Wow. I am not sure that the persons telling you this has much respect for teachers! Learning something that will improve their craft will put teachers over the edge??? That says something about the climate... Having said that, I realize that timing is everything. If you try to shove too much down teachers throats too quickly, it also shows lack of respect for teachers. But I do wonder if someone has to set the level of expectations high for teachers and then scaffold their learning...just like we do for kids. How can we expect teachers to be effective when they don't know the how or the why of their work? Wow... you have a tough row to hoe, I think. Jennifer In a message dated 6/1/2008 11:24:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
As a district curriculum specialist, I have been told that explaining surface structure and deep structure would put most of our primary teachers over the edge. Again, it goes back to staff development. If teachers could read "To Understand and had the time to discuss the ideas, it would help them understand comprehension and would impact their teaching. The pragmatic system would be one area that I would focus on if I had a classroom. Too often, I expected my students to write about their thinking, rather than giving them the time to DISCUSS their thinking. I wanted "accountability." How would I be able to assess students' work if I didn't ask them to provide a product? I wish I had come to this understanding earlier so I could have spared my students from so much writing! While I decreased the writing every year, I still didn't give students enough time to talk about their reading. **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
