Re: Empty Swings & Stressed Out Expressions!

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On 10/15/08, Blossom wrote:
I couldn't help but smile to hear your remarks! We are feeling the
same as veteran teachers! I often ask my coworkers WHY it is that
having a Master's Degree is such a BIG deal??? We are not allowed
any flexibilty to think as professionals much less create and use
the special gifts that each of us have to offer our students. Yes
indeed...our reading coaches are always speaking of
management...and when they come in to MODEL a lesson they are
going so FAST to beat the clock that management is not even a
focus! We too are required to present a Daily Question and I was
enjoying listening to all responses...UNTIL...they began to
chizzle the warmup session down to doing it as FAST as possible! I
use to stop and sing If You're Happy & You Know It....when we
would read a poem during the warmup...and oh the smiles on those
faces...but not anymore...that takes up too much time! Again...I
was not only reading the high frequency words but we were clapping
and cheering for the words each day...but no longer...it all has
to be done so fast...so CRAZY...so OBSURD!!! By lunch I am
frazzled and almost unwilling to speak and smile any longer...so
against my upbeat nature.
I find myself raising my voice in frustration to my students...and
apologizing when I do...this again is against my nature and I am
so ashamed when I let it all get the best of me.
Thank you for responding. I'm not happy that you are feeling my
pain but it is nice to hear someone who I am certain is a fabulous
teacher expressing the same feelings.
Have a great day and let's try to remember how much those sweet
children depend on us to give them the BEST year they've ever had!

> On 10/14/08, 1st grade teacher wrote:
>> I feel your pain! I have the same song, just a different
>> verse. LOL Only difference is we adopted Scott Foresman
>> Reading Street and do TEAM Math (another initiative, just
>> specific to East Alabama and rooted to Auburn University)
>> using Scott Foreman math and Investigations. Yeah, when our
>> reading coach is telling a veteran teacher that they need to
>> learn better time management, then something is very wrong
>> with the picture! For the first time, I dread walking into
>> the school each morning. We are expected to do these daily
>> messages and ask questions relavent to the theme of the
>> week, but are only suppose to allow one or two students to
>> respond due to time restraints. Um, they are first graders
>> and they ALL want to share! Then we are given ridiculous
>> tasks to do that are of no benefit to the classroom teacher
>> just so the reading coach and principal can do a walk
>> through and check up on what we are doing. It has started
>> off as a VERY frustrating year!

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