Today was the last day for students. I still have two more days with the staff of J. F. Wahl Elementary. We'v'e got to check in all of our material as well as do some professional development. Today was fun. I had some students ask if they could give each other hugs, and after their hugs some of them were teary-eyed. I had 12 of my 19 students show up. I think that was the largest percent of any first grade class, just like last year. I'm not gonna tell me kids they do not need to come to school on the last day.
I had some students write me notes today.
"Dear Mr, Taylor
We are gone to miss you y we are in 2 grad. Also you are gone to miss us to and we will be so sad if we dont see you agand but we will still love you so you dont need to be sad so muth.
Love,
Kresha"
"Dare Mr. Taylor,
we are a good praren. me and Mr. Taylor is have fun. We get to to (?) 2 grad.
form Mr.
Taylor"
(Ahhh, Drica. So hyper her thoughts are not always straight.)
"Dear. Mr. Talor
we are going to go to the second 2-grade we will have fun at 2-grad! Il it is a good school. Il at 2-second grade!
Love,
Mr. Talor"
(Keino is doing so much better, but we've got a ways to go with writing.)
I will miss them all. I know that I will see most of them next year in school, but it is sad tosee them go. They pushed me in a way that my class last year never did. And as much as some of the students pushed me, I'm sure I will miss them the most.
I also got some of my scores back. While not everyone was low risk, everyone did some pretty remarkable things. Der went from reading 1 word per minute back in January to reading 20 words per minute the other week. I believe that was the greatest percent increase in my class. I also had another student read one passage at 175 words per minute. His median score on three passages was 97 words. There was also a girl that had a median score of 100 words per minute. I think that my class this year did better than my class last year.
Next year will be even better.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Day nearing the end of the year
There was the end of the year celebration this past Saturday. It was at Hopson Farms and it resulted in an email being sent out by a member that did not like the setting. Other than the late breaking offense it was a good night. It made me think about a couple of things.
First one is how people are moving on. Some people are moving on because of further education. Others are moving on because they want to teach in other areas. There seem to be two schools of thought on that sort of move. All people seem to want to go to better schools (better organized/performing charter schools). That's all well and good that you want to go to a good school, but it seems almost like the antithesis of the mission of the program. To help education inequity why would you go to a school that has a proven track record. Yes, they may serve underserved students, but it does not seem like one person can make much of a change, especially if it is going well. I did find someone that has similar feelings to me regarding the topic. She is going to a charter school because she wants to learn how they are run/what makes them good, and then try to replicate it in a Chicago Public School. Who knows. There may be more with similar noble intentions, but only one person expressed those to me. I was proud of her.
The other thought that came to mind was about Big Goals. That is a concept that is big in TFA. You need to have Big Goals to know where you are going. You've got to track your students' growth in meeting those goals. After events of the past week I started to reflect on goals of a different nature. Normally they are academic goals measured by some objective metric. Things like percentages and points and things like that. I was just thinking of goals that were appropriate for my kids. Sadly I never really expressed the goals to them, but honestly, I was not always aware of them myself. I am immensely proud of all of my students, but some come to mind. Two of the biggst problems have really grown and impressed me.
First one is Xander. Coming to me not really working or talking, and he's started to do both. Granted they are not where they should be, but he has grown greatly. Last week my kids were doing DIBELS testing (basic literacy skills) and there was one goal that I set for him. That he would score points on the Word Use Fluency test. They are given a word and directed to put it into a sentence. In practicing with him I would give him a word and he would respond with the frame, "I like to play with my _______." It did not matter what it was, could be "chair," "because," or "air." His frame did change for a couple of words so he did notice the beginnings of tense and voice. I ended up laughing with/at him because for the first time he got it, and was not struggling. The second "verge of tears" moment this year. I could hardly express how proud of him I was. And today in the afternoon he was trying to do double digit addition. He has just grown so much. All there is is anecdotal records of this astounding growth. I don't know a way to put developmental milestones into numbers to track.
The other one is Mr. Dil. He was the one that, at one point, insisted that I wanted to kill him with knives and that I've killed other people. Generally not being a violent person I was really taken aback by his comments. He made teaching difficult for me in my classroom for a good couple of months. Now, whatever bug got in him, isn't there any more. He funtions well in the class. Occasionally he still gets in a snit about something, and mumbles what's wrong. But it is so much more benign now. He'll still get upset and start crying at times, but there have been no negative comments about me since Spring Break.
For whatever failings there have been this year I will live with those victories. Are they momentous? Depends on your lens and perspective. Without knowledge of the students, how can you judge what was significant for them? They may not be the sought after "Significant Gains." But in terms of development as capable people, I know of nothing more significant than the ability to talk, be motivated to work, and develop anger management skills. Everyone in room 610 at J. F. Wahl Elementary School in Helena, Arkansas has made "Significant Gains" as capable human beings.
First one is how people are moving on. Some people are moving on because of further education. Others are moving on because they want to teach in other areas. There seem to be two schools of thought on that sort of move. All people seem to want to go to better schools (better organized/performing charter schools). That's all well and good that you want to go to a good school, but it seems almost like the antithesis of the mission of the program. To help education inequity why would you go to a school that has a proven track record. Yes, they may serve underserved students, but it does not seem like one person can make much of a change, especially if it is going well. I did find someone that has similar feelings to me regarding the topic. She is going to a charter school because she wants to learn how they are run/what makes them good, and then try to replicate it in a Chicago Public School. Who knows. There may be more with similar noble intentions, but only one person expressed those to me. I was proud of her.
The other thought that came to mind was about Big Goals. That is a concept that is big in TFA. You need to have Big Goals to know where you are going. You've got to track your students' growth in meeting those goals. After events of the past week I started to reflect on goals of a different nature. Normally they are academic goals measured by some objective metric. Things like percentages and points and things like that. I was just thinking of goals that were appropriate for my kids. Sadly I never really expressed the goals to them, but honestly, I was not always aware of them myself. I am immensely proud of all of my students, but some come to mind. Two of the biggst problems have really grown and impressed me.
First one is Xander. Coming to me not really working or talking, and he's started to do both. Granted they are not where they should be, but he has grown greatly. Last week my kids were doing DIBELS testing (basic literacy skills) and there was one goal that I set for him. That he would score points on the Word Use Fluency test. They are given a word and directed to put it into a sentence. In practicing with him I would give him a word and he would respond with the frame, "I like to play with my _______." It did not matter what it was, could be "chair," "because," or "air." His frame did change for a couple of words so he did notice the beginnings of tense and voice. I ended up laughing with/at him because for the first time he got it, and was not struggling. The second "verge of tears" moment this year. I could hardly express how proud of him I was. And today in the afternoon he was trying to do double digit addition. He has just grown so much. All there is is anecdotal records of this astounding growth. I don't know a way to put developmental milestones into numbers to track.
The other one is Mr. Dil. He was the one that, at one point, insisted that I wanted to kill him with knives and that I've killed other people. Generally not being a violent person I was really taken aback by his comments. He made teaching difficult for me in my classroom for a good couple of months. Now, whatever bug got in him, isn't there any more. He funtions well in the class. Occasionally he still gets in a snit about something, and mumbles what's wrong. But it is so much more benign now. He'll still get upset and start crying at times, but there have been no negative comments about me since Spring Break.
For whatever failings there have been this year I will live with those victories. Are they momentous? Depends on your lens and perspective. Without knowledge of the students, how can you judge what was significant for them? They may not be the sought after "Significant Gains." But in terms of development as capable people, I know of nothing more significant than the ability to talk, be motivated to work, and develop anger management skills. Everyone in room 610 at J. F. Wahl Elementary School in Helena, Arkansas has made "Significant Gains" as capable human beings.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Day of the Weekend
Things were good this week. A couple of unusual days (irregular schedule is all) but surprisingly well. Feeling of unease has dissapated.
I had been confusing Xander with the "pulling my thumb off" trick. It would blow his mind and then he would try to take my thumb off, and then try to take his thumb off, before announcing to me that he couldn't do it. Well. the other day he figured it out. And he has tried to show me. And I made him show Mrs. Austin yesterday and he was so proud of himself. He even tried to add little dramatics.
I also had my kids thinking more on their own and solving their own problems this week. As a result of not turning in homework, I had kids in during activity and they were asking me if they could read, write, and do extra pages of work to make up for missing homework. Sure...by all means. I even had a kid try to read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I also had some kids act very rude and then want to apologize to the person they interrupted. I've not seen my kids do that all year.
Today was the Delta Day of the Arts at Delta State University. Various art related workshops and I got to lead a group of 1st-3rd graders around for most of the day. We did watercolor painting, collages, swing dancing, and paper clip jewelery. I enjoyed it, but it was long. Very long. Plus a stuffy ride back on the bus. I think my kids enjoyed it. There was a current student and a former student, so I got to talk to them a bit, and get talked at/to a bit as well.
Tonight I had a flashback about someone I knew. Saw something that reminded me of a person and it made me freeze in my tracks. Found out somethings about people. I also received a compliment about my classroom. A higher-up said that she had heard good things about my class from my principal, but hadn't actually talked to her, so it struck me as strange. She said the compliments might have come through my PD who I'm sure has talked with my principal. So I was kind of left with a vague feeling of being complimented. It's good enough for me to sleep on.
I had been confusing Xander with the "pulling my thumb off" trick. It would blow his mind and then he would try to take my thumb off, and then try to take his thumb off, before announcing to me that he couldn't do it. Well. the other day he figured it out. And he has tried to show me. And I made him show Mrs. Austin yesterday and he was so proud of himself. He even tried to add little dramatics.
I also had my kids thinking more on their own and solving their own problems this week. As a result of not turning in homework, I had kids in during activity and they were asking me if they could read, write, and do extra pages of work to make up for missing homework. Sure...by all means. I even had a kid try to read "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." I also had some kids act very rude and then want to apologize to the person they interrupted. I've not seen my kids do that all year.
Today was the Delta Day of the Arts at Delta State University. Various art related workshops and I got to lead a group of 1st-3rd graders around for most of the day. We did watercolor painting, collages, swing dancing, and paper clip jewelery. I enjoyed it, but it was long. Very long. Plus a stuffy ride back on the bus. I think my kids enjoyed it. There was a current student and a former student, so I got to talk to them a bit, and get talked at/to a bit as well.
Tonight I had a flashback about someone I knew. Saw something that reminded me of a person and it made me freeze in my tracks. Found out somethings about people. I also received a compliment about my classroom. A higher-up said that she had heard good things about my class from my principal, but hadn't actually talked to her, so it struck me as strange. She said the compliments might have come through my PD who I'm sure has talked with my principal. So I was kind of left with a vague feeling of being complimented. It's good enough for me to sleep on.
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