and > it's only the first week!!! This will be my last year because my > position is being eliminated to make room for enrichment teachers. > I'm trying hard not to be bitter and disappointed, but it's so hard. > > Thanks for letting me vent my frustration at this move away from best > practice to a "BASAL." > > Carol > > On Sep 1, 2008, at 6:03 PM, Renee wrote: > > > This is true in my little corner of the world as well.... to an > > extent. > > I say "to an extent" because frankly I haven't seen a whole > heck of a > > lot of evidence of instruction that is out of the box. Interestingly, > > a good number of teachers "teach to the program" and the > district > > chose > > Saxon Math for the second time in a row (ick ick ick ick) but as > > far as > > I know nobody's neck is breathed down and I know at least one teacher > > who says she didn't use it before and won't use it now. Plus, in > more > > than one conversation with my principal last year we discussed > > "fidelity to the program" vs "fidelity to the > standards" and "fidelity > > to the students" but with all that..... there is a rubric for teacher > > evaluations, and in that rubric, teachers supposedly get a higher > > score > > if they supplement programs appropriately vs sticking to the program. > > So go figure. > > > > Renee > > > > > > On Sep 1, 2008, at 3:47 PM, Beverlee Paul wrote: > > > >> Okay, I'm going to have to reply to my reply because I read my > reply > >> :-) and it's unclear the way I wrote it--my reply :-). I mean > that I > >> have the survivor's guilt because IN MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD > we > >> still have professional judgment and can use it, for however > >> pitifully > >> long we can hold out. > >> > >>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: > [email protected]> > >>> Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2008 15:26:31 -0600> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] > Small > >>> Group Instruction> > I'm starting to have a hard time > continuing to > >>> read these list serves I've been reading this summer. I feel > so > >>> badly > >>> for so many of you. If we have anything left to save in public > >>> education by the time this "phase" is through, I'll > be surprised. At > >>> a time when new thinking is pushing into the profession, the > >>> teachers' hands are increasingly tied and they are unable to > use the > >>> new knowledge. I'm having enormous difficulty remaining > hopeful > >>> listening to your trials; I can't imagine how you must feel. I > am > >>> so, > >>> so sorry this is what has happened to probably nearly all of us. I > >>> think I also have a little "survivor's guilt" > because if we just > >>> ignore the RtI-ers, we are able to teach in the way we see is best > >>> for our kids. :-( > >> _________________________________________________________________ > >> Talk to your Yahoo! Friends via Windows Live Messenger. Find out > >> how. > >> http://www.windowslive.com/explore/messenger? > >> ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_messenger_yahoo_082008 > >> _______________________________________________ > >> 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. > >> > >> > > "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect > > Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the > > common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings > > of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish > > this > > Constitution for the United States of America." > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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