tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post469908631421928854..comments2024-01-30T18:06:54.431-05:00Comments on miss brave teaches nyc: Trickle-down pressureUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-14195088051629054782009-05-12T09:53:00.000-04:002009-05-12T09:53:00.000-04:00One of my greatest frustrations when I was teachin...One of my greatest frustrations when I was teaching in NYC was being forced to follow the rigid Susan-Radley-version-of-Lucy-Calkins curriculum with K-2 beginner ELLs. They couldn't understand even the scripted "Today, writers, I want you to notice how good writers do whatever mini-lesson topic we're covering that day". [I've probably got the details wrong, but I've tried to block it out!] The workshop method was rather ridiculous for my kids - a mini-lesson, a wee bit of guided practice, and then the bulk of the lesson on their own? How can we expect writing output from true beginners in a 2nd language when they've had so little input? Many of my kids were still in their silent period or early production, so asking them to choose 6 non-fiction subtopics in fifteen minutes was beyond pointless. Never mind how inappropriate it might already be for that age group, it was just not possible in terms of language. My intermediate level 8th grade ELLs are having trouble with similar research tasks right now!<br /><br />Of course, as a pull-out ESL teacher I was never really properly trained in either Accelerated Literacy or the workshop model, so it's possible I completely misunderstood the procedure - but many of my colleagues were frustrated by the rigidity even teaching native speakers. <br /><br />If we'd been given some flexibility, perhaps I could have developed something that would have served my kids and taught as much as possible of the curriculum as given. Maybe a group-produced research project on a single topic, with each student contributing according to their level of English proficiency? I could have exposed them to key vocabulary, perhaps taught them some important language structures, and maybe they'd have learned something about non-fiction science books at the same time? Most importantly, they might have enjoyed the process as well.allirabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00375319832978483545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-91254855435547796862009-05-07T23:31:00.000-04:002009-05-07T23:31:00.000-04:00We must be doing the exact same unit - in 6th grad...We must be doing the exact same unit - in 6th grade. It certainly is a struggle trying to get them interested in a topic that was really thrust upon them. They are seeing it in Science as well, which in one way is nice, but they are getting fed up with it quickly. Fortunately we manage to include time for independent reading which, after a spell of "research", they JUMP at. <br />Hang in there, you're definitely not alone. Just look at the faces walking into the classroom everyday and try to remember the reason you became a teacher.Independent Educatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00057348484186837183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-58196406642945376012009-05-07T00:59:00.000-04:002009-05-07T00:59:00.000-04:00nothing to say other than it's nice to have a new ...nothing to say other than it's nice to have a new missbrave post to read-- many thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-43541584653156580412009-05-06T11:26:00.000-04:002009-05-06T11:26:00.000-04:00Hi. It's 'anon' from above again. One more thing.....Hi. It's 'anon' from above again. One more thing...thank you Miss Brave for writing about your struggles. I teach third grade in Wisconsin and am experiencing the same absurdity here. It's hard to keep it together when so much of our time is spent trying to meet unrealistic demands. The bar keeps raising, but who benefits? As far as I can tell, it's those who are trying to discredit public education. When the developmentally inappropriate demands start to affect my relationship with my students, I, like you, begin to question the status quo. Keep on keepin' on for your kids. THEY are the only ones who matter in all of this. THEY are the reason I get up and come to work every morning. Close your door, and teach to THEM when you can. We are all trying to keep our heads above water, gathering 'junk data' and filling out pacing charts. All the while, our kids are never really building a foundation, a deeper understanding of how to learn. We're forced to push them along and then we're told they/we are failing. It's a bunch of hogwash and those of us in the classroom know it. Thanks again for keeping it real and spreading the word over the blogosphere. It helps to know I'm not alone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-88236265127292807962009-05-06T07:49:00.000-04:002009-05-06T07:49:00.000-04:00I read this last night and then had to come back t...I read this last night and then had to come back this morning. Why are we doing this to the kids? Our students should be learning to LOVE books at this age. We should introduce them to books about frogs, salamanders, tigers but forcing a 'research' unit on them...finding six sub-topics on their own?????? They are 7/8 yr. olds! I have started saying no. period. Those at the top, who come up with these crazy "big ideas", have no concept of child development. We're squishing the children before they have a chance to grow. We're making them 'hate' learning when we do things like this. To mccaitlin above...pushing research at such a young age, with so little time, is the reason why kids come to you with such low skill level. And this same bullshit is repeated year after year after year. Our curriculum is a mile wide and an inch thick. The research project miss brave describes could easily take a quarter of the school year to do right. But we're not in the business of doing things right. Teachers need to revolt for the sake of our students. It's gotten out of control. What ever happened to childhood? There's the slow food movement. I've read about the slow money movement. I think education needs to slow down. Children need TIME to question, read, think, practice, and most important of all...WONDER. Teachers unite. Let's take our classrooms back. Our students need us now more than ever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-58729654573760920002009-05-06T03:44:00.000-04:002009-05-06T03:44:00.000-04:00My school seems to have spent the first four month...My school seems to have spent the first four months of the year operating under trickle down pressure - last year's first national test results were not good in my state, and the pressure has started from the Premier down. It got so bad I had to actively seek out something to 'destress' me so I wouldn't be so stressed in the classroom all the time!<br /><br />The sad thing is how it's so easy for us to get caught up in sometimes really unreasonable pressures, and pushing ourselves and our students to a completely ridiculous place.Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16379340851773603139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4757781057687609304.post-46427939451203414072009-05-05T21:57:00.000-04:002009-05-05T21:57:00.000-04:00hehehe, index as a subtopic... sadly, 13 years lat...hehehe, index as a subtopic... sadly, 13 years later they're not doing much better. my college students DEFINITELY struggle with research papers. i'm mostly disappointed every semester. they struggle so much, that instead of assigning a research paper for my summer class, i'm going to assign 1-2 page writing assignments that focus on a skill needed for writing a research paper (e.g. summarizing a journal article).<br /><br />as disastrous as having 7 year olds doing research might be (both in implementation and general age appropriateness...), i hope some of it sinks in, then in 13 years when i have them, i'll know they were your students :)mcaitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18060332210183404896noreply@blogger.com