Wednesday, Week 3 of Teaching
First of all, I want to thank all of the people who have replied to my email and posting about donating school supplies. I really appreciate it, and it will make my classroom a much happier (and more educational) place for my students. (And me.)
*****
Today was a 60% day, which means that the students leave 2 hours early and the teachers have to stay for "professional development." Today a woman from SERVE came in to talk about the school, and the progress that it has made over the last 3 years. According to SERVE, Brooks went from a Level 2 to a Level 3 school. Unfortunately, the state of Mississippi disagreed with that. According to them, we went from a Level 2 to a Level 1. (There are 5 levels -- 1 is the worst, and 5 is an excellent school). We were given the findings of SERVE, and asked to look over them in groups, present a piece to each other, and then make recommendations. While some of the "challenges" that SERVE identified are clearly challenges, I thought they were pretty evident without a separate firm having to come in (for example, that we don't have music, art, or PE; that there is not a Monday-Friday counselor, and that there are not specialized support services for English Language Learners.) Unfortunately (?) many of the things SERVE identified as positives (such as the America's Choice reading program and the DRA and STAR reading assessments) are no longer being used.
I have some challenges to add: the water fountain doesn't have potable water, two of the bathroom stalls won't stay shut and one doesn't have a door in the girl's room, and we are supposed to have lessons planned for every minute, which doesn't account for bathroom breaks or the fact that it takes a long time for everyone to get their backpacks and line up at the end of the day.
I know that the principal and the leadership team are trying to make Brooks a better school, but I often feel that the paperwork is overwhelming. The lesson plans, for example, take as long to write as they do to deliver, and I don't find the format easy to work with so I have to rewrite them my way again anyhow. I don't feel like I have a clear picture of what the school wants. Something will be mentioned in passing, and a few days later, an administrator with a checklist shows up in my classroom. (Perhaps that just means I need to be paying better attention and adjusting more quickly!) There are very strict requirements, for example, for Reading. I don't know if I am meeting any of them, though, because all I know are the components, and not how to put them together into a cohesive package and what counts as each component.
*****
Today was a 60% day, which means that the students leave 2 hours early and the teachers have to stay for "professional development." Today a woman from SERVE came in to talk about the school, and the progress that it has made over the last 3 years. According to SERVE, Brooks went from a Level 2 to a Level 3 school. Unfortunately, the state of Mississippi disagreed with that. According to them, we went from a Level 2 to a Level 1. (There are 5 levels -- 1 is the worst, and 5 is an excellent school). We were given the findings of SERVE, and asked to look over them in groups, present a piece to each other, and then make recommendations. While some of the "challenges" that SERVE identified are clearly challenges, I thought they were pretty evident without a separate firm having to come in (for example, that we don't have music, art, or PE; that there is not a Monday-Friday counselor, and that there are not specialized support services for English Language Learners.) Unfortunately (?) many of the things SERVE identified as positives (such as the America's Choice reading program and the DRA and STAR reading assessments) are no longer being used.
I have some challenges to add: the water fountain doesn't have potable water, two of the bathroom stalls won't stay shut and one doesn't have a door in the girl's room, and we are supposed to have lessons planned for every minute, which doesn't account for bathroom breaks or the fact that it takes a long time for everyone to get their backpacks and line up at the end of the day.
I know that the principal and the leadership team are trying to make Brooks a better school, but I often feel that the paperwork is overwhelming. The lesson plans, for example, take as long to write as they do to deliver, and I don't find the format easy to work with so I have to rewrite them my way again anyhow. I don't feel like I have a clear picture of what the school wants. Something will be mentioned in passing, and a few days later, an administrator with a checklist shows up in my classroom. (Perhaps that just means I need to be paying better attention and adjusting more quickly!) There are very strict requirements, for example, for Reading. I don't know if I am meeting any of them, though, because all I know are the components, and not how to put them together into a cohesive package and what counts as each component.
posted by Jessica at 6:56 PM
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