Wendy, I have to say that the thing that disturbs me most about your original post is that your principal has visited this idea again and again and your colleagues have rejected the idea again and again and still your principal is pushing it. Principals of schools should be giving effective teachers the lead, and supporting them with resources, not getting in their way.
Renee On Oct 8, 2008, at 9:03 PM, Wendy Jensen wrote: > Kathy, > Everything you have said is what I've been thinking all afternoon. > Our principal is still "learning" his way around reading. He is well > meaning; however, it is clear he doesn't totally understand it all > yet. I think the main thing he is worried about is getting those low > kids to benchmark on DIBELS testing and he'll try anything to make > that happen. If that is truly the case, it makes me very sad. On the > other hand, I think that reading rate is one small part of the whole > reading picture. There has never been mention of a plan of what it > will look like or how it will work. He's just "throwing out ideas." > This is why I sent this question out to everyone, because I know that > sometimes I get on MY soapbox (and many times I warn my colleagues > that I will be having a soapbox moment) and maybe I don't give things > a fair chance. I want to consider all options before deciding, but I > can't shake the feeling that this decision would not be good for kids > in the long run for many of the reasons you cited in your response. > The questions you suggest are very good ones and I will be asking > them. Thanks! > > Wendy > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Kathy Borden<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email > Group<mailto:mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 10:35 PM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Your thoughts > > > Wendy: > > I read this and went back to a journey I began in my present role 6 > years > ago and my teaching role 31 years ago. It was to move away from the > pull-out reality that was happening within our district. What I > felt 6 > years ago, as the person left to implement programs such as you > describe, > was that I was the keeper of the penalty box kids. The students > were NOT > being respectfully served. They were not learning what reading could > really look like. They were not hearing the language they needed to > hear. > They were not experiencing the modeling necessary to go forward. In > fact, they were being identified as have nots and experiencing > programming > that left them unconnected to the regular classroom situation. ( > Does > your principal describe the model he hopes to implement? ) > > On the other hand, should the school use the Gradual Release of > Responsibililty Model/Optimal Learning Model, these students could > ideally > move forward WITHIN the regularly scheduled readers workshop within > the > classroom. They would get whole group instruction. They would > get time > to practice. They would get time to share. And they would, most > importantly, belong. And if, within the three components, they were > unable to demonstrate the necessary skill levels, as identified > through > formative assessment, they would get another opportunity to go > through > Guided Practice with flexible groupings. > > My questions for the principal would include: > 1. Why is it better to remove students and identify them as low? > They > get it. They KNOW why they are leaving. Huge time is lost that > could be > better served with support being provided within the regular > classroom > literacy block. > 2. Is he willing to provide release time during the regular school > day to > plan for the interventions/debrief observations? Is there a > regularly > scheduled way to connect between what is happening within the > classroom > and within the pullout groups? > > It is obvious that you are connected to your students. It is > obvious that > you understand that ALL students are not on the same level as their > classmates. It is our job to stretch EVERY student within the > classroom > community. > It's time for me to get off MY soapbox. Would love to know your > principal's reasoning BEHIND what he is suggesting for your students. > > Kathy Borden > Literacy Coach > Yellowknife Education District #1 > Yellowknife, NT, CANADA > >> >> > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org<mailto:Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org<http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/ > options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org>. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive<http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive>. > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > "Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." ~ Pablo Picasso _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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