Teachers speak their own language. Just like any profession, teachers have their jargon that accompanies any discussion relating to education. I am assuming that there is variance from district to district on acronyms and names, but the essentials should be the same. Here are some of the most common things that you might come across.
IEP - Individualized Education Plan...this is a document that attests to any special education your child qualifies for and therefore is ENTITLED to. I am going to have a separate post on this.
PEP - Personalized Education Plan...this might be specific to North Carolina, but I would imagine that all districts have this in place in one form or another. Basically, this document states some of the ways your child's teacher is going to intervene and work to bring your child back up to grade level. I only created these for students who were below grade level in Reading or Math, or both.
Section 504- This is a document for student who need modifications in the school setting that don't necessarily have to do with academics. For example, if a student has severe and diagnosed anxiety, he could have a 504 Plan for separate test setting during testing times.
Objective - These are state determined learning outcomes for each grade level in all of the subjects taught in school. The biggies are Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science. However, there are also Technology, Media, Music, PE, and Art objectives for most states. These are the elementary level core subjects. Middle grades and high school also have their own objectives for each class.
On, below, or above grade level - These terms describe where your child falls in the continuum of mastery of grade level objectives. On grade level means that your child is meeting expectations in that subject area for the grade level work expected. Below grade level indicates that your child has not reached a satisfactory level of mastery for the objective. And above grade level indicates that your child consistently produces work that reaches beyond the scope of the objective for the grade level.
Speaking of curriculum, you are able to look at your child's grade level curriculum to inform yourself what they should be learning this year. Did you know that? The curriculum is the standard against which your child will be graded for grade level competency. Teachers are required to teach the objectives from the curriculum mandated by the state. Additionally, if your child is in a tested grade (3rd and above in NC, 2nd and above in CA), the state curriculum is the foundation of the test. As a parent, I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the curriculum for each of your students. It will enable you to know where they are going this year. It will also allow you to better help your child with homework or identify any weaknesses present.
North Carolina curriculum can be found here. It is commonly known as the Standard Course of Study. California curriculum can be found here. I am not nearly as familiar with the California curriculum.
If you do learn the curriculum, use it wisely. Remember that your child will not learn all of the content in the first quarter of the school year. The curriculum will build from simple concept to more complex as the year progresses. Please use it as a took t partner with your child's teacher rather than as a "gotcha". I have had parents walk into conferences with me, curriculum in hand asking why we aren't teaching this or that. I had to gently explain that those particular objectives are taught during the final part of the 3rd quarter of the year.
Tomorrow, I will discuss testing and assessments! Fun, fun! Won't you join me?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Discipline (Day 3)
I had something else planned for today's post (rather Thursday's post). However, that all changed when Davian got home from school. He walked through the door with a look of shame and fear. As he burst into tears, he confessed that he had a "blue card" at school today. This means that he moved his color from green to yellow to blue due to behavior in class.
I had a choice to make in that moment in how to react to my little boy who was devastated. I chose to snuggle him and listen to his explanation of things. He was so upset about the situation and having to tell us about the "blue card" he didn't need me to further lecture about the importance about appropriate behavior at school. He would have consequences at home as well, but this time they were not severe. We discussed the consequences and agreed that no screen time for the evening would be appropriate.
Last year, we spent the majority of the school year frustrated by Davian's behavior. He was "pulling sticks" everyday! We tried everything in the book to straighten his behavior out, to no avail. We used consequences at home to varying degrees. We tried positive notes, special treats after so many days of not having to pull sticks. You name it, we tried it! Finally, after lots of trial and error, his teacher and I used a token system. Davian would have to earn so many letters, stickers, tokens everyday. At the end of the week, he would get to pull a prize from his own special stash that he had picked out at the dollar store. It worked for a while.
This year, we have only had two days in 6 weeks during which he has had to turn his color. My point is that if your child is struggling with discipline at school, it is not an indicator that he/she is going to always struggle. By struggling, I mean that your child is having to be disciplined by the teacher consistently over a two or three week period. One or two days in a week doesn't indicate a major problem.
Secondly, you need to advocate for your child. Set up a conference with your child's teacher and discuss some ways that you can motivate your child using positive reinforcement in the classroom. It should start with short time intervals and gradually move to longer intervals. During this conference some things you might want to discuss would be any patterns in the behavior. Is it during transition times? Does it happen when your child is playing with a specific child? Is the behavior a reaction to work that is too easy/too hard? Also listen closely to what your child is saying. If your child consistently complains that he/she is being blamed for things that other children do, discuss this with the teacher as well. Follow up with the teacher to make sure that the plan is implemented and effective. Change may be slow so be open to small victories and celebrate them.
Finally, establish consequences and rewards at home if needed to reinforce the importance of appropriate behavior at school.
I had a choice to make in that moment in how to react to my little boy who was devastated. I chose to snuggle him and listen to his explanation of things. He was so upset about the situation and having to tell us about the "blue card" he didn't need me to further lecture about the importance about appropriate behavior at school. He would have consequences at home as well, but this time they were not severe. We discussed the consequences and agreed that no screen time for the evening would be appropriate.
Last year, we spent the majority of the school year frustrated by Davian's behavior. He was "pulling sticks" everyday! We tried everything in the book to straighten his behavior out, to no avail. We used consequences at home to varying degrees. We tried positive notes, special treats after so many days of not having to pull sticks. You name it, we tried it! Finally, after lots of trial and error, his teacher and I used a token system. Davian would have to earn so many letters, stickers, tokens everyday. At the end of the week, he would get to pull a prize from his own special stash that he had picked out at the dollar store. It worked for a while.
This year, we have only had two days in 6 weeks during which he has had to turn his color. My point is that if your child is struggling with discipline at school, it is not an indicator that he/she is going to always struggle. By struggling, I mean that your child is having to be disciplined by the teacher consistently over a two or three week period. One or two days in a week doesn't indicate a major problem.
Secondly, you need to advocate for your child. Set up a conference with your child's teacher and discuss some ways that you can motivate your child using positive reinforcement in the classroom. It should start with short time intervals and gradually move to longer intervals. During this conference some things you might want to discuss would be any patterns in the behavior. Is it during transition times? Does it happen when your child is playing with a specific child? Is the behavior a reaction to work that is too easy/too hard? Also listen closely to what your child is saying. If your child consistently complains that he/she is being blamed for things that other children do, discuss this with the teacher as well. Follow up with the teacher to make sure that the plan is implemented and effective. Change may be slow so be open to small victories and celebrate them.
Finally, establish consequences and rewards at home if needed to reinforce the importance of appropriate behavior at school.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
A Day in the Life (Day 2)
Personally, the key to understanding the perspective of someone else lies in appreciating their life. What are their days like? What burdens do they carry? Understanding your child's teacher is no different.
Have you ever been frustrated because your child's teacher didn't e-mail you back right away? Or did the teacher forget to send a note home about behavior that day? Did the Monday work folders come home on Tuesday? All those things are frustrating from our perspective especially without the basis of knowledge of all the things that a teacher is asked to do in a day. So here is a glimpse into a day in my life as a teacher. Here is my disclaimer: This was typical of my schedule at my school in North Carolina, but I am going to assume that many teachers have the same experience.
5:15 am Wake up, shower, eat breakfast
6:00 am Wake up kids, dress them, shove breakfast in them
6:30 am Leave house to drop kids off at carpool and daycare
7:15 am Arrive at school, check box in office, make final preparations for the day, check e-mail, return parent phone calls
7:35 am First bell and students arrive - Greet every kid, check in field trip money and receipt it
7:55 am School officially starts for the day
8:00 am Whole group reading - Teach the entire class reading concepts. Go over homework from the night before. Spelling, vocabulary, writing, hands-on activities all happen during this time.
9:45 am Guided reading-Students are grouped according to their reading levels. The teacher works with a small group of 6 students one phonics and comprehension. Monitor students who are "working" at centers. Assess students reading abilities and take notes.
10:30 am Take students to Specials (Music, PE, Art). Go to grade level meeting with administration. Discuss data, review students' Personal Education Plans, problem solve. Use the restroom and have a snack if time allows.
11:20 am Pick up students from Specials
11:25 am Start Math review
11:30 am Students go to lunch. Walk students to cafeteria. Grade papers, check e-mail, eat, go to the bathroom.
11:55 am Pick up students.
12:00 pm Math whole group instruction and small group instruction. Teach and review math concepts. Work with small groups and monitor student behavior in centers.
1:20 pm Recess. Ensure that students are play safely and fairly.
1:50 pm Science and Social Studies.
2:20 pm Pack up for dismissal
2:30 pm Dismissal
3:00 pm Staff meeting or Individual Education Plan Meeting or Planning meeting or grade papers
4:30 pm Prepare for next day of instruction
5:00 pm Leave for the day and pick up kids
5:45 pm Dinner, homework, stories, practice, laundry...
9:30 pm Fall into bed to repeat tomorrow
This example didn't include PTA meetings or a field trip that returned at 8:00 pm. This is a typical day. So, the next time your child's teacher forgets to sign the note or return the phone call, won't you extend some grace? One gentle reminder will generally solve the problem and keep your relationship intact with your child's teacher!
My second disclaimer: if not returning phone calls, e-mails, or notes is a chronic problem, it will need to be addressed with the teacher. I will delve into advice on how to handle those situations later in this series.
Have you ever been frustrated because your child's teacher didn't e-mail you back right away? Or did the teacher forget to send a note home about behavior that day? Did the Monday work folders come home on Tuesday? All those things are frustrating from our perspective especially without the basis of knowledge of all the things that a teacher is asked to do in a day. So here is a glimpse into a day in my life as a teacher. Here is my disclaimer: This was typical of my schedule at my school in North Carolina, but I am going to assume that many teachers have the same experience.
5:15 am Wake up, shower, eat breakfast
6:00 am Wake up kids, dress them, shove breakfast in them
6:30 am Leave house to drop kids off at carpool and daycare
7:15 am Arrive at school, check box in office, make final preparations for the day, check e-mail, return parent phone calls
7:35 am First bell and students arrive - Greet every kid, check in field trip money and receipt it
7:55 am School officially starts for the day
8:00 am Whole group reading - Teach the entire class reading concepts. Go over homework from the night before. Spelling, vocabulary, writing, hands-on activities all happen during this time.
9:45 am Guided reading-Students are grouped according to their reading levels. The teacher works with a small group of 6 students one phonics and comprehension. Monitor students who are "working" at centers. Assess students reading abilities and take notes.
10:30 am Take students to Specials (Music, PE, Art). Go to grade level meeting with administration. Discuss data, review students' Personal Education Plans, problem solve. Use the restroom and have a snack if time allows.
11:20 am Pick up students from Specials
11:25 am Start Math review
11:30 am Students go to lunch. Walk students to cafeteria. Grade papers, check e-mail, eat, go to the bathroom.
11:55 am Pick up students.
12:00 pm Math whole group instruction and small group instruction. Teach and review math concepts. Work with small groups and monitor student behavior in centers.
1:20 pm Recess. Ensure that students are play safely and fairly.
1:50 pm Science and Social Studies.
2:20 pm Pack up for dismissal
2:30 pm Dismissal
3:00 pm Staff meeting or Individual Education Plan Meeting or Planning meeting or grade papers
4:30 pm Prepare for next day of instruction
5:00 pm Leave for the day and pick up kids
5:45 pm Dinner, homework, stories, practice, laundry...
9:30 pm Fall into bed to repeat tomorrow
This example didn't include PTA meetings or a field trip that returned at 8:00 pm. This is a typical day. So, the next time your child's teacher forgets to sign the note or return the phone call, won't you extend some grace? One gentle reminder will generally solve the problem and keep your relationship intact with your child's teacher!
My second disclaimer: if not returning phone calls, e-mails, or notes is a chronic problem, it will need to be addressed with the teacher. I will delve into advice on how to handle those situations later in this series.
How to Effectively Parent in Public Schools (Day 1)
So, there has been a series swirling around in my head for quite some time now. But, with all the commotion of moving and renovating, it has been on the back burner. October seems like the perfect month to make this happen even though I am starting 4 days late. So instead of "31 days of Effectively Parenting in Public Schools" it will be more like 27 days...or less.
There is no debate on the impact of parental involvement in your child's education. In one article the researchers stated,"We found that schools would need to increase per-pupil spending by more than $1,000 in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement"! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527123852.htm We are familiar with and sick of hearing about budget cuts and increased class sizes. We know that there is NO way that schools are going to increase funding by $1,000 per child!! The statistics make it so much more imperative the YOU are involved in YOUR child's education! While your child's teacher has been hired to educate your child, it does not mean that you have to be hands off. However, in my humble opinion and experience, there is a right way and a not-so-right way to be involved. So over the next 27 days, I hope to give you some insight and advise, however unsolicited, on how to be involved without smothering your child!
Here are some of the topics I plan to cover:
There is no debate on the impact of parental involvement in your child's education. In one article the researchers stated,"We found that schools would need to increase per-pupil spending by more than $1,000 in order to achieve the same results that are gained with parental involvement"! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527123852.htm We are familiar with and sick of hearing about budget cuts and increased class sizes. We know that there is NO way that schools are going to increase funding by $1,000 per child!! The statistics make it so much more imperative the YOU are involved in YOUR child's education! While your child's teacher has been hired to educate your child, it does not mean that you have to be hands off. However, in my humble opinion and experience, there is a right way and a not-so-right way to be involved. So over the next 27 days, I hope to give you some insight and advise, however unsolicited, on how to be involved without smothering your child!
Here are some of the topics I plan to cover:
- The day in the life of your child's teacher
- Understanding curriculum and teacher jargon
- How to avoid being a helicopter parent
- Resolving conflict with your child's teacher
- Homework (UGH!)
- Fundraisers
- Volunteering
- Personality conflicts
- Advocating for your child
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Big Reveal!
Unfortunately, when we arrived at the new house on Friday to officially move in, there wasn't a crowd of folks and a huge bus hiding the immaculately polished house where all of our personal possessions were perfectly organized and put away. Rather, we arrived to workers still putting the finishing touches on the floorboards. Appliances getting ready to install. One bathroom with a door. And boxes. Lots of boxes. Oh, and did I mention no hot water? I could go on and on about things that we didn't have, but I would rather focus on the amazing changes that happened in the span of about 2 1/2 weeks!
Here is the before of the front of the house.
Here is the front of the house now.
The formal living and dining rooms before
And after....
The staircase before...
And after...
Here is the before of the front of the house.
Here is the front of the house now.
The formal living and dining rooms before
And after....
The staircase before...
And after...
Breakfast nook...kind of. I don't have a great before picture of the breakfast nook.
After.....
Finally, the kitchen before....
And after...
So, we are still in the "moving in" process. The house is littered with boxes and packing paper, but we are here. Finally. After 3 long months (6 for Austin) we can start putting our roots down here.
There are still some finishing touches that will be completed later in the week, but for the most part we are done!
Thanks for sharing in our renovation!
The End!
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