Fall Renewal

Spring is usually the time for cleaning out closets and one's life, metaphorically speaking of course. However, this fall has been such a time for me.

I am teaching again! The best part is that I love it!

All summer I was mulling over my decision to resign. I even taught a summer enrichment program part-time, just a few hours and days per week, for a month, at a different school. It went very well. I spent the following month fasting for Ramadan and engaged in self-reflection. What do I want to do with my life, at least in relation to a career? I spent too many years going to graduate school in the evenings while struggling to learn to teach. It just felt too soon to quit for good.

I applied and enrolled in a university graduate program in another field, somewhat related, social work. It felt right, but not quite right. Once September rolled around and all of my teacher friends started their conversations about professional development, preparing their classrooms, and getting other things ready for the kids, I felt a sense of sadness set in. I wanted to be with the kids, teaching. I didn't want to spend two nights a week taking more classes for a degree that I wasn't sure I wanted that would put me deeper in debt. After all, I already changed careers many times and this last one handed me a pay cut that I still have yet to recover from six years later.

I was despising having to pay for my own health care as well. So, I decided to give substitute teaching a try, again. I signed up for the "training." Three days of mundane, unpaid, disorganized, belittling training. I made it through one and a half days. This was due to the fact that I found a position available at a former school and decided to ask for reinstatement as a full time teacher. Through some serious string pulling, I got the position and started just three days later, teaching 2nd grade. My first grade position. Though, it is only through the holiday season as the other teacher is on maternity leave. It has been a fabulous re-entry back into the classroom.

I have renewed my love of teaching! I always feared being a classroom teacher. I was fearful of having the same group of kids all day. But, I've found that is exactly what I need right now. I've been so fortunate to find such a great group of kids who are eager to learn. Many of their parents are actively involved. They all do their homework every night! Amazing! The staff and principal couldn't be more accommodating, professional and kind. I love it! I love it! I love it!

I still fear the unknown of January and where I will end up. I'm hopeful I can stay in this school even if I just "float" around for the remainder of the year. I'm very, very hopeful. I have dropped my graduate courses for now. I need more time to reflect on that course. There is no rush for another master's degree. One should be enough anyway, shouldn't it?

In the meantime, I'm eager to plan exciting lessons that engage the kids and myself. I love teaching math and science! I am so glad to not be teaching language and reading all day. I'm so glad to have my own classroom too! I have an ESL teacher pushing into my classroom three days a week, and I'll have some other people helping out as well. That will give me more time to plan for small groups to focus on writing and guided reading and math. The possibilities are endless, well, at least until January 1st!

I'll take what I can for now.

Last Day

I never thought this day would arrive. I feel anxious yet at peace.

I think I did all I could do here this year. Now, I sit here in my packed up room still full of the materials and junk from the 1970s that are not mine, working on my own computer, alone. The few people with whom I've formed professional relationships are not in the building today. So, I spend my last day alone with the few outings to use the restroom or help another teacher move some materials.

I listen to NPR and read the news online. Stories about people out there making a difference and I hope that I can be one of those people. I don't know if I made any positive differences this year. I can only hope that some of my students feel that I did. I can only hope that they go on to the next grade ready to learn.

I sit here and apply for social work positions. I make my "to-do" lists and lists of accomplishments.

I'm bored.

The last day should be celebratory amongst colleagues, but alas, it is just as the rest of the school year went. Not surprising. A fitting ending to a less than stellar (professionally) year.

I'm bored, but not for long. The beginning of the next chapter remains unwritten. Only good can come of this.

I now look forward.

AFT's Reflection on ELLs

The February 2009 edition of American Teacher briefly reports on Education's Week's Quality Counts 2009 report which describes how states are not making progress in supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) or ELL teachers. AFT president, Randi Weingarten, states that Congress will "need to look at replicating some successful models around the country that do work." I wonder why they have not already done this!

Weingarten goes on to discuss how the federal education laws do not provide enough supports nor resources for the ELL students. One point she makes is how these students must take state exams in English despite not understanding the language. I have been complaining about this for some time. Granted, Pennsylvania does not require newcomers to the state to take the Reading and Language Arts exams during their first year but they are required to take the Mathematics portion in English with some assistance including word-to-word translation dictionaries. However, they most often can not comprehend what they are reading if they are even able to read the content. It creates stress for them and for some an aversion to testing in the future due to the experience being so awful.

Weingarten points to successful models of International High Schools in New York and California to be replicated throughout the U.S. This leaves me with many questions. Why, if there are successful models in the U.S., are they not already implemented everywhere? Why are so many other countries around the world able to have successful multi-lingual programs that produce fully literate students in more than one language able and the U.S. does not? I'm referring to third world countries as well such as Morocco. Moroccans graduate high school fully literate in Arabic and French. Some of their students, additionally, are able to function in a third language. 

I agree with Weingarten that we need to replicate something that is working and has proven, positive results. We are a country with many resources but for some reason are falling far behind in our elementary and secondary education. This is a disgrace. It will only benefit future generations to graduate literate in more than one world language. 

It will greatly benefit the U.S. to also begin spending more money on the resources teachers and students need to develop successful ELL programs in which the students are fully literate in both their native language and English. Additionally, it would not hurt English speakers to learn an additional language as well. 

Saying Good-bye

Saying good-bye to a student can be absolutely heartbreaking. Today a student checked out and will be checking into a different school within the same district. I will miss little E. He could barely speak a word of English and seemed developmentally delayed but he really did try hard.

I'm glad his parents pulled him out of the school! He wasn't getting the services he deserved. I am glad that his mom listened to me. His leaving is bittersweet but the school he is moving to has a better reputation regarding ESL services. So, while I will miss him dearly I am equally elated that he will finally get the ESL education he deserves. That is, I hope so.

Remember do not give up hope...

"Remember do not give up hope, do not be discouraged, think of the people like me who can help you to achieve the best outcome and we together can make a difference." - from my new supporter, Mr. K

Expressing Opinions- ESL Lesson

This lesson focuses on the representative speech act of expressing opinions. Children often bring to the classroom rules of speaking based on the norms of their home culture and language. The intention of this lesson was to help the students become more aware of their word choices and the effects their words can have on others. The lesson focused on expressing likes and dislikes in regards to habitats. The students had been learning about different habitats including swamps, deserts, oceans and forests while preparing to read a fantasy story about an alligator that is forced to leave his home because of a drought.


OBJECTIVE(S):
To understand how to express opinions about habitats.
To able to make positive and negative statements using contractions.

MATERIALS:
Harcourt’s Moving Into English (MIE) Big Book p. 9
MIE Practice Book worksheet p.33
Drawing paper and crayons
Sentence strips and clothes pins

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE LESSON:
Whole group lesson for the introduction and main part of the lesson.
Small group work included using Practice Book worksheet to create dialogue to practice the skill.
Independent work included drawing and writing.
Individual instruction was provided as needed.

MOTIVATION FOR LESSON:
Explain that it is very important to be able to communicate their opinions about different topics or situations to other people. Explain that a misunderstanding can arise if the correct words are not used and that they would be learning how to express themselves in negative and positive ways. Also explain that there are different word choices they can make in order to express themselves in polite ways in different social situations.

PROCEDURES:

Introduction: (Note: This lesson built upon the previous day’s lesson about habitats.) As a whole group, reread the big book. Point to the alligator and say “The alligator likes the river”, and “The alligator does not like the desert.” Repeat the sentences and have the students echo you.

Next, use the same sentence frame of “The ________ likes the ______.” and substitute different animals from the Big Book pictures. Do the same for the does not like sentence frame. Ask for a few volunteers to talk about what other animals in the pictures they like and dislike using the same sentence frames.

Whole Group:
Model your own negative and positive opinions about the ocean by saying “My favorite place is the ocean. I like the colorful fish. I don’t like it when people throw trash in the ocean.”
Write the sentences on the overhead projector.

Focus on the contraction don’t and tell the students that it is a negative word.

Model how the contraction is formed from do and not by writing donot below do not. Erase the second o and insert an apostrophe to form don’t. Model writing other negative contractions such as isn’t and doesn’t. You can also provide a visual of the formation of the contraction using a sentence strip and clothes pin.

For example, the words do not are written on the sentence strip. Fold the strip over the o in not to make don’t. A clothes pin can be a substitute for the apostrophe. Open and close the strip to make the contraction.

Write on the board sentence frames to help students express their likes and dislikes, such as ____________ is my favorite place. I like _______. I don’t like _______. Ask a few students to volunteer verbally use the sentences to express their opinions about habitats.

Group Work:
Students work in pairs expressing their opinions about things relating to habitats using the worksheet in the Practice Book.
They first cut out pictures of habitats from the worksheet and pasted them into the appropriate columns labeled I like________. And I don’t like___________.
They discuss with their partner what their likes and dislikes are using the sentence frames.
On the back of the worksheet have them record what their partner likes and doesn’t like using the sentence frames written on the page: He/she likes _________. He/She doesn’t like ______________.
Regroup as a whole class and let students share with the class the likes and dislikes of their partners using the appropriate sentence frames.

Independent:
Students copy the list of contractions and sentence frames into their journals.
Students draw a picture of a habitats and added captions to express their likes or dislikes using the sentence frame models we are working with.

SUMMARY/CLOSURE:
Ask several students to share their likes or dislikes using their Practice Book worksheet and/or drawing.

First Day

Today was the first day of school sans kids. I will call it productive and insightful.

Where to begin?

I met my partner teacher and she was very helpful. The rumors were slightly exaggerated in my opinion but then again it was the first day and we are all still very relaxed. No kids yet! We cleaned out storage lockers and disposed of quite a bit. There is still a lot to do but we are just getting started. We are going to rearrange our small classroom and make it more student friendly and teacher accessible.

Most of the day was spent in a long, informative meeting with all teachers and aides. We got to dirt on what is going on with the school district. We have a new superintendent who is considered to be a reformer. She is bringing in a lot of her own people who are "young" which may translate into "inexperienced" but I need to see more. She got rid of a lot of positions such as teacher coaches. I think it was justified considering most of the coaches I've seen did absolutely nothing helpful for anyone. They had to return to the classroom which is a slap in the face. Therefore many have quit or retired. Make room for people who want to teach! They are going to give 23 schools in serious corrective action, including my former school, a lot of help with support staff. In other words those schools are going to be monitored, seriously monitored until they are completely restaffed or do their jobs. I'm glad I left as that is a lot of unnecessary stress.

My school is one of almost 90 that are receiving at least two additional support staff people. Also, the entire district will be monitored by teams of 4 people who have just been trained (e.g. inexperienced reformers) and will set monthly performance goals for each school and come in and monitor once a month. This is a technique that Edison Schools used and quite frankly never worked. Sending in inexperienced people to set goals for many schools of which none have ever worked in and of which they don't know the students and staff can lead to a disaster. Or not. Time will tell.

Overall, it was a good day. The short walk to and from work felt very, very weird and surreal. I'm not complaining. I'm not complaining at all!