SHH! This Is Not a Talking Time!

Picture this:

You walk into a Kindergarten classroom and all the children are sitting at their tables, doing their job, and no one is saying a word.
Ideal right?

I might go home with less headaches at the end of the day but... WRONG!

Providing opportunities for children to talk and develop language skills is a very important aspect of a child's literacy development. How can we achieve this if we continue to SHHush our students and limit their chances to speak to one another?

I can't tell you how many times a day I have said, "This is not a talking time!" to my students: walking in line, during writer's workshop, by-yourself reading time, calendar time, morning meeting, etc. So when are students talking? Only at snack, lunch and recess? YIKES!

In the past I once thought that "learning" couldn't possibly be going on in a noisy classroom and maybe there is some truth to that, but if I actually listen to the noise in the classroom during those "non-talking times," what do I hear? Hopefully, children engaging in conversations with one another, sharing ideas, and asking each other questions.

I recently read that children and teachers spend relatively little time (less than 17%) in classrooms engaged in conversations. These limited opportunities for children to talk and receive feedback ultimately limit students' literacy development.


Reading this frightened me and encouraged me to reflect on my own teaching. Am I doing all I can in my classroom to actually PROMOTE talking?

SNOW!

We have been out of school for two days because of snow and where I live there just are not snow plows like Katy:


I have loved the excuse to eat chili all day, cozy up in front of the t.v. and do NOTHING... for TWO DAYS!

I woke up Tuesday morning and just like one of my Kindergarten students would, I ran right from bed to the window! It was snowing... really snowing. Thick, big flake snowing! And it was sticking to everything! Being from the south this is a special thing. My dog and I positioned ourselves on the window sill, I wrapped up in a blanket and just watched!

It is beautiful right?


Since I don't have children of my own I had to use my dog as an excuse to go outside to play. I (I mean she) had a great time.


I love snow, snow days, and I love that my students got two whole days to experience all the things I've been talking about when I taught them about the season of winter! It is a hard concept to grasp when you live down yonder in ole N.C. unless you're fixin to go to the mountains.

Is There Anybody Still Out There?

My last post was seven months ago and ever since then I have wanted to continue blogging but I just wasn't finding the time. I think so much of my blogging last year was to avoid the real writing I should have been doing for National Boards and with no National Boards to work on (because I PASSED!!!) I just wasn't opening up my laptop as frequently. I also started teaching Kindergarten this year and was by no means prepared for how busy I would be: arriving early, staying late, professional development, parent workshops, etc. It has been like my first year teaching all over again. All excuses for my lack of blogging aside, I am writing this post to alert all my past readers (if any of you are even still checking my dusty, old blog) that now I have a reason to begin blogging again: I have started grad school!

So now I am motivated to begin my procrastination all over again, plus in this technology driven society we're in now, professors actually encourage (and assign grades to) blogging! I'm excited to be back in the blogging world!

It's BAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

That's right... The quest for National Board status is back in my life. I am taking my (4 hour) assessment tomorrow where I will be asked 6 different scenario based questions about children that range in ages from 4-8 and cover each academic area: literacy, math, science, social studies, children's play, and physical education, health, and safety. I have devoted my day today to prepare but I'm at a loss for how to really get ready for this. There is only so much you can do since there isn't really a way to study. I am reviewing the standards, re-reading my entries, and looking at the rubrics they have given me for the assessment. Other than that I'm just going to have to go into the Assessment Center tomorrow with my fingers crossed with a lot of faith that I can get through this and do my very best. Please send good thoughts/prayers/what have you my way tomorrow from 8:30 until 1:00!
I'm kind of upset with myself for not taking the assessment right after I mailed off my portfolio, but I needed a break. I don't know what would have been better... taking it when I was overloaded with the National Board jargon/process OR taking it now that I've given myself a break. Regardless, this has been the most difficult thing I have ever gone through and tomorrow after my assessment, I vow to put this all behind me and enjoy my summer break! No reason to worry or stress when I won't know whether or not I got it until the end of NOVEMBER!!! ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

What The????

My sister and I were at the park this afternoon when she told me about a Kindergarten teacher in Florida who had a child voted out of the classroom by his classmates. Shocked, I immediately turned to Google to read this article. I am just sick thinking about how this little boy must be feeling. His teacher needs to resign because clearly she is not in the right profession and her actions are not in the best interest of her students. This is horrible in any situation but knowing that this child was under going tests to determine if he has Aspergers and the teacher did this????

To be honest, there have been instances when I have been so frustrated with the students in my classroom, including those with Autism. Last year I sat down next to J, a boy in my class who was diagnosed with Autism when he was 3, and told him we had to come up with a plan so we could both get through our days together without getting upset with one another. We came up with a secret signal just for me and him so I would know he needed a break and he would wear his weighted vest and run errands for me around the school. Other times, when he was really acting out I arranged for him to assist with recycling and he would check everyone's recycling bins to make sure there weren't items in there that could not be recycled. I understand how difficult it can be to be a teacher. I have lost my cool from time to time but at least I know patience is a must and public humiliation of any child is a definite NO!!

Testing Week

While my little first graders are not subjected to the End of Grade (EOG) standardized tests at the end of the year it is still a very stressful time of year for them as well as myself.

This week the 3rd-5th graders had to take their EOG's in math, reading, and science. None of these tests have a time limit and so the students could take as long as they needed to complete them. That sounds oh so nice and accommodating for them right, but picture "Little Johnny" with ADHD... he begins the test with determination and such strong stamina but with no time limit he discovers he can examine everything in the classroom that he's been looking at all year long: The poster of the kitten struggling to stay on the tree that reads "Hang in There," The ceiling tiles and how the markings on them are quite the labyrinth for the spider whose web is in the back corner, The art work around the room that his peers have done, The calendar...how many days until summer vaction??, and then, right... his test. Point is this can take hours and for some like "Johnny" it took SIX for four days.

My heart goes out to the children who are testing, truly it does, and I am all about helping them in anyway I can. I do my part in 1st grade, I tutor two 4th grade girls to prep them for testing, etc. But what I can't do is stay quiet in my classroom with 18 first graders with no breaks for four days. Seriously, no breaks. Since 3rd-5th grade is testing in every crack and corner of the entire school we could not leave our classroom. My students' specials (Guidance, PE, Library, Spanish, Art) were taken away. Lunch was brought to us and eaten in our room. Recess had to wait until 2:25 (we leave at 3:00) and best of all I don't have a teacher assistant so I could never leave my room... not even once for anything. Fact is Ladies and Gentlemen, I didn't pee at work for four days!

Oh... and guess what??? We have re-tests this week. Leaves me feeling like leaving you with this little song:

Romeo Romeo, Where For Art Thou Romeo?

My little guy M. and I sat next to one another on the bus ride home from our fantastic field trip to a neighboring city's theater to see Eric Carle's stories come to life on stage. While on the bus M. and I had the following conversation:

M: Are you married?

Me: No.

M: Why?

Me: I haven't found a husband yet. Where do you think I'll find him? (What else do you tell a 6 year old?? I have been in the same relationship for 2.5 years but its not really going anywhere. You see we're touch and go??? ...Yeah, I opted for the easy way out.)

M: Subway (the sub sandwich place not ON the subway)

Me: Hmmm.... or maybe on the beach or at a nice restaurant?

M: Or maybe at our school. I know, you should marry Mr. P! (5th grade teacher)

Me: Mr. P is already married.

M: Well, if he ever decides to get remarried you could marry him... but wait, does Mr. P smoke?

Me: No, I don't think so.

M: Good. You don't want to marry a smoker.

Me: Why is that?

M: They stink.