Kath - I'm new to 4 Blocks--I've bought some books and am trying to get started. I hope to go to a workshop over the summer.
Britt/1/IL - I am the lone, true 4blocker...although there are three others testing it out
Sue - i started as the only one . . . but I've spread the word and now we have a group of about a dozen interested teachers
Britt/1/IL - they are doing parts of it
Lee - my school is A/B - I'm just here to see how 4x4 goes for folks
Jody - I used 4 blocks last year and loved it
Britt/1/IL - A/B?
Jody - This year we have saxon and can't use it the way i would like to
Kath - I'm trying the writing part and have had fun. The children enjoy my modeling but trying to revise, edit & publish is coming along awfully slow.
Britt/1/IL - what grade do you teach kath?
Lee - A/B classes meet all year, every other day
Kath - I teach first.
Britt/1/IL - the editing and publishing part is slow for 1st grade
Kath - Lee, do you like that every other day?
Carole - Jody, what do you think of Saxon
Jody - I really like Saxon, I think it is a good program
Jody - Especially if you have students who are behind. It really reinforces everything everyday
Kath - Is a week spent on editing, revising, etc too much?
Carole - We use it and find it very tedious
Julie - what is 4 x 4??
Britt/1/IL - you will be editing, revising constantly....
Britt/1/IL - you mean with one student?
Jody - I don't do every part of the Saxon. I definitely pick and choose, but all of my students who used it last year passed all the states tests.
Kath - I mean with the whole class, some kids take only a couple days.
Jody - My Saxon lessons (phonics and math) take no longer than 30 minutes each
Britt/1/IL - not at all....you will do it for a while, come back again later
Carole - Jody, do you teach 1st? I have a k-1 class and have had to pick and choose parts of the Saxon to use also.
Britt/1/IL - does anyone have a favorite block? least favorite?
Jody - I have a 2nd / 3rd grade class
Kath - I'm trying to get 3 to 5 drafts and then they pick one to publish. How do you do it?
Britt/1/IL - the same way....after they have written 3 drafts, they can come to me with a favorite
Kath - I've been reading the Captain Underpants books to my class & they love them.
Jody - Carole, is it hard to teach k-1? They are at such different levels.
Sue - Britt, working with words is the favorite in my room
Kath - I have a few who are writing their own take-off comics. One has produced very minimal 'regular' writing so I'm thrilled to have found something he likes.
Britt/1/IL - same with me Sue
Carole - Jody, it is awful. I started out with a 1st but we had an overflow of k's and since I taught k's last year I wound up with some of them in my 1st grade. Fortunately, I have a full-time assistant.
Britt/1/IL - that is good Kath....thats the heart of the writing block...kids writing what they like
Jody - Carole, I hate it too. My 2nd and 3rd graders are at such different levels. The 3rd graders are more mature and don't really like the 2nd graders. I don't have any assistant though.
Kath - Jody & Carole, why the split classes?
Carole - The k's pick up a lot from the 1st graders and are doing some really good writing.
Jody - Not enough kids for a full 2nd grade class. Not enough for a full 3rd grade class, so my school combined them.
Carole - I teach in a charter school and we wound up with too many kindergarten children and an overflow of 1st graders. - I live in NC
Britt/1/IL - we have two 1/2 multiage classes...those teachers love it
Jody - The second graders pick up a lot more than they would in a regular 2nd grade class, but the third graders do not like sitting around learning things they already know.
Jody - Carole, I work at a Charter School too. What state do you work in?
Kath - Knowing how state test oriented our third grade teacher is, I think it would be difficult with both grades in one room.
Jody - It is!!!
Kath - What do you like best about 4 Blocks?
Ars. - I am a fourth grade teacher in an inner city school. I am a first year teacher.
Carole - Jody, do you get your funds from the same place as the public schools?
Ars. - Does anyone know about any strategies i can use for a self contained class with very mixed abilities?
Jody - Carole, yes but not as much as a regular public school. We also charge $250
Ars. - There are about 6 kids in there that have behavior problems'
Britt/1/IL - Ars....which block specifically fo you need help with first?
Carole - We are a public school of choice and get all our funds from the departemnt of public instruction.
Ars. - discipline and getting them to "do" their work without answering me back all the time'
Britt/1/IL - constantly give them a choice....
Britt/1/IL - "choose" to sit her and not do this now, but you will do it
Ars. - what kind of choice?
Ars. - They just will never do it. How do i make them want to do it?
Britt/1/IL - which means you will sit in from recess/computers/etc and do it
Britt/1/IL - an do it now, and then go out to recess, etc
Britt/1/IL - give them some control in what they get to do
Britt/1/IL - offer them choices in their work....
Ars. - Some will just sit there and pout for the whole recess and it never gets done
Britt/1/IL - then they miss the next recess
Britt/1/IL - until they get it done
Britt/1/IL - I have to admit, I have never had a problem with this
Britt/1/IL - do you do 4blocks?
Sue - is there any parent support? administration?
Ars. - Now i got another question about a girl in the class with emotional disturbances
Kath - Ars, I agree with Britt. Consistency is key. Have you talked with the parents?
Sue - can u send unfinished work home with them?
Ars. - The paretns just say they can't get them to do anyting either
Britt/1/IL - someone needs to come down hard on them
Carole - Ars. It sounds like you need some support from a resource teacher or conferences with the parents and administrators.
Ars. - No, our principal isn't very supportive of the teachers- she keeps complaining how overworked she is
Britt/1/IL - they are putting all of you adults in a power struggle
Carole - You could try a behavior contract.
Kath - Does your district have a social worker or psychologist to help you out?
Ars. - No
Ars. - It is a catholic school- not many resources
Britt/1/IL - what grade do you teach?
Carole - Are these children identified with special needs?
Ars. - 4th
Britt/1/IL - oh jeesh....
Ars. - no- no special ed in catholic school
Britt/1/IL - lol, sorry, I just couldn't imagine teaching that old...
Kath - Do you have some one trained to deal with special needs children to go to for help?
tami - carole could I e-mail you and ask you a few questions for a homework assignment please?
Ars. - nope
Sue - have you tried any type of reward for those who do the work?
Britt/1/IL - then you are alone....there has to be something they like
Britt/1/IL - incorporate that into their work.....
Ars. - yes. I have this porgram where if they do everyting they get a star at the end of the day. If at the end of the week they get 3 stars, they are eligible for 20 miniutes free time on Friday afternoon
Sue - has that helped?
Britt/1/IL - then find something these tougher kids really want
Britt/1/IL - take away things that they want if they dont do it
Ars. - somewhat. But whats happening is at the end of the day, when these tough kids don't get a star, they cry and pout and run from the room , or else pout the next day and do nothing
Sue - when they run from the room, where do they go?
Ars. - they hang in the hall way and i have to go get them, they refuse to come back in the classroom
Ars. - one kid missed his bus ride home by doing that
Sue - one thing i would suggest is looking for any small successes . . . taking out a book when you ask . . . etc. and then praising the students who do that
Britt/1/IL - these kids need more consequences...
Carole - Ars. Where are the parents in all this?
Britt/1/IL - they have been able to get away with too much for too long
Ars. - yeah.
Ars. - the parents are unapproachable, impossible to reach.
Sue - try to build on small successes and work toward larger ones
Ars. - then when i do approach them, they blame me for "{picking on my child"
Kath - Praise whenever possible
Sue - you need to try to stay positive, but i know it's hard at times
trena - i am a 3rd grade teacher always looking for ideas
Ars. - I have another question to throw out at you
Sue - do you have any other teachers in the building you can ask for advice?
Sue - anyone who had these kids last year?
Sue - did something work for them?
Ars. - Theres this girl in the class with emotional problems: she cries incessantly at the drop of a hat, she
Kath - Britt, thanks for your help on the writing block.
Britt/1/IL - no problem...anything else just ask
Ars. - goes to the bathroom right in her pants, and her mother is nasty towards me saying that i am picking on her daughter and that i yell at the kids too much
Ars. - she never does much work, but complains she "doesn't get it".
trena - i have kids in my class that constantly pick on each other and I can't get much teaching in. Help!
Ars. - and that i am not teaching her right. Then when i am doing a lesson, she is off in la la land somewhere, doing somehting else, obviously not paying attention. HELP!
Britt/1/IL - Ars....if you dont have a social work, no principal support, no parental support
Britt/1/IL - I have NO idea where else you can turn....
Sue - talk to her teacher from last year
Britt/1/IL - she needs social work for the bathroom thing
Ars. - Do you think I should go to the principal again, even though she is "overstresed"?
Britt/1/IL - special ed evaluations for the learning and attention problems
Sue - that person may have some suggestions, or at least a shoulder to cry on
Britt/1/IL - yes, you need to keep talking to everyone involved
Kath - Trena, we have caught being good & good behavior gets acknowled. We also role pla;y. We have an acts of kindness bulletin board to write a nice thing some one has said or done for you.
trena - a large number of my students can not read. I have 30 kids. Help!
Sue - i think it's a shame you feel like you can't go to the principal, especially as a 1st year teacher
Ars. - I feel a little better now that i aired some of my problems.
Kath - Ars, sometimes the squeeky wheel get the grease.
Sue - hang in there
Ars. - i will try and make it through the year and hopefuly gain some confidence and knowledge from all this
Kath - Trena what grade?
Ars. - next year i will be at another school closer to home anyway
trena - I teach 3rd grade
Ars. - i am currently looking for a teaching job closer to home and in a suburban setting where hopefully i can get more parental suppport
Ars. - What do you think?
Sue - Ars., good luck!
Sue - you'll find the right nitch
trena - any suggestions to get my 3rd graders reading?
Britt/1/IL - when you say they aren't reading....what level are they at
Kath - What topics do they like?
trena - Between 0.8 and 2.5
Sue - trena, do you have any reading support programs . . . Title I, Reading Recovery, etc?
Britt/1/IL - do you have reading recovery? power reading?
trena - We have Sylvan, which most are involved with
Kath - What about accelerated reader?
Sue - are there any reading specialists available for input in your district?
trena - No accelerated reader and no assistance.
Sue - do you have a wide variety of books available? access to the library?
Kath - Will the students share part of a book,(aloud) for others to get hooked on and read on their own?
Britt/1/IL - are you doing 4 blocks Trena?
trena - I have a pretty good number of books in class. School overcrowded and no library checkout
judith - Are you near a High School, get some mentors to read to your kids?
trena - I am interested in four blocks, but have not tried it. I just took over in Feb.
Britt/1/IL - look into it Trena....it will do wonders
Britt/1/IL - well, I will make room for the next chat group to come in
Britt/1/IL - night 4blockers
trena - I will ask about mentoring, thanks
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