Comment

Comment by Barbara Ehrentreu on July 9, 2009 at 8:11pm

Yeah, well it's all fueled by money and the pressures involved with it. You just have to keep on keeping on.:)

Comment by Carol Glynn on July 9, 2009 at 9:50am

I like your soapbox, though not the situation. Thanks. At the end of the school year, I feel like I have to shed the frustrations in order to make space for the enthusiasm that usually thrives there.

Comment by Barbara Ehrentreu on July 9, 2009 at 12:58am

I think the stress happens when administrators are forced to carry out policies they don't like or approve of and then it gets moved to teachers when they feel the pressure of learning and delivering these new policies. When students don't fit the mold they become part of the stress and must be dealt with, usually with trips to the guidance counselor and special teachers. But what if there is no recourse for the teacher and that teacher must have a certain set of standards applied to the children's work. Suppose some children always fall below the standards no matter what that teacher tries. The administrator realizes that certain kids are what they call "intervention" children and therefore a special program must be designed to "whip" these kids into shape so they won't bring down the scores of the school. It's a vicious circle and many schools turn to programs that are almost robotic to teach both reading and writing. Since these kids can't work on the standard level they are sometimes entirely excluded from writing and reading workshops. They go to a special reading teacher and are out of the room more than they are in it. So by the time they are deemed able to be taught in a "regular" lesson, they don't have the creative background necessary. That can be due to ESL or even developmental issues. Primary teachers know that kids have until the end of second grade to bring their reading level to grade level. Some get there faster than others. We have to make the ones who are slower to learn feel so good about themselves that their rate of learning will increase. Encouragement and patience along with a great school administrator are the keys to this.

I guess I was on a soapbox too!:)

Comment by Carol Glynn on July 8, 2009 at 10:34am

Yes, relaxed. Somewhere, the idea that learning must be painful, or at least serious, still pervades. As I visit schools all over, I can pick up the general feeling of the school in about five minutes, just by walking down the hall, seeing student's work on the walls, whether staff who don't even know me are easy going and friendly, or hiding and mistrustful, This structured shell comes immediately from the principal, usually, because that person sets the tone, often by holding the higher administration at bay, by defending teachers and students rights to learn in a kind and supportive environment. Wow! How did I get onto this? I guess to me it's pretty simple really, in that if you make learning fun, then you can work really hard at it, and learn so much, but the kids, like you said, don't remember they're in school, or remember to be stressed so it works better. Other advantages include team building, character building, and support. Mmmmm... didn't know I had a soapbox today. I don't know where it starts, really, the stress I mean, because it's different everywhere. I have a friend who just retired from being a superintendent, and he said he had kind words and hand gestures, sarcastically speaking, for his computer on a daily basis, for the directives coming from the state.

Comment by Barbara Ehrentreu on July 7, 2009 at 10:32pm

You're right! Even a simple game of Concentration can do it too if you put it on the floor.:) Kids are easy and like simple games to learn complicated things. I do think that because these kids had so much frustration in school the game helped them to forget they were in school and relaxed them.

Comment by Carol Glynn on July 7, 2009 at 10:18am

I like how you say the kids loved it. It doesn't take something masterfully complicated, unless you're up for it, just a simple movement activity while learning something else keeps energy flowing in positive directions.

When I was a kid, my mom taught piano lessons and group theory classes. I used to make up games for her. I still remember the key signature relay races. I learned to write all the key signatures so I could win the game. I bet it would work for chemical compounds, too!

Comment by Barbara Ehrentreu on July 7, 2009 at 3:47am

When I had a first grade intervention group we used to learn how to new words by throwing a ball around the group. Whoever got the ball had to read one of the new words. the kids loved this and learned to read the new words all the time.