Lately I’ve been walking around with my head in the clouds. Not thinking about reading or writing or any of the things that usually occupy my brain while I’m sitting still. Why, you ask? L o v e ! Read More...

Okay...may be I have read a few too many vents and maybe wrote a few too many as well, so I've decided to try escapism ( Heck, it worked for my great and grand parents in the '30s). 1. Imagine that parents had to sign a

contract to get their child into a building and a classroom. 2. Imagine all children knew that disrespectful behavior at school meant consequences at home too. 3. Kids who care about school and achievement. 4. Imagine a system that looked for growth in each child not AYP. 5. Imagine a nation that respected education

and those who teach. 6. Imagine that those with power understood that leading by example is the most powerful. Now back to your regularly scheduled reality.......

Weird chain of events folks. I made a new entry into blogdom with the preview showing up on the main blog page. Then, this morning, IT'S GONE!Read More...

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person in the world who grasps these ideas..... 1. Educational accountability is like a three legged stool. Student, parents, teacher. Why does only one leg get shackled with sanctions

based on the lack of effort of the other two. 2. If we are mandated to teach at every child's unique level, why is the test only at grade level????? How can a kid reading at a grade 3 level read the grade 5 test????? 3. Larger class sizes= less individual attention. 4. If you keep changing instruction, the kids end

up with gaps. Pick a program , let the teachers supplement for the gaps in any program maybe a program has a shot of working. 5. If education isn't valued by a family all the gifted teaching,and extra help in the world will not inspire a kid to do well on the test. Some power that be say cash bribes will work.:rolleyes:

same old. I actually had a pretty good day today. Read More...

Dear Responsive Teachers, I read this post a few days ago on the Responsive Classroom Blog http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/blog/?p=984 and thought… “I’m not sure if the tone has changed in my room…what

is it that my students are doing now they couldn’t before?” Then it happened today. One of my guys who struggles with attention and sensory distractions was having a hard time in math this afternoon. I noticed he was not focused on my oh-so-engaging “turn-around fact” lesson. So

I had him get in the control chair. He returned to the carpet and returned to chatting with his friend. I moved him to a chair just off the carpet. I explained to him, firmly, that I was about to introduce a new math skill. That it was important to pay attention so he knew what to do and how to do it. I was explicit. I carried on with my lesson. He carried on taking off and putting on his rainboots. Turning around in his seat so that he no longer faced me. Playing with a sticker on his shirt. He carried on not paying attention. Finally, I called on him to give me the turn-around fact for 8+3=11. A loooooooong pause. He looked at me. He looked at the kids. He looked at the chart. He looked at the kids. They were all staring back at him. Silently. There was not one sound as he tried to figure out what I was asking him. Tentatively he answered “3?” Excellent I replied. What next? More waiting. More silence. More staring. “Plus?” Wow! You can do this, but it’s hard. You weren’t paying attention and now you have to figure this out. But, I think you can do it. What should come next? “Ummm…11?” Nope. Try again. Look at the chart. I know you can do it. Loooooooong pause. More silence. More staying in control from the students on the carpet. More waiting. “8?” Yes! Now what? Finish it up! “Equals 11?” The entire class broke the silence as they applauded for my guy. What started out as a struggle became a success. Because my kiddos let him work through it. They were patient. They were kind. They gave him the time he needed. And they clapped when he finished. I think I saw the bend in the road, and I’m pretty sure I fell hopelessly in love with 18 first graders. Happy climbing, Mrs. R

Well, I've decided to try something new. This blog has been collecting way too much dust over the past year, so I've decided to begin again, but this time completely anew. Although I love Proteacher and love having my blog

here, I've also made the decision that it is time to start anew in a new location. Workshop Wows and Woes will still stay put (After all, I don't want to lose everything that has been written here already, and who knows, if I don't like the new location, I easily might choose to return home), but a new blog has been

born! Everyday Readers/Writers Workshop (readerswritersworkshop.blogspot.com) It is my hope that all those who have visited this blog and have been interested in following my reading and writing workshop journey, will bookmark the new location and visit when they can. I'm really hoping a new look and a new address, will bring back some of the inspiration/motivation that has been majorly lacking within me for the past year. I need to get the momentum of my workshops going again, and maybe, with my fingers crossed, this is one way I can. :)

and I am a Teacher In Need of Assistance. I'm in my 3rd year and I just feel like I am failing. Read More...

are coming. Not you yet.... maybe you soon. Maybe in city, town, or school next door, but the NCLB sanction times are here. Schools are dropping like flies. School choice, mandatory tutoring, restructuring, reorganization....is

your head spinning yet??? Schools are dropping like flies ,and the first victims are the students and their teachers. Adding hours to an already packed day, larger class sizes,and more testing are not in the best interest of children. Children want attention and a lot of it. 30 in a room doesn't give the kids

the attention they need. Then sub dividing the class into individual groups for reading,and math, plus science and center groups to individualize instruction. When can the average teacher find time to "do it all"? Something has to give and something has... Social Studies and Science get haphazard attention at best. Shoved into reading and math at any and every occasion to make time. Art and other "fun " or "non curriculum " projects are not verboten. Gone are the days of snowflakes, holiday projects and fun exploration activities that a teacher may have in their bags of tricks. Still the test scores don't respond fast enough. So....squeezing out every last ounce of fun and teacher creativity has resulted in.... not much. Still the powers that be figure firing teachers will fix the problem. Changing the curriculum didn't change things, testing didn't change things , will taking the teachers out and replacing them every three years really change things? How about trying something really new called attitude adjustment? It used to be that families took pride in a smart child. They wanted their children to do well and backed up the teachers. Back then the biggest issue was chewing gum in class. Now education is disrespected and teachers and children are being abused by out of control , disrespectful kids. Still the sanctions are coming for you and for me.

Donald Trump took two words most people don't want to hear and made them into a catch phrase people take joy in repeating. Celebrity Apprentice was a successful show, at least back in the days before the "celebrities" took over. Read More...