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Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Welcome! Tonight's topic is an open discussion.
Phil - Why did you decide to be a teacher?
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Phil, my first choice was to become a vet. When I was in 6th grade our dog died, and we thought he might have rabies. When I found out what they did to him to find out, I changed my mind. I have known since then that I wanted to be an English teacher.
little o/6th/VA - Phil , I wanted to go in to business and make millions but in HS I had a chance to teach elem kids business basics and was hooked I forgot about the millions
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Phil, that isn't a very good answer, but it is the truth.
Phil - These are great answers
kb - I decided to teach school when I was five. I also wanted to play the organ for church and I do that, too. :-)
little o/6th/VA - Phil why do you want to know?
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, since age 5? Most people are amazed that I knew in the 6th grade. You have me beat!
Phil - Because I have decided to become a teacher and I am writing a paper.
kb - I know....but it's true and I really can't tell you why. :-) Saved a lot of stress trying to decide.
little o/6th/VA - Phil It is the most demanding job I have had but the most rewarding. I can't put it into words
Phil - I am going to go now and I want to thank all of you for your help!
Jules/K/GA - Hi all, I have a question that I hope y'all can help with, concerning upper elementary and middle school kiddos. I teach K and am so used to hanging around 5 year olds. Well, I have been put in charge of the girl scout troop at our school (it is a school run troop). It is with girls in 4-6th grade. What are they interested in? HELP! I have nooo experience with this age group, I don't want to bore them with "little kid" stuff. As teachers, what do you wish that troops and clubs would address with the kids?
little o/6th/VA - Jules, my group at church loves to do bracelets with bead
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Jules, middle schoolers are still kids at heart. Take your ideas and give them a little bit of a boost.
kb - 4th grade girls like "parties", boys, clothes, giggling!!! :-) And they love to be cared about.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Jules, responsibility!
Jules/K/GA - too true kim...I think that runs across every age and grade! :)
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Jules, I just had a talk with my students about that today!
Jules/K/GA - Thanks for your help everyone! I'll keep in mind that they are still kids, even though most of them are bigger than me! :)
Kristie - How about place value!!! My kids don't get it!!!
Fritz - I teach place value with small tiles - I get them from a home supply store- Each child has a baggie with 10 tiles - numbered 0-9, They know to put them in order from 0 to 9 and wait for me to tell them the number. Example show me 497- what number is in the 10's place etc. Later I say - I want a four digit number that has a 6 in the 100's place and a 2 in the 10's place and it is an even number.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Kristie, I can't help with that one. Anyone else?
kb - Want a topic? What about inclusion of "dear" children who you know just can't function in a reg. classroom. I teach 3rd and have a TMI who is on a 4 yr. old level. She's a dear, but can't function. It is so frustrating and time consuming. Yes she is in Spec. Ed. part of the day.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, do you have an aid or para?
kb - No...... she's so cute. i.e. can I go potty? etc. She can't even add 2 and 3.
kb - I got another one the same day who functions on a pre lst grade level too. You know it gets to the point that it isn't fair to the quote "normal" (if I may say that) child.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, I am in a similar situation. I teach regular ed English and Reading, but have level 2 ESL students as a Class within a Class. One of students is a German Mennonite and speaks very little English. She reads even less. I am pulling my hair out, and she has been in tears twice so far because of the frustration!
kb - and...we are accused of "being at fault". I made the one redo a math color ditto. Her mom came into the principal!!
kb - P.S. The reason for the redo was because she had "balled" the paper up.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, I agree. We have gone to such extremes to educate everyone that the kids who are not in any special programs are getting short changed!
kb - You know Kim...I really do appreciate that. !!!! Thanks. It does help to know I'm not alone in this. :-)
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, it makes us feel better, but it doesn't solve the problem.
little o/6th/VA - I have a student from Sri Lanka. Thankfully he is getting some help in an ESL class in the morning. He tries to do most of the work and the kid help him too.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Most of our ESL students are Spanish speakers. She speaks German--an old form that is unique to her culture.
kb - You know...little" the kids are a lot of help, but sometimes at the expense of progressing themselves. I have a very caring group.
kb - I'm not sure "how" I would deal with a lang. barrier like that. How do you?
little o/6th/VA - Yes I agree , Luckily my ESL student seems to be high functioning
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Maybe we should open a school for students who are NOT Special Ed, ESL, Gifted, Behavior Problems, or anything else "different."
little o/6th/VA - Tell me when you open , i will teach there
kb - There you go!!!
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, right now we are trying to get some help. She speaks English well enough that she doesn't qualify for the self-contained ESL program. I have a para, but she speaks Spanish--and I have 9 other ESL students who need her help. The sad thing is that this will be the child's last year of school. She will be allowed to drop out because of religious affiliation. She will be "homeschooled," but it will be how to be a mother and housekeeper. The naughty part of me wants to tell her family to have her drop out this year to save her the frustration. The teacher part of me can't do that, though.
kb - Can I go one step farther? I have another little boy who is cute, intelligent and "lived" in the hall last year. He remembers everything I say but will do "nothing". And..it doesn't faze him. Nothing does. And..I love him dearly. Help. He won't even do it with the principal sitting with him.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - kb, I don't know. Maybe a volunteer could work with him one on one. It can't be done all the time, but maybe a little will help.
kb - You know...I'm beginning to hate the word "homeschooled". That in itself is a good topic.
kb - Kim..I do understand.
DahilDosan - I don't think the solution would be to isolate those students that belong to sp. ed. , ell, or gifted . we live in a world where we interact with everyone. There are many bilingual programs, and also inclusion programs.
kb - There are many good programs. Unfortunately, smaller school systems aren't lucky enough to have as many....or any.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan--I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I'm just getting frustrated because we seem to do everything for the students who belong to special programs and the "regular" students get the shaft in the process.
kb - I agree too Kim. Our spec. ed teacher does a wonderful job.
DahilDosan - What do you mean by the shaft?
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, we don't have a bilingual program in the 8th grade. We have class within a class ESL, but I have 9 other ESL students besides her in a class with 15 "regular" students. . I'm stretched to thin.
DahilDosan - Cooperative Learning might help
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, it does help some. However, I teach regular English and Reading. It is difficult to get CL going when one of the students doesn't speak the language. Well, it works for all the others, just not her. It's a unique situation.
kb - You know "Dah".. I agree and use that a lot.
DahilDosan - That strategy helps me a lot. I teach bilingual classes, and some of my students are illiterate in their first language. Can you imagine? - don't know how to write at all
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, I think you do understand my problem! I have students just like that. My German Mennonite student is one of them! - DahilDosan, what subject(s) do you teach?
DahilDosan - Last year I taught only Math to 5-8 bilingual students. But this year I am teaching Math SS Sci to 5/6 and Math & Sci. to 7/8 bilingual classes
kb - Yes I can imagine...and what do you do when the parent is illiterate, too? It is so frustrating. Her dad can't even read my notes.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Part of my problem is that I have a very strict curriculum (complete with performance assessments) that ALL of my students must learn--no exceptions.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, how much English do they know? Do you speak their native language? I am not bilingual at all.
DahilDosan - Some of them speak fluent English , but they don't know how to write it. The majority speak Spanish. I think that bilingual students benefit a lot from a teacher who does not speak their language
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, but I am responsible for teaching her a set curriculum and she can't understand me!!!
DahilDosan - In Nyc by law bilingual students are entitled to 10 periods a week of ESL and then the subject areas have to be taught in their native lang.
Mountainette 4/WV - who teaches the subject area if the teacher only speaks English?
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - DahilDosan, well there you have it. We aren't even close to that. I AM the ESL instructor and there is no instruction in any language but English.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Mountainette, I do. That is why I am so frustrated.
DahilDosan - Is there any teacher in the school who speaks the language of the students?
DahilDosan - I understand you now Kim. But there are many ways you could survive.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - I have a Spanish speaking para, and nine of my ESL students speak Spanish. I can handle that. However, this student speaks German. There is a teacher and a secretary who speak German, but not the same dialect as my student. She speaks Low German, and a dialect that is unique to her culture.
Wendy/5/MI - Here is my dilemma. The principal has bestowed upon me a class of 28 5th graders. They are a group. learning levels from 3rd to 6/7th. I am thinking about ability grouping in math.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Wendy, I don't teach math, so I'm not much help. Perhaps if you elaborate on your plan....
Wendy/5/MI - I read on a mail ring how someone proposed ability grouping by pretesting all, then working in the subject areas each student needed??
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Wendy, I have heard of that. I wonder if it will work.
Wendy/5/MI - Kim...that is what I am trying to find out. Rather than having them all fail miserably, they would be able to work at mastery at own pace.....
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Wendy, do they all need to cover the same material by the end of the year?
Wendy/5/MI - Kim, I am in a private school...they say make it thru the book if you can? :Þ But I also have 'freedom' to teach how I please.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Wendy, then I think you should try it.
Kim/8/KS - Moderator - Good luck to everyone, and thanks for joining us. Good-night.
