All early childhood and early elementary literature opposes it so strongly in spirit that nobody has felt the need to write about it in explicit opposition. In other words, departmental teaching in first grade is so inappropriate so fundamentally that it's like advocating teaching handwriting to three year olds.
What pressures teachers must be feeling on account of high stakes tests and rigid performance expectations that any of them could come up with such an anti-child and unsound educational practice! I hope I don't sound like a know-it-all-y education professor. (I have years and years of early childhood, elementary and high school teaching experience, some of it recent.) It makes me cry to hear teachers or administrators forgetting everything we know about the need for a loving and stable classroom community for six year olds where all learning is presented as connected. Dee: MY suggestion would be to start a teacher reading group. Suggest that these teachers read anything by Vivian Paley or download Julia Weber Gordon's My Country School Diary from internet. You would be a good initiator/facilitator for such a group, and reading these types of books would support your own position with the highest quality qualitative research in the field. Barbara, Colgate University On 2/11/09 2:11 PM, "Laura Klug" <[email protected]> wrote: It was done in a school that I worked in a few years ago and it was a disaster. The children get so confused and are disciplined for forgetting where to go and what to bring. Also, classroom teachers do not see how their students are doing or if they are making connections in their learning. I strongly oppose it. -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Delores Gibson Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 12:35 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MOSAIC] departmentalization Does anyone have and/or know of where I can go to find research on departmental teaching for FIRST GRADE? Some of the teachers want to seen six year olds from room to room (switch classes) for reading and math. I'm opposed because I believe strongly in self-contained classroom for first grade. Instead of just doing it because it might be easier I can't get anyone to tell me what research supports or does not support this for first grade. HELP!!!! Dee ************************************************************************ **************************** This e-mail message contains information that may be privileged or confidential and is the property of the Board of Education of Deerfield Public School District No. 109. It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, retain, copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this message or any part thereof. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all copies of this message. _______________________________________________ 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.
