Nancy: I read lots of postings and rarely write, but sometimes your postings move me to do so.
I am a kindergarten teacher in AZ, teaching at a Title One school as well. We, too, are being told that DIBELS is here to stay, and that the success of the students is directly correlated to our willingness to be part of the schoolwide team... I am SO frustrated with that 'belief statement' and by the trend to reduce education to one size that fits all that I am actually considering leaving the classroom. However, I am really too young to retire, not ready to step out of the classroom, and filled with the belief that I DO make a difference in the lives of each and every child that I teach, and maybe in the lives of their parents as well - since kindergarten teachers often help parents develop parenting skills to support their young learners. Every time I read a posting from you and a few other like minded individuals (Beverlee comes to mind), I long for the time in recent past years when our administration supported developmentally appropriate practices and constructivist approaches. And I wish that you like-minded people were my cohorts at our school! I want - no - NEED to be teaching at a school that fully supports developmentally appropriate practices and teaching at children's individual points of need. I was one of those kids who needed more than the one-size-fits-all - let's-drag-them-along-and-they'll-eventually-get-it approach. I can relate to those kids in the John and Kate...plus 8 analogy you gave. I would have been one of the 8 who wasn't ready...yet. pam _______________________________________________ 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.
