LOL, well, I didn't want to mention it, but you're right...classroom management is the #1 challenge for these darling newbies right now (and one is being criticized by parents for lack of). The coach began modeling lessons for them last week with the intention of showing how we manage our kids. Of course they're teaching, but there are so many hurdles just on Step #1.
For those who think we two vets aren't helping the newbies, LOL, my district has been a forerunner in Collaboration and the collaborative model. We meet as a grade level for 3 hours once a week (kids at art/music/PE) with one meeting a month coached (used to be 2 coached before this year's budget cuts). We do lesson study and read together and learn together, but, ladies, these new teachers are GREEN. I work in a WONDERFUL school--believe me I know I'm blessed--where all teachers are very very very hard-working and dedicated. The new teachers work long hours and are trying very hard, but they don't even know what priorities are yet because they're so busy pedaling. Are we helping them? You bet! In addition to Collaboration time, we meet once a week to help them...and they're in my room daily with questions. We had 175 applications for these 2 positions and we value our newbies; maybe I'm wrong in thinking we can only pile on so much, but we didn't want to have them start te aching comprehension strategies when they haven't read ONE text yet. My friend and I revere (and use daily) Keene, Miller, Harvey/Goudvis, and Fountas/Pinnell. Daily. How can we expect these new teachers to teach comprehension strategies WITH NO BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE? Lest you think I'm not trying, we had our first Collaboration on Thursday and we came up with our first cycle's focus: How does shared reading deepen comprehension? We plan to work on it with them, but it's hard for all of us. Do you think we should just push them into comprehension strategy instruction when they have NO prior knowledge and have done NO reading? Do you think they'll learn better by doing? Thanks, Judy -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > No...you are not way off. I do agree with you that you should be getting > coaching too. I also agree that you would have a LOT to offer these new > people > as well. Is there any reason why you can't offer your help now? I would > watch > for any opportunity you have to open that door. If they are making > comprehension salads, yet don't understand what is behind good comprehension, > > maybe you > can help! How about a book discussion or lesson study? I learned a TON last > year from teachers who had more than ten years less experience than I did as > we went through the lesson study process together. > > I just think that teaching for depth IS...or maybe I should say SHOULD BE, > a basic. Of course, we need them to master things like classroom management, > effective lesson planning etc first before we get into any of the pedagogy > of > teaching reading. If your newbies are not even coming with classroom > management, then the coaches ought to spend every spare moment with them! > > Jennifer > > In a message dated 9/28/2008 1:13:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > Jennifer, you make a really good point when you say "if only the newbies are > getting the coaching then we had better integrate the teaching for depth > right away." With three, we have even fewer newbies than you, but I think > you're assuming that they have something to "integrate the teaching for > depth" > into. Maybe our new teachers just didn't get the training in teaching > reading > in college, but they are clearly in unknown territory (as I was when I first > started teaching). So I'm politely asking, don't they need to know some > basics? > > For vets, I want to back up a bit. The 2 most dedicated Keenites in my > school are 2 of the oldest and we figured it out ourselves (from books and > conferences) before we had coaches. Our first coach worked with everyone, > but > with > this year's California budget cuts, our coaches are now sharing schools and > we see them even less. I completely understand admin's priority on new > teachers, but I'm wondering if coaches were able to give us some time, > perhaps > we > could help the newbies. > > I am a reader. I have always been a reader and I have always taken teaching > reading seriously. I'm worried about teaching newbies to dive before they > can swim on the surface, but perhaps I'm being elitist and don't really > understand at all. I do know that it makes my teeth grate when new teachers > are > mixing comprehension salads that are "so cute" and understand nothing of > comprehension. But, again, maybe I'm way off the mark. > > Judy > > > > > > > **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial > challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips > and > calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > [email protected] > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
