Friday, February 14, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Busy Busy Busy
As the title suggests, this new job has kept me quite busy. A blast it has been! I have had the opportunity to have DIBELS training, lead meetings and discussion for Title I needs, and next week I will begin official training for the reading program called Reading Mastery.
I have only had this position for about 4 months, but I can still look back and see growth in my self as a professional and as a teacher.
The hardest part about being a Title I teacher is the constant changing of students. Reading groups do need to be fluid so students can be adequately challenged, and so growth can be achieved. This is still the most challenging part of the job for me. I work with the intensive and strategic students, so I am always very excited and proud when one of my students is able to move up to benchmark, but at the same rate that sliver of sadness creeps up; reminiscent of the end of the school year.
I do get new students every once in awhile. This is an adventure; it always adds a new personality to the group which can throw things off, or keep them going on the right track. I remind myself not to get too attached to one form of classroom management because I know it may not work forever.
Luckily the classroom teachers I work with are wonderful! They are usually up for any strange management plan I think up, and do anything to help me with it. I have recently started (with my older kids) a chart that allows students to get up to 4 points a day, 1 point for participation, 1 point for being prepared, 1 point for being respectful, and 1 point for following along during choral reading. The classroom teachers offered to give extra computer time to students who get 4's at the end of the day, and boy, let me tell you, that incentive has helped even my most stubborn students stay on track, and stay focused.
My younger kiddos are still using the clipchart along with a sticker chart and pretzels for rewards. This system is still going strong, so I don't plan on changing it until it is broke.
I have only had this position for about 4 months, but I can still look back and see growth in my self as a professional and as a teacher.
The hardest part about being a Title I teacher is the constant changing of students. Reading groups do need to be fluid so students can be adequately challenged, and so growth can be achieved. This is still the most challenging part of the job for me. I work with the intensive and strategic students, so I am always very excited and proud when one of my students is able to move up to benchmark, but at the same rate that sliver of sadness creeps up; reminiscent of the end of the school year.
I do get new students every once in awhile. This is an adventure; it always adds a new personality to the group which can throw things off, or keep them going on the right track. I remind myself not to get too attached to one form of classroom management because I know it may not work forever.
Luckily the classroom teachers I work with are wonderful! They are usually up for any strange management plan I think up, and do anything to help me with it. I have recently started (with my older kids) a chart that allows students to get up to 4 points a day, 1 point for participation, 1 point for being prepared, 1 point for being respectful, and 1 point for following along during choral reading. The classroom teachers offered to give extra computer time to students who get 4's at the end of the day, and boy, let me tell you, that incentive has helped even my most stubborn students stay on track, and stay focused.
My younger kiddos are still using the clipchart along with a sticker chart and pretzels for rewards. This system is still going strong, so I don't plan on changing it until it is broke.
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