We're off to see the Wizard...


OH WHAT A DAY it has been.
my class completely lost their minds today.
THE Big Wigs from the state office of our Reading Grant (Arkansas Reading First) were in the school today...unannounced...observing in K and 1st grade rooms....
and when the lady came into my room....my students' brains literally leaked out of their heads.
We were doing a phonics (spelling) lesson....and they acted like they'd never done this ever before. These procedures we do day in and day out..pushing and pulling letter cards while saying their names and sounds....segmenting, blending, doing onset and rime...
They looked at me like I was speaking Greek to them.
I was horrified.
But I hear it wasn't just my class...some of the others were the same way. The kids have been AWFUL today. The weather is up in the 70s, so I'm sure that's part of it. Weather change creates havoc on them.

---------------------------


Matthew started running fever last night....102 at 11pm.
Needless to say, he stayed home from school today.
This morning when he woke up tho....his fever had broken (he'd sweated it out). I got tickled at him b/c when I asked him how he felt, he said, "Damp!"
when I went home at lunch to check on him...still no fever.
But with all I've got going on he's just gonna stay home the rest of the week.
Well..not HOME..but at John's house.

I have an "Alphabetic Principles" training tomorrow.
I looked it up, and here's the description:
The Arkansas Reading First Initiative is providing Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers with training in the alphabetic principle. The workshop focuses on whole group, grade level letter identification, phonological awareness and phonics instruction. In analysis of test data, we have concluded that phonics instruction in kindergarten and 1st grade greatly influences the rate of progress students make when learning to decode words and read grade level texts fluently. The purpose is to prepare teachers to move students along the phonological and phonics continuum at a pace that will allow more students to read and write at grade level expectations. Each participant will receive a copy of the book Phonics for the Teacher of Reading by B. J. Fox.

I can tell you what will increase test scores.....STOP CHANGING OUR CURRICULUM AND WAYS OF TEACHING EVERY FREAKIN YEAR! The kids bearly get adjusted to one style before we switch to something else. And no two things are alike..one way teaches that the letter Y is pronounced /y/, as in yak, while another says it's pronounced /yee/, like we're suppose to say "Yee-ellow"??? wtf?
I don't think so!

AND...the tests they give have not been on a true 6 yr old's level in YEARS!! They don't match the instruction we give. There's so much stuff on them that they shouldn't even be expected to know...besides the fact that they have us "exposing" them to so freakin much that they don't "master" anything.

But I digress....and step down off my soapbox.
------------------------------------

anyway...

I've got that tomorrow....so John is meeting me in Arkadelphia (where it is) at 8am to pick up the kids and take them back to Glenwood. (Arkadu is about 1/2 way between our two towns) Then when my meeting is over at 3:30, I'll just shoot down to mom's to stay the night---SKIPPING MY PTO MEETING thankyouverymuch---
and then Molly and I well jet on over to Oklahoma City Friday morning to meet up with TREA's family and SUSAN's family for the weekend!!

Trea has some business there Friday, and since Susan lives there..we decided it would be a good time for the 3 of us to get together. A girlie weekend of sorts..with the families on Friday night.
FUN FUN FUN!

I've got all my sub stuff ready for the next two days...my lesson plans finished and posted.....now I have to just do the packing (1 bag for mom's house, and the rest for the weekend) and planning and making sure the house is picked up and garbage carried out in the morning...

I've got Maxine, the GPS...maps...numbers...
now just to sit through a day of stupid training with some of my co-workers, and then we're OFF!!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend...I'm sure there will be lots of stories and pictures when I return!!

Comments

Barb Smith said…
I am so jealous! You, Susan and Trea...all in one place?!?! OMG, how I'd love to be there. Take lots of pics and share them with me. *green with envy* lol
Peace & Love,
~Barb~
February 18, 2009 at 6:51 PM
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