Teaching Philosophy

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According To the Local News:

The pre-kindergarten programs of Alabama and North Carolina have been rated the nation's best by the National Institute for Early Education Research.

Gov. Bob Riley announced Wednesday that Alabama and North Carolina shared the top spot in meeting all quality standards in pre-K. It marked the third year in a row that Alabama held the institute's top spot.

Marquita Davis, Alabama's Commissioner of the Department of Children's Affairs, said Alabama and North Carolina are the only states that meet all 10 of the institute's standards for high quality pre-K.

Here's an offical shout out to all my pre-K peeps!

Partnerships: Connecting School and Home

Partnership

By definition:
the state or condition of being a partner; participation; association; joint interest

My mission:
To foster a climate of instructional excellence, individual growth, and community partnerships

My problem:
I wasn't aware of how much, despite how often I involve parents, I was neglecting a huge portion of my students' literacy development by simply not asking the right questions when talking to their caregivers.

The result:
An unequal partnership... if really even a partnership at all?

My Solution:
To do a better job not only conveying information about literacy to my students' caregivers, but also illiciting information from my students' caregivers because as I read in Orellena et all: Parents and teachers talk about literacy and success, "Literacy acquisition does not take place simply in the heads of individuals. What children learn about the meanings and uses of print and print-related practices is shaped by their daily life experiences and the interactions that they have with people and print in the world around them."

What Does Blogging Do For You?

I first started blogging after reading my sister's blog, Mean Mommy. I realized she had found a community of mothers where she could talk about the ups and downs of being a mom, bounce ideas off other people similar to herself, feel supported by others, and be honest about herself as a mother in a way that wasn't threatening because she just another anonymous blogger. After trying for 4.5 years to talk to my friends about teaching and watching their eyes glaze over, I too wanted to begin blogging to document the funny things that happen in my classroom and read about other teachers' experiences.

I had no idea how many contacts I would make, how much support I would receive, how much I would learn about others and how blogging would connect me to teachers all over the world... professional learning communities on a totally different, laid back, personal level. How amazing it was to read about a 4th grade teacher in Indiana and how writer's workshop works in her classroom ... a first year teacher struggling to make it through the end of the day ... a 2nd grade teacher who could write for "Kids Say the Darnedest Things." All in all, I had no idea how many other bloggers I had so much in common with. Despite our differences in grade levels, states, even countries, we all have a similar passion: teaching children.

This January I began graduate school and enrolled in a class that actually REQUIRED me to blog, for a GRADE! Similar to the diverse community of bloggers I was already connected to, the people I am in class with come from very different fields of study. We vary from birth- Kindergarten teachers to school psychologists but we all are passionate about children and specifically, for the requirements of this class, all have an interest in emergent literacy.

Blogging with this group has enabled me to hold conversations about literacy with my graduate school peers but not through face-to-face interactions. We have become a community within ourselves, created a "safe-zone" to talk about issues within our classrooms or case studies, and as a result our knowledge of emergent literacy has grown. We have tackled many tough issues in class such as developmentally appropriate practice, use of technology, home/school congruency, ELL students, etc. I participated in class discussions as well as blogging and as a result, I was able to build on my thoughts and reactions to the course readings/concepts because I was apart of something bigger than myself. We have learned from one another by reading and responding to others' blogs, we have taught one another by sharing our professional experiences and expertise, and we have established a professional learning community which I hope we can continue even after our class has ended.

Yo No Habla Espanol

I have a confession to make...

I have no idea how to help students that do not speak English. I was not ever trained to help them. I have not (as of today) ever had a student in my classroom that could not speak English so I have not ever looked into learning more about how to help students who are not English speaking students. It is not that I'm not aware of the increasing population of Spanish speaking students in our area, it just has not effected me... YET!

I was basically kicked out of my Spanish II class in high school and barely passed (I got a 69.5) so you can imagine, I'm scared! I am, what I consider, a highly qualified teacher, but I have had zero, zilch, nada training in how to teach children who do not speak English.

I guess I know my next Individual Growth Plan goal... but seriously, what does this say about the education teachers are receiving in undergrad? Are undergrad programs changing to meet the needs of the population of children in our classrooms today? I'm not just speaking about ELL students, but all students: developmentally delayed, autistic, ADD, AG, 21st century learners, etc. The hardest part of our job is differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all the students in our classroom and last I checked my classroom is getting more and more diverse and the needs of my students vary greatly.

It is impossible for one person (me) to be an expert in all the areas I need to be an expert in to meet the needs of all my students. Thankfully, we're not alone. Collaboration is the most important part of my job and it truly takes a team of people (myself, other educators and parents) to provide the support needed for students, as well as for teachers, so all can be successful and positively impact the learning of all students.

April 2nd

As you go about your day today remember that today is World Autism Awareness Day.



Last April I was asked to join a group of bloggers that devoted their entire month to blogging about Autism. It was wonderful to be linked to so many people, share stories, provide support, and most importantly develop a better understanding of what autism is and how I, a regular education teacher, can help.

I would love to be linked with that group again this April however the blogger who started our group and organized all of us is no longer on blogger. I don't know how to find her so if anyone else does, please let me know.

For those of you who would like to know more please visit:
http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org

How Can You Reach Congruency?

A child's entry into school is an important transition that I play a significant role in as a Kindergarten teacher. Children enter Kindergarten with a wide variety of prior experiences, especially experiences in literacy.

This week I read an article from the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy entitled, Engagement with print: Low-income families and Head Start children which examined the types of print literacy activities low-income parents reported engaging in with their four-year old children who are involved in Head Start, a pre-school program for children from low-income families living in the USA. Head Start is a federally funded, comprehensive child development program that originated under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 to benefit low-income children.

It is known that children who enter school more prepared in terms of having knowledge about literacy, have an advantage over children who do not have these experiences. Ideally, Head Start helps prepare children who would not have exposure to literacy before beginning school on their own the opportunity to be exposed to literacy.

The article suggested the important role of pre-school and particular parent-child activities in developing children's early print concepts. While the results of home-school connections appear encouraging, achievement gaps still persist, especially with low-income and minority children. This lead me to question, what are we (educators) doing to support these families and the young children entering into school?

According to the article, The relationship between homes and schools is a complex one. Using and valuing what families already know in order to teach them what they do not know is a subtle process that can easily go wrong. Collaboration and negotiation are important for achieving a relationship between homes and schools that can support children's early literacy development however, it does not address how to go about creating this relationship with families and thus leaves me still wondering, how can you reach congruency between home and school? How can we support parents' literacy contracts with schools' literacy contracts?

To Read or Not To Read

My fondest memory of reading is being young enough to sit on my mother's lap before bed on the rocking chair in my bedroom. The lights were dim, I had just had my bath, and I sat snuggled close to my mom in pajamas with my favorite books in hand for her to read. I even remember the titles of some of my most loved books: The Grown-Up Day, Wacky Wednesday, Bernstein Bears and the Spooky Old Tree, Are You My Mother?, etc.

My mother's bedtime read alouds helped build my current love for reading but I think teachers are equally important in developing a child's passion for reading, even at a young age.

Teaching reading strategies to decode words is crucial to become an independent reader, however teaching a student how to think, communicate, and respond to questions when reading is just as valuable. These skills are taught when reading sophisticated stories beyond childrens' independent reading levels rather than reading easy, predictable, concept books. When participating in interactive/dialogic read alouds vs. reading "Big Books" to model reading strategies, children begin to associate reading as an interactive/social experience and ultimately lays a foundation for a child's love of reading.

I also completely believe that children should have choice in what they are reading whether it is their favorite picture book or a non-fiction book about about dogs, they should have an opportunity to read from text that interests them.

I often think about my reading habits as an adult reader when teaching my Kindergarten students. Ironically, despite our age difference, we have very similar reading habits: independent reading time, partner reading time, book clubs, self-selected text, and time to talk, talk, talk! Children need these same experiences in addition to direct reading instruction to develop into independent readers who can decode, comprehend, think, respond, and stay motivated to read.

If a love for reading is not established early, many of our preschool/Kindergarten children will be one of the many adults who you so frequently hear say, "I hate to read." Am I doing all I can in my classroom to avoid my students one day saying to themselves, "to read or not to read, that is the question?"

You Have Died of Dysentery

It amazes me that in my lifetime children have gone from playing The Oregon Trail on their computer, if they even had one, to preschool children doing this:


If this is what children are capable of doing when they are only four years old, how can I tailor my instruction in my Kindergarten classroom to teach the 21st Century Learner?

There is an important place for computers in the classroom and home. Many websites specifically target young children and their parents such as PBS Kids (www.pbskids.org), Nick Jr. (www.nickjr.com), and Scholastic (www2.scholastic.com) with games, stories, music, and activities. Children are learning new literacies and taking part in new literacy experiences on these websites through the brightly colored text, animation, words, games, songs, etc. These new literacies build upon a child's book literacy, are fun and interactive, as well as something a child and parent can participate in together.

However, not all children have access to computers or the internet prior to entering school creating a divide in early literacy learning. In my classroom I need to recognize and respect my student's experiences before school and recognize that these experiences are quickly changing due to the advancements in technology. As a result, I must find ways to integrate technology in my literacy instruction.

I'd love to hear how others are using technology in their classrooms...

Merry Valentime's Day

This week my dramatic play center is a post office and while observing my students during center time I over heard the following conversation:

S: How do you spell 'happy?'

T: I don't know.

S: /h/ /h/ /h/ /a/ /a/ /p/ /p/ /e/

T: Why can't you just use a different word?

S: I want to write my mom a Valentime (yes, this is how she said it) card and inside I was going to write 'Happy Valentime's Mom!'

T: Do you know how to spell merry?

S: Why?

T: Just wish her a Merry Valentine's Day instead.

Later that day, in the same center, J. created a Valentine for me. She gave it to me after center time and when I opened it this is what it said:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You have pretty eyes
Because they are blue

This was so sweet but the only problem is, my eyes are brown. When she noticed this she said, "Oh! You're eyes aren't blue! Whatever, just take it. It rhymes."

I couldn't help but giggle at my students in both of these incidences. These students are developing foundational literacy skills. One child is listening to the different phonemes in a word and trying to write that word. One child is recognizing that poets use rhyming words when they write. Regardless, these students and all my students challenge me daily. It is hard to meet each child's academic needs, especially in the area of literacy. So much of a child's readiness to read and write is dependent on their prior experiences and exposure to literacy.

That being said, it disappoints me to read an article (N Is for Nonsensical) by Susan Neuman, where she states that a child's lack of exposures/experiences and a low socioeconomic status will set that child up to not, "fare well in our society." I agree that students who enter into school without previously attending a high quality preschool need more support than those students who did however, isn't that the job of a Kindergarten teacher?

Even though I have students in my classroom with varying socioeconomic status, I try to connect to each child and create an environment where they are set up to learn, much like S. and J. were in learning centers this week.

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.

This Will Be a Hard One

I should be sleeping now but I'm wide awake mentally preparing for a meeting tomorrow to discuss whether or not M, my little guy should be retained next year. He missed an entire quarter of school due to his seizures and while he's making some progress since his return to school in February, his maturity level has regressed significantly and academically he is still somewhat behind. I have been tutoring him since mid-January and we've definitely seen progress but I am convinced his seizures have impacted his long term and short term memory negatively. M confuses basic sight words he previously had mastered, he'll ask me things like, "How do you write 14," and he struggles retelling stories he reads to show me what he is comprehending. I am anticipating my meeting tomorrow to be very emotional but I am looking forward to gathering a team of my colleagues as well as M's parents together to discuss what is best for him and his future. If you could, please send good thoughts our way tomorrow morning.

All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Well... I thought I'd spice things up a bit and challenge myself a little more!! After teaching first grade for 5 years (although my first year was K-1) I have decided to leave the comforts of great team mates, a familiar curriculum, and a more desirable classroom to teach Kindergarten!!

Yikes!

I'm excited to take on something new next year and thrilled to be working with my friend, colleague, and mentor Ms. R. I am embracing the change and know that it really is the right time and the right move for me. All that being said I have to be honest and tell you all I'm scared out of my mind. There is a HUGE developmental difference in 1st graders and Kindergarten students and I am worried that I'm not fully aware of what teaching this age group will be like.

I guess I need to freshen up on a few of the finer things:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the real world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup- they all die. So do we.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned- the biggest word of all- LOOK.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in Kindergarten.
~Robert Fulghum

A Diagnosis

I am in love with the community of bloggers I have found through blogging about autism this month. I was linked to CC who posted an intriguing article found on NPR. The story is called "That Autism Thing" and this particular part of the chronicles focused on Gibbson's initial diagnosis.

Listening to Gibbson's parents' story took me back to a meeting I was apart of last spring. Liam, a 6 year old boy in my class last year, was what everyone called quirky. He was very particular about who he played with, what they played, and made sure everyone was willing to play by his rules. Liam was a very picky eater who would turn his back to everyone in the cafeteria and quit eating. When asked why he told me there were too many smells and "disgusting food" there for him to handle. Academically, Liam preferred to work alone and was above grade level in all areas. He brilliantly wrote screen plays on the Polynesian Wars and created story boards as he planned out his movies. I didn't think Liam was autistic, I just thought he needed to be taught in a different way to tap into his quirky personality and view of the world. I believed his personality made him who he was and didn't believe he was "on the spectrum." Nonetheless, we took him to student support team because we were extremely worried about the lack of nutrition he was receiving and how this may or may not have been causing outbursts at home. We (me, Liam's parents, the principal, school psych, and the SpEd teacher) noticed major patterns in Liam's behaviors once we all began to talk together and sure enough, felt it was best to refer him to the autism team in the county where I work.

The autism specialist came in and observed Liam in an academic setting, social setting, and asked me many questions. Turns out, yep, Liam fell somewhere along the spectrum. I felt guilty for not realizing this myself and then let my guilt go because I remembered that every child with autism is not the same, but unique to the disorder. The day we met to tell his parents what the autism specialist had discovered is a day that will stay with me forever. I am not a parent, but I do love my students like they are my own, and as I sat in the SpEd room listening to the specialist's report my heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and my eyes were filling up with tears. I put myself in what I thought were Liam's parents' shoes for a moment and thought to myself, "Oh no! What are we going to do? How awful. Here is this little boy, only 6 years old, with this label. How will this impact him for the rest of his life?" Turns out, I was the only one feeling this way. Liam's parents, much like Gibbson's, were relieved because now they knew and could do something about it. They could join support groups and begin to understand their child for who he was. Embarrassingly, it was Liam's parents comforting me, not the other way around.

That day I learned that being diagnosed with something, having a label of whatever it might be, is not a stigma or a horrible thing, but rather a pathway to learning and understanding one another even more.