We did this in our school for years in the second grade and the results were awful.The teachers who liked it did so because it was easy. When our principal statred it in the first grade I was totally against it and it proved to be a dia
________________________________________ From: [email protected] [[email protected]] On Behalf Of Beverlee Paul [[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 8:08 PM To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] departmentalization Are any of you board-certified folk going to comment on this thread? Please.... On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 5:54 PM, Andrea Jenkins <[email protected]>wrote: > Dee, > > I understand that concern. And I would say that this is largely remedied by > having trust in your colleagues. If you departmentalize, is there a way to > choose which teacher will teach your students math? In every team, there is > usually at least one person with whom we see eye-to-eye. Sharing students > with an eye-to-eye colleague will help lighten your fears. Also, consider > that there are now 2 sets of eyes on all of your kids; yours and your > partner teacher. From experience, I can attest to how valuable this is to > have another teacher who sees our students in an academic setting. This > allows for collaboration (and support) on how to best reach each child. > > When I look at myself as a teacher, I know that I am not an expert in every > subject. To say that I teach math as well as I teach reading is simply > untrue. It is natural that we teach to our strengths and that our students > benefit from our strengths. They feel the impact of our weaknesses as well. > Departmentalizing allows teachers to focus their time in more specific > ways. > If I no longer have math as a subject, I devote more time to writer's > notebooks, pulling quality read alouds, reporting on student reading > behaviors, etc. I also can devote my energy to professional growth in > literacy, not literacy and math. > > No one will teach math EXACTLY how you teach it. But that does not mean > that > those students will develop less of an understanding or appreciation for > math. Different and varied can be ok. > > I would strongly recommend students in first grade not change rooms (unless > it's a very small school), but instead have the TEACHERS switch rooms. This > might seem tricky at first, but soon routines will develop. By having the > teachers switch, it creates more continuity for the students. Plus, the > math > teacher has ready access to the wonderful math materials you have collected > (and they stay in your room). Your students still get the benefit of being > in their own classroom, around their teacher's tools, being taught by > someone who has a dedicated focus to math. > > I'm happy to answer questions. Let me know if you have any other thoughts > or > concerns. I'm happy to help. > > Andrea > > Delores Gibson <[email protected]> wrote: > >Thanks Andrea. > >I guess my concern is that if another teacher is teaching math to my > >students how can I possible know what this child is doing in math? > >Also, I am a veteran teacher and I've had years to accumulate materials > >that the other teachers just don't have and my kids will miss out on > >having certain experiences that I can provide no matter how much I > >share. > >Dee > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [email protected] > >[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrea Jenkins > >Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 2:58 PM > >To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > >Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] departmentalization > > > >I do want to chime in because I taught at a small private school and we > >departmentalized writing/math all the way down to 1st grade. It worked > >beautifully! There were only two classrooms for each grade and they > >shared a > >common breezeway between the classrooms. The teachers had a common > >"switch" > >time, which they kept every day. The switch was as seamless as taking > >the > >kids to Spanish or PE or another class. > > > >In this school, with its small size, it did work. Once they were into > >it, > >the pros so outweighed the cons. I can certainly see how a larger school > >would have more hurdles to jump than it might be worth. > > > >If you have questions, please ask. I helped schedule and implement > >departmentalizing, so I have some strong feelings about why it's a good > >thing. Perhaps if your school decides to go that way, I can help give > >you > >ways to feel better about it. > > > >I always appreciate this group and the open conversations! You guys have > >helped me on many occasions. > > > >Thanks, > >Andrea > > > > > >Delores Gibson <[email protected]> wrote: > >>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. > > > > > > >**************************************************************************************************** > >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. _______________________________________________ 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.
