Here’s a quick review math station I’m using this week. Our 3-8th graders are testing all next week. You know what that means…no movement until testing is done for the day. I’m planning a week of fun, hands -on activities to keep the stir crazies away!
Issue One:
Don’t you just love when John McLaughlin says that on PBS’s McLaughlin Group.
A dear retired teacher friend of mine just sent me this e-mail. All I can say is Amen and Amen! “Bye-Bye” (Another McLaughlin saying)
Next Season on Survivor:
Have you heard about the next planned "Survivor" show?
Mayor Bloomberg (NYC), Kathy Black (NYC Schools' Chancellor), Governor Walker ( Wis ) and Governor Christie (NJ) will be dropped in an elementary school classroom for 1 school year. Each of them will be provided with a copy of his/her school district's curriculum, and a class of 20-25 students in a self-contained classroom with ancient furniture and few supplies.
Each class will have a minimum of five learning-disabled children, three with A.D.H.D., one gifted child, and two who speak limited English. Three students will be labeled with severe behavior problems.
Each of them must complete lesson plans at least 10 days in advance, with annotations for curriculum objectives and modify, organize, or create their materials accordingly. They will be required to teach students, handle misconduct, implement technology, document attendance, write referrals, correct homework, make bulletin boards, compute grades, complete report cards, document benchmarks, communicate with parents, and arrange parent conferences. They must also stand in their doorway between class changes to monitor the hallways.
In addition, they will complete fire drills, tornado drills, and [Code Red] drills for shooting attacks each month.
They must attend workshops, faculty meetings, and attend curriculum development meetings. This incudes mandatory summer workshops and training for textbooks and the current ways one should teach Reading and Math. They must also tutor students who are behind and strive to get their 2 non-English speaking children proficient enough to take the SOLS tests. If they are sick or having a bad day they must not let it show.
Each day they must incorporate reading, writing, math, science, and social studies into the program. They must maintain discipline and provide an educationally stimulating environment to motivate students at all times. If all students do not wish to cooperate, work, or learn, the teacher will be held responsible.
These people will only have access to the public golf course on the weekends, but with their new salary, they will not be able to afford it. There will be no access to vendors who want to take them out to lunch, and lunch will be limited to thirty minutes, which is not counted as part of their work day. They will be permitted to use a student restroom, as long as another survival candidate can supervise their kids.
If the copier is operable, they may make copies of necessary materials before, or after school, however, they cannot surpass their monthly limit of copies. They must also continually advance their education, at their expense, and on their own time.
The winner of this Season of Survivor will be allowed to return to their job, but will have to plan for more students and less funding than currently allotted.
Pass this to your friends who think teaching is easy, and to the ones that know it is hard.
Here are winners of my Just So Scrappy giveaway! Congrats ladies! You have until Monday 12 midnight to contact me. Mrs. Saoud let me know which kit you’ve decided on.
Winners Winners
Have you ever heard of Learner.Org? About six years ago I discovered this wonderful website full of excellent videos… all free, all you have to do is register and set up a user name and password in order to watch . I especially love the following:
Teaching Reading: K-2 Workshop
Teaching Reading K-2: A Library of Classroom Practices
Teaching Math: A Video Library K-4
Mathematics: What’s the Big Idea
The following are for 3-5 grades…but when I watch them I can find ideas to tweak for my first graders.
Engaging with Literature: A Video Library 3-5
Engaging with Literature: A Workshop for Teachers 3-5
Inside Writing Communities 3-5
If you get the chance you should definitely check them out. It’s like having your own professional library at your fingertips.
During the summer I always block out a week or two to re-watch and get a fresh perspective for a new year. Let me know what you think.
