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newteacher - I am a student teacher looking for ideas for fifth grade
Kathleen - Hi newteacher and coyote!
Coyote -
Kathleen - coyaote, what grade do you teach? newteacher needs ideas for fifth
Kathleen - oops, coyote
Coyote - 2 years in 2nd grade, this year 3rd grade.
newteacher - what grade do you teach Kathleen
Kathleen - newteacher, after this chat check out the student teachers' chatboard, upper elem chatboard, http://teachers.net/mentors
Kathleen - newteacher, there are also mailrings for student teachers and fifth grade http://teachers.net/mailrings
Kathleen - I no longer teach, but my experience was mostly at the kindergarten level
newteacher - I will do that thank you
Kathleen - I work for Teachers.Net, that's why I happened to be here. Tell us more about what you're looking for.
Kathleen - just go to the teachers.net homepage and you access everything here
irishprincess - Good evening everyone. I am a fairly new teacher. First year in 1st grade, but second year overall.
Kathleen - irish, were you looking for the Mentors session held earlier?
irishprincess - Is it over already-maybe I had the wrong time
Kathleen - irish, it was during the 8-9pmE hour. There will be two more sessions: Thursday and Friday, 8pmE
Kathleen - newteacher and coyote are you still here?
newteacher - yes
Kathleen - no need to leave, you can stay and chat about your classes.
Kathleen - Hi Rachel!
newteacher - t in search of teachers.net/mailrings
Rachel/5 - hi all. what are your restroom policies. I have kids wanting to go all day. I give them one pass a day to go when it's not recess but they still seem to want to flock out in great masses.
Kathleen - newteacher, click on this http://teachers.net/mailrings
Coyote - ooh bathroom.. I have 3rd graders... I tell to go before school, at recess, at lunch, or when they get home. if they can't hold it and must leave in class, they owe me their recess.. or lunch playtime, or afternoon free time.. whatever is the next event for the class.
newteacher - I did that thank you Kathleen
irishprincess - Thanks so much. I logged on because I have major concerns about one of my kids. It is the second week and I am noticing so many problems and want him reviewed for special ed. The kindergarten teacher last year strongly recommended it, brought him up many times and parents refused saying he is a late bloomer. Retention also was recommended by her and the school psycologist convinced parents it would be damaging.
Rachel/5 - what are your concerns?
Kathleen - Hi Amy!
Kathleen - irish, does your school have a child study team, a group, including the teacher, which meets to discuss issues related to special intervention?
Kathleen - newteacher, did you find the mailrings page?
irishprincess - Rachel, I take a class break in the morning and afternoon and that is it. Of course if it is an emergency they can ask, but my rule is I cannot be teaching something or giving directions. If that is the case, they need to wait. I also taught mine the sign language sign for toilet so they could ask without interrupting if it was truly an emergency. All but a few are getting it.
newteacher - What grade are your students who need to to the bathroom so often
Kathleen - Amy, what grade do you teach, and how are things going?
newteacher - yes I did Kathleen thank you
Kathleen - Welcome, Amanda, what grade do you teach?
Coyote -
Amanda - I teach 2nd
Coyote - eh y'all, I had a boy last year poop on the floor because I wouldn't let him play on the computers since he didn't finish his work!
newteacher - irishprincess, I like the idea of using sign language and waiting until you are not teaching.
Rachel/5 - coyote, how old was that kid?
Amanda - we have restroom times from 7:30-7;45 am, then at 9:45am, then at 11am, then at 1:45pm....and I still have kids needing OTHER breaks....so I don't know. If they go 3 "Other" times, they lose recess...and they still go
irishprincess - We do have a child study team that will meet in October for the first time. Six weeks of classroom interventions are required before that can be held so I have been documenting concerns already so he can be reviewed. My concerns are: he knows no letters or sounds. He cannot identify them in prinr, write them on his own or copy them, he cannot hold a pencil-already gets occupational therapy, he cannot follow one step directions or cannot repeat them back to me, doing 2 color patterns in math is a challenge. He can count to 10 but only if there are items in front of him-he can not count items and transfer that number in writing. Also he does not stay focused unless someone is sitting with him helping him one on one at all times. If not he just sits at his table and looks around. I am concverned because I am doing all kindergarten review and he does not get it. He does not socialize with other children either and does not pay attention when he is sitting right by me.
Coyote - that was a 2nd grader.. but I'm sure he'd poop on the floor now in 3rd grade if I give him a good reason
Rachel/5 - irish, sounds like one of my fifth graders. weird how someone's brain could work in such a way that they can't focus on anything. It must be hard to be them-.
Coyote - what grade is this irish? I had kids like that in 2nd grade... heck even 3rd grade..
newteacher - Irishprincess, you need to find a way to get the school psycologists support. What a tough situation you are in escpecially if the parents are in denial. Can you get them to come and observe him in the class
irishprincess - This is a 1st grader. I am really concerned because he seems so so low and nothing seems to be connecting. I know it is early, but this happened all last year and it was brought up and parents would not consent to any testing. I have not talked with them yet, just hte kindergarten teacher and principal. She is coming to observe him next week. The school psycologist has been asking parents to take him for a psych eval, but they took him to a regular doctor who said he was medically healthy so they think there is no problem. I could ask principal to see if they can observe him, but how much help should I give him so they see there is a huge problem. Also I hate for them to think that I already am thinking there are problems so early in the year, but it is so obvious. Even our special ed teacher was surprised he is not special ed.
newteacher - in the 2nd and 3rd grade classroom where I observed last semester the students wrote their name on the board when they had to go to the bathroom and they could only have their name written up on the board one time each day. This seemed to work except in rare cases
newteacher - Irishprincess, I think it is wonderful that you are such an observant teacher.
kindof new - this is my second full year of teaching. i subbed for 2 1/2 years while in grad school to get my master's in el ed and have NEVER seen as chatty of a bunch as I have now. any suggestions for the talkers
newteacher - Irishprincess, you are on the ball, and are taking the time to observe and notice specific behaviors in this young man
newteacher - kindofnew, what grade are you teaching
kindof new - 2nd
irishprincess - Thanks, I am just so concerned that the parents will deny everything again, especially since this is only my second year of teaching. I have been taking lots of notes on him and all of my kids, as well as saving work samples of his and those of the "average" kids in my class. I am hoping that if parents visually see what an average child does and what their child does they will understand. I also make notes on his work if I helped him, did writing hand over hand, etc.
Michelle - Kind of New...when I taught 2nd I used a color coded system. Each kid had a spot in a pocket chart with 4 colored cards. They all started on green, then moved to yellow with a warning, orange was a loss of recess, red was a note or call home. It seemed to work for me. What kind of behavior system are you using now? I teach 5th now and have a very talkative group too.
irishprincess - In 1st I use a 4 card system and it works very well. The kids also take home a daily update where they color the card they had at the end of the day. Parents sign these daily and I file them weekly so I have documentation. I also keep a clipboard where I list the date, child name, cards pulled and why.
Michelle - I'm thinking of doing it for 5th too...but use numbers instead. What do you think?
cutie - I am studing to become an early childhood teacher and I have some quetions because right now I'm woring in a company and not in a daycare
Michelle - cutie...what kind of questions?
cutie - Like what things you like or dislike about working with toddlers
Michelle - I have not had much experience working with toddlers, other than my own kids.
