Educators with PRIDE Unite

[o222Good]

Originally Posted by Bard

a questions for our wonderful educators New York state has adopted the common core curriculum. Many may elementary school children are struggling with it especially in the math. homework every night and it is hard, my daughter is doing well very well but she always excelled but even she is frustrated and worried about her friends who are having a hard time. We also just got the test scores for the start of the year and she was very high in math and also in the english language arts but rated as meets standards this child who in the 4th grade reads at a 10th grade level and is currently on the second book of the hunger games. many parents are up in arms about this new common core kids not wanting or having stress over homework and kids hating school so what are your thoughts

Hi Bard, I've been teaching in NYC for over 16 yrs and believe I have seen it all! lol To me, this is just another 'new' thing. I will survive! I don't mean to sound jaded, but this has been the cycle of education since the 1950s. I am a good teacher; I know, my students know, and my administrators know I'm a good teacher. So, I just bear with every new fad that comes along. In a nutshell, here's the dish in NYC
http://www.uft.org/news/comedy-error...table-material

On another note, has anyone seen The American Teacher? [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzvD9v7CbEE"]AMERICAN TEACHER: Official Trailer - YouTube[/nomedia] It is on Netflix and Hulu. I thought it was amazing. I wonder what other educators think.

[lusciouskiwi]

The countdown begins ... I started my new job the beginning of December at a new international school. I'm working on schemes of work ... well, sort of.

On the other hand, teaching art, music and pe on top of the core subjects should be a scream. I can't even draw half decent stick figures! From 6th January I shall be tormenting poor unsuspecting 5-6 year olds for the year.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by o222Good

On another note, has anyone seen The American Teacher? AMERICAN TEACHER: Official Trailer - YouTube It is on Netflix and Hulu. I thought it was amazing. I wonder what other educators think.

I'm not an educator, o222Good, but I liked reading your post this morning. By coincidence, I happened to learn about a documentary that was playing at an independent house of films, just last week, called: At Berkeley (Frederick Wiseman). Here's an excerpt from a recent article about Wiseman's documentary on particular aspects about Berkeley:

"Frederick Wiseman’s new documentary, “At Berkeley,” isn’t the movie for anyone who still has nightmares (as I do) about college classes missed and exams unprepared for. The movie centers on the University of California at Berkeley during an ongoing state of economic siege resulting from a decrease in state-government funding. The film, like most of Wiseman’s films, is about the life of an institution: the rules, principles, and ideas that constitute an institution, and their connection to the lives of people who realize it, manage it, and depend on it. “At Berkeley” is also an uninhibited love poem to the idea of the university—or, rather, to a particular side of university life. Wiseman’s portraiture is analytical, but his analyses are oriented and organized by a governing principle: in this case, the way that universities foster dissent and protest and, in the process, defang that dissent and protest," ~ Richard Brody, The Paradox of a Great University, in The New Yorker - November 15th, 2013 (Link to article).

Thanks for sharing about The American Teacher (will share about your film with my small circle of friends, here at home).

[Martina]

End of semester grades turn me into him every year --

[sis]

In less than 24 hours I will be off for 12 glorious days of no tattle-tales, no tear drying, no nose wiping, no solving disagreements with words rather than fists. It will be a blessed silence.

I will also not experience the lit up face of a child who is able to tell me they have a new puppy, or baby sister, or pair of go-go boots, in words that I can understand. I will not receive my daily hugs from children who frequently tell me 'Miss Deb, I love you my teacher English and I no love my teacher Chinese. Chinese time not very many funs.' (you get the drift!) I will not give out any stickers or stars. I will not make any 'happy phone calls' to the parents of students who earn 10 stickers.

I will have 12 days of personal reflection; time to re-energize; time to take care of me.

I will miss the voices of tattle-tales, the drying of tears, the wiping of noses, the solving of disagreements.

I my profession.

Happy Holidays to each of you - here's hoping you're able to have some 'me' time and able to re-energize during your break!

Deb

[Miss Scarlett]

[sis]

And, they're already raising my blood pressure! lolol While I had 10 days off, the students only had three days off - they were with their Chinese teachers during my usual class times. They were extremely excited to see me, however, the enthusiasm of 30 six and seven year olds can be overwhelming at times. lolol

As is typical, buildings here are unheated so we generally wear layers of clothing in the classroom. I was starting to warm up and took off my sweater and then my scarf.

I discovered that I put my t-shirt on backwards!

Not the most auspicious start to the new year! lolol

Hope everyone's first day of the year goes well!


Deb

[sis]

In two more sleeps I'm off school until February 17th! Happy Chinese New Year! This week, I only have students on Friday ....... a day that will be spent celebrating the end of the term! Yup, a party in the morning and a party in the afternoon ...... two groups of 30 or so Grade 1 students colouring, eating, cleaning up, and watching a movie.

Right now, I'm prepping for the first month back after the break. Ahhhhh, the reward of wrangling two groups of 30 kids for five months - a week of clean-up and prep followed by a month off!

And, now, to indulge in my favourite non-teaching activity:


Deb