posted
I guess it is only fair to reduce each teacher to a statistic, sinc we are doing it to the kids.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
How does an individual teacher assess for him- or herself whether or not he or she is effective in what he or she sets out to do? (honest questions, promise -- no set-up )
Is the model of setting up learning objectives in advance and assessing the attainment of those objectives over the course of time used at the elementary and high school level? (I'm just trying to think about how I conducted courses as a TA. I believe I did pre- and post-testing for the courses I had control of, both for my own learning and so that the students could see a change in their own knowledge and skills base.) Is it different for teaching younger persons? (I know that there are some differences in theories of how to teach adult learners.)
Are there standardized state objectives, or national, or school specific? Do they get reviewed in advance by an administrator, or does this vary from school to school?
As you can see, I really have no idea how this works. I also had know idea that I had no idea until I started trying to think through it here.
Posts: 93 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
G the R, Your question would be answered differently by each of us here, I'd wager. Ugh. I have to go, and by the time I return, someone will have answered beautifully for me, I'm sure! (Rivka, Icarus, Flying Cow, get moving, will ya?)
Edit: The basic philosophy that I work from is this: If a child does not feel safe in my classrom, safe to make mistakes without being pounced on, physically safe, and safe in the halls, then whatever else I do is not very important. If a student bumps up one level in the state test, but is afraid to take a chance, I feel I have failed.
The reality I work with is that the administrators don't really care much about how the kids are feeling, they want the test scores to get better.
I find that, when I take the time to build a community where mistakes are OK, and seen as learning, the students will try harder to learn from their mistakes.
Hey, I grew up in the 70's.
[ April 13, 2005, 03:03 PM: Message edited by: Elizabeth ]
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm back! The fax machine is going, and the friend who is due to come over, but who has nt called yet, cannot call!
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote:The basic philosophy that I work from is this: If a child does not feel safe in my classrom, safe to make mistakes without being pounced on, physically safe, and safe in the halls, then whatever else I do is not very important. If a student bumps up one level in the state test, but is afraid to take a chance, I feel I have failed.
(((Elizabeth)))
You sound like a fantastic teacher. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
I really wish we did looping at our school, and could keep the same class for two years. Teachers have told me they feel they gain an extra six weeks at the beginning of the year, because the kids don;t have to get to know them, or their classmates, and just jump right in.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
quote: The reality I work with is that the administrators don't really care much about how the kids are feeling, they want the test scores to get better.
Have school administrators in the US been teachers before thay moved into administration? Or do they get degrees in educational administration and just start running schools? Or something in between? In New Zealand ALL our school administrators are former teachers. Most still teach a few periods each week, except for principals. Primary (elementary) school principals, however, do teach.
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
My daughter isn't in the looping program but she's in a flex class - two grades in one classroom, so she does have the same two teachers for two years in a row.
That sounds confusing -let me try to make it clearer for everyone else, even though I'm sure you know what I mean.
Kindergarten and first grade are in the same class - team taught by two teachers. For the first half of the day, they are all together, for the second half the kindergarten splits off to the adjoining room next door. When she moves up to 2nd grade, she'll go with the same group of kids to the 2-3 flex class, where she'll have the same situation, a joint 2nd and 3rd grade class team taught by two teachers. But her current teachers stay in K-1 flex.
At any rate, it gives the teachers two years with a group of students instead of one, and the class actually stays together for four years.
It's seemed to work very well - it's optional whether or not you want your child taught in a flex program, but so many people want to that they assign the kids by drawing the names out of a hat randomly.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, Belle, i would like that as well. Some people do not like team teaching, but I do. Working in behavior mod programs, I always had a bunch of people to work with. I think it is great.
Mixed age classes are great in a lot of ways. Rather hard to start up, but once the teachers get the pattern going, I think it works very well.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
)![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Wave]](graemlins/wave.gif)
Take care.
