I used to teach in Georgia and was a member of MACE. MACE is awesome!
I hope MACE branches out to Alabama. I can't wait! I join again!
www.theteachersadvocate.com

On 10/17/08, A MACE Teacher wrote:
> It seems that all of the quick pace is geared toward trying to
> artificially raise some scores on a narrowly written test which will
> not make a hill-of-beans difference in the child's life. A young
> child does indeed need the nurturing and caring touch from a sweet
> and sensitive teacher who has gone to school for years to understand
> how to the reach the child. But, in public education, we are in a
> 1970s-type of top-down, heavy-handed management style that the
> business world has long since realized does not work. But, in
> education, we are always about 30 years behind the times when it
> comes to management styles. MACE (the Metro Association of Classroom
> Educators out of Georgia) has, as its mantra statement, the
> following: "You can't have good learning conditions until you first
> have good teaching conditions." These two are inextricably linked.
> You can't have the former until you first establish the latter.
> Blossom, I wish you well. It sounds like you have a strong heart for
> your children. I wish the administrators would trust the wisdom,
> judgment, and discretion of the professional classroom educators, but
> they are so busy climbing the corporate ladder. You and your
> colleagues need advocates fighting for you. Check out:
> TheTeachersAdvocate.Com
>
>
>
> On 10/15/08, Blossom wrote:
>> 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!

Share This Post | Report This Post

Next Post >>

Posts on this thread, including this one