Been a while. Mostly due to Thanksgiving break. I don't tend to post during breaks because a) I don't really think about pertinent topics to blog about while I'm not in school, and b) more importantly, I'm lazy. But, now for a fairly meaty post.
First of all, there was a significant incident during my first period, a sped math class. I didn't hear exactly what was said, but they are pretty much always talking and taking jabs at each other. Today, student E (who is constantly talking, and somewhat mean) said something about student M. M probably ignored him or didn't hear him and continued working on his warmup. But then, student D repeated what E said and kept going and M got really upset and started going for D, looking like he was going to hit D. I stepped in and M backed off, but a few minutes later left the room without saying anything. Normally, these students are not allowed to leave the room, ESPECIALLY without asking permission, but it was obvious that M was distressed so we let him go. I had to ask the aide in the next classroom to make sure he was in the men's bathroom, then I walked him to his counselor's office. After several minutes, she came back to the room with M and asked to see D. I saw her later, who told me D got two lunch detentions as a result for his behavior. When the counselor came into the room, she and the classroom teacher had a quick lecture to the students about how serious bullying is, including verbal bullying, and cited the Rutgers suicide case as an example. Evidently bullying will be against the law soon, and as it is now, every school I've ever heard of has a zero-tolerance policy toward bullying. As they should. Apparently D (who heard it from E) said something about M being homeless, but it doesn't even really matter what he said. The point is that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" is untrue.
Also, amusing anecdote that is not at all related. The principal called me out of class to tell me that another aide had overheard students say I wear low-cut tops. Um, really? News to me. I am very deliberate in NOT wearing things like that to school. I mentioned this to the principal and she said she was surprised to hear that too. She thought maybe I bent over too far or something. (I was wearing a turtleneck sweater at the time.) It was quite odd, to say the least.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Counseling
I understand that managing 750 children's schedules is quite an ordeal. I realize that even the experts don't know where every staff member is during every moment of the day. However, the counseling department has issues, mostly those that deal with inefficiency, that are even more basic than these occasionally overwhelming responsibilities.
I help the counseling department for one period a day. They have others help them too, which in itself can be obnoxious since I may begin a task and not have time to finish it, then come back the next day only to find that someone else has a different organizational system and I have to start all over. However, I think the underlying issue lies in the fact that pretty much everything the counseling office deals with is not done expediently. For instance, the registrar or head of counseling will usually give me a task and brief directions, then leaves me to it and goes about their own business in another part of the school. Occasionally she returns before I am finished and comments upon how fast I am. But it's not as if she is giving me something terribly tedious to do. Today, for example, I was given hand-written files and asked to type out labels and affix them to the appropriate files. It was a 15 minute job. I had finished typing two labels in less than two minutes on the registrar's computer and she came back to her office because she had forgotten something, and commented upon how fast I was. Really? It's not that difficult. I was even playing around with fonts and sizes because I had 15 minutes left in the period after I finished, and of course I was not given another task to do. I really wonder sometimes what people do with their time.
Last week, I had a much longer task of separating the special ed files from the rest and still managing to keep them alphabetized by grade level. It took me several days to complete this task and I was not alone. That is understandable; that was quite a large task. However, I was told that last year the special ed files were kept separately and then they were asked (wasn't sure by whom, but obviously someone with some authority in the matter) to be included with the rest, but then that person changed his/her mind again. What a freakin' waste of time. Just keep the files where they are; stop changing things around. People have better things to do. The counseling department particularly has an incredibly important role to play in the school and they don't need to be burdened with unnecessary office work. They could be using that time more effectively to, oh, I don't know, how about *gasp!* helping students?
I help the counseling department for one period a day. They have others help them too, which in itself can be obnoxious since I may begin a task and not have time to finish it, then come back the next day only to find that someone else has a different organizational system and I have to start all over. However, I think the underlying issue lies in the fact that pretty much everything the counseling office deals with is not done expediently. For instance, the registrar or head of counseling will usually give me a task and brief directions, then leaves me to it and goes about their own business in another part of the school. Occasionally she returns before I am finished and comments upon how fast I am. But it's not as if she is giving me something terribly tedious to do. Today, for example, I was given hand-written files and asked to type out labels and affix them to the appropriate files. It was a 15 minute job. I had finished typing two labels in less than two minutes on the registrar's computer and she came back to her office because she had forgotten something, and commented upon how fast I was. Really? It's not that difficult. I was even playing around with fonts and sizes because I had 15 minutes left in the period after I finished, and of course I was not given another task to do. I really wonder sometimes what people do with their time.
Last week, I had a much longer task of separating the special ed files from the rest and still managing to keep them alphabetized by grade level. It took me several days to complete this task and I was not alone. That is understandable; that was quite a large task. However, I was told that last year the special ed files were kept separately and then they were asked (wasn't sure by whom, but obviously someone with some authority in the matter) to be included with the rest, but then that person changed his/her mind again. What a freakin' waste of time. Just keep the files where they are; stop changing things around. People have better things to do. The counseling department particularly has an incredibly important role to play in the school and they don't need to be burdened with unnecessary office work. They could be using that time more effectively to, oh, I don't know, how about *gasp!* helping students?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Teachable Moments
...are sometimes difficult to find. Especially when one is subbing for an aide, and not a regular classroom teacher. But the other day, I happened upon one. I love it when those happen. They are so rare, so individual, so heart-warming, that they make everything worth it.
On the day in question, I was in the last period of the day, helping Mr. S.'s students read particularly difficult stories in various groups. One group of fairly high ability students had the entire version of Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." One girl stated she didn't understand anything that was going on. So we went through it together slowly, word by word, and she followed my finger with her eyes and looked into my own as I painstakingly explained what each word in the passage meant and what was going on in the story as a whole. She asked questions and genuinely wanted to understand. We get toward the end of the story and I ask her if she can translate one particular sentence. She says she can't, so I slowly explain it again, then say something like "Essentially, Ichabod dies." "He dies!?" she exclaims, "Cool!" I was going to go on, but then Mr. S. asked for the class' attention, so I briefly said to her, "You understand?" and she nodded so I quickly nodded back then relinquished my attention to the front of the room.
So maybe she still doesn't have a grasp on the archaic language. Maybe she isn't ready for independent learning. Maybe she only gets the basic gist of the story. But the point is that she understood my explanation, but even more than that, she really wanted to learn. She was invested in her own education. THAT, fellow students, is what teaching is all about. It made me feel so good that my own efforts were, at least for those brief moments, worth while.
On the day in question, I was in the last period of the day, helping Mr. S.'s students read particularly difficult stories in various groups. One group of fairly high ability students had the entire version of Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." One girl stated she didn't understand anything that was going on. So we went through it together slowly, word by word, and she followed my finger with her eyes and looked into my own as I painstakingly explained what each word in the passage meant and what was going on in the story as a whole. She asked questions and genuinely wanted to understand. We get toward the end of the story and I ask her if she can translate one particular sentence. She says she can't, so I slowly explain it again, then say something like "Essentially, Ichabod dies." "He dies!?" she exclaims, "Cool!" I was going to go on, but then Mr. S. asked for the class' attention, so I briefly said to her, "You understand?" and she nodded so I quickly nodded back then relinquished my attention to the front of the room.
So maybe she still doesn't have a grasp on the archaic language. Maybe she isn't ready for independent learning. Maybe she only gets the basic gist of the story. But the point is that she understood my explanation, but even more than that, she really wanted to learn. She was invested in her own education. THAT, fellow students, is what teaching is all about. It made me feel so good that my own efforts were, at least for those brief moments, worth while.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Food
The entire eighth grade had a field trip today to see a play about five short stories they read in English class (The Necklace, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Monkey's Paw) and I went with them. It was quite an adventure keeping track of everyone and attempting to explain the logic behind the fact that they can't sit with their friends. The plays were kind of interesting, but what I got most out of the experience was the whole excitement from a field trip scenario. Since we returned too late to eat lunch in the cafeteria, they ate in their first period teachers' rooms. Man, these kids eat JUNK.
And I've noticed this multiple times, not just today. Yesterday, one kid pulled out Apple Jacks that had fallen out of their baggie into his bookbag; earlier, one student asked if he could eat his breakfast in class and pulled out a bag of pretzels then said he had chips and cookies for lunch, and today this same kid's lunch was an instant cup of Ramen. The culture certainly encourages this junk, as well. A few days ago the lunch lady walked around after breakfast handing out the extra of what were labeled "breakfast muffins." I took one because I was curious but took one bite because it was a cookie. Literally a cookie. For breakfast. I looked at the label and there was something like 250 calories too. Ridiculous. No wonder there is an obesity problem in this country.
And I've noticed this multiple times, not just today. Yesterday, one kid pulled out Apple Jacks that had fallen out of their baggie into his bookbag; earlier, one student asked if he could eat his breakfast in class and pulled out a bag of pretzels then said he had chips and cookies for lunch, and today this same kid's lunch was an instant cup of Ramen. The culture certainly encourages this junk, as well. A few days ago the lunch lady walked around after breakfast handing out the extra of what were labeled "breakfast muffins." I took one because I was curious but took one bite because it was a cookie. Literally a cookie. For breakfast. I looked at the label and there was something like 250 calories too. Ridiculous. No wonder there is an obesity problem in this country.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
To finish or not to finish
Different teaching styles exist because different learning styles exist. Everyone works at different paces. However, a persistent problem I have noticed in pretty much every class is there are no alternative options for students who finish their work before others. Often in these cases, boredom can be misconstrued for being unfocused, when it's actually just the opposite. These kids should be rewarded, not just made to sit there doing nothing. Also, I think some students are slow just to give themselves something to do, because even doing a stupid old worksheet is better than sitting there twiddling your thumbs. But more often than not, especially in remedial classes, teachers do not provide alternative activities for students who have finished. In grad school, these were called "anchoring activities," literally for anchoring students in their chairs until the bell. They are also supposed to provide enrichment on the same skill set, thus anchoring the students' knowledge. But in many classes I have seen here, different pacing does not seem to be an issue when it comes to lesson plans, even though it is a specific tenet of proper differentiation, which, in every interview I've ever been to, is the most important technique in teaching. I wish I could get more practice with experiencing it in action.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Hooray for Grammar!
A few posts back, I stated that I was fortunate to *attempt* to teach a grammar lesson about comparatives & superlatives (i.e. beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful; easy, easier, easiest) and had a difficult time because I was unfamiliar with the vocabulary. And while the lesson took place (and once the regular teacher took over) I wondered how well the students would remember, and was the vocabulary necessary for them to understand the concepts. Essentially, the question was when to use "er" and "est" vs. "more" and "most". Then a couple days later, Mr. S. taught the same lesson, but very differently.
For one thing, he didn't have the students take notes (which is a consistency between their differences; Ms. L. always has them take notes and Mr. S. almost never does). Secondly and most importantly, while Ms. L. broke them into pairs and gave them different categories on index cards (i.e. if they received "sneakers," they would have to write sentences like "Nike are better than Adidas" or if they received "soccer players" they would have to write "Ronaldo is the best soccer player"), Mr. S. gave them each an adjective as they walked in the door and had them literally hop for "ugly, uglier, ugliest," etc., until he was satisfied with both their words and hopping. Was it more effective? Hard to say. Was it much more fun? Indeed. Chances are, then, Mr. S.'s lesson was more memorable for the students, and therefore, probably more effective.
Furthermore, when Ms. L. asks her students to move around the room, they groan. They are used to staying in their seats the entire period. Mr. S., on the other hand, *always* has them get up and move at least once during his class. It is more chaotic and more noisy, but it also forces the students to be more engaged. I'm not saying Mr. S. is definitely the better teacher, but I am saying his methods are certainly more interesting and more energetic, and he is by far the favored teacher. Therefore, his students most likely remember his lessons better and therefore probably score better. Of course, this is just my humble theory, but based on everything I learned in grad school and my observations during the day, I certainly prefer Mr. S.'s methods over those of Ms. L.
For one thing, he didn't have the students take notes (which is a consistency between their differences; Ms. L. always has them take notes and Mr. S. almost never does). Secondly and most importantly, while Ms. L. broke them into pairs and gave them different categories on index cards (i.e. if they received "sneakers," they would have to write sentences like "Nike are better than Adidas" or if they received "soccer players" they would have to write "Ronaldo is the best soccer player"), Mr. S. gave them each an adjective as they walked in the door and had them literally hop for "ugly, uglier, ugliest," etc., until he was satisfied with both their words and hopping. Was it more effective? Hard to say. Was it much more fun? Indeed. Chances are, then, Mr. S.'s lesson was more memorable for the students, and therefore, probably more effective.
Furthermore, when Ms. L. asks her students to move around the room, they groan. They are used to staying in their seats the entire period. Mr. S., on the other hand, *always* has them get up and move at least once during his class. It is more chaotic and more noisy, but it also forces the students to be more engaged. I'm not saying Mr. S. is definitely the better teacher, but I am saying his methods are certainly more interesting and more energetic, and he is by far the favored teacher. Therefore, his students most likely remember his lessons better and therefore probably score better. Of course, this is just my humble theory, but based on everything I learned in grad school and my observations during the day, I certainly prefer Mr. S.'s methods over those of Ms. L.
Subs. And I don't mean the sandwiches.
Substitutes come in two flavors. The first is timid and unwilling to take total control, which usually results in the students walking all over you, unless they have been told before by their teacher they will be persecuted if they do. In some cases, these subs actually know something about the subject they are teaching and are attempting to relay information but usually fail since the students have little or no respect for a stranger up in their bi'nis. The second, to which I was privy to yesterday, is a major bitch with a penchant for power. Holy crap, are these subs universally loathed.
I have been moved to a 7th grade social studies class, and there was a sub yesterday. The original teacher was smart and instead of playing a video or something, she had them fill out packets that would serve as their study guides for their major test at the end of the month. The sub informed the class that there was to be NO talking. Understandable. However, 12 year olds are prone to speaking before raising their hands, and several needed a pen or other necessary implement or asked what the abbreviation of Missouri was. I was happy to provide these things because they could not do the work without them. I even let two girls look at the same notebook since one forgot hers as long as they were doing the work by themselves. This woman, though, threw a fit whenever one of them said anything, even whispered, and one child was humming (which I didn't even notice), which apparently drove her even crazier. I was walking around answering questions and handing out packets, etc., trying to be helpful, and she was walking around drunk with power. It was ridiculous.
This woman was back today and handed out different packets. At first she told them to do the work without help but quickly realized the work was especially difficult and both of us were busy the entire class helping them out. Many students professed to me that this was boring and they didn't want to do it. I genuinely apologized because it did suck that they were stuck in this situation. The sub was also constantly interrupting their work to say what the punishment would be if she were pushed to hard and she was about on her wit's end. Of course, nothing happened. The students were not that bad before this remark, but the MOST important thing when disciplining students is consistency. If you say you will do something, DO IT. If the threats are empty the behavior will continue. It seemed as if this woman were on a power trip yet had no idea how to control the class. I realize she is just a sub, but it seems like common sense to do what you say you are going to do.
Yes, the students did their work but it was not at all an appropriate learning environment.
I have been moved to a 7th grade social studies class, and there was a sub yesterday. The original teacher was smart and instead of playing a video or something, she had them fill out packets that would serve as their study guides for their major test at the end of the month. The sub informed the class that there was to be NO talking. Understandable. However, 12 year olds are prone to speaking before raising their hands, and several needed a pen or other necessary implement or asked what the abbreviation of Missouri was. I was happy to provide these things because they could not do the work without them. I even let two girls look at the same notebook since one forgot hers as long as they were doing the work by themselves. This woman, though, threw a fit whenever one of them said anything, even whispered, and one child was humming (which I didn't even notice), which apparently drove her even crazier. I was walking around answering questions and handing out packets, etc., trying to be helpful, and she was walking around drunk with power. It was ridiculous.
This woman was back today and handed out different packets. At first she told them to do the work without help but quickly realized the work was especially difficult and both of us were busy the entire class helping them out. Many students professed to me that this was boring and they didn't want to do it. I genuinely apologized because it did suck that they were stuck in this situation. The sub was also constantly interrupting their work to say what the punishment would be if she were pushed to hard and she was about on her wit's end. Of course, nothing happened. The students were not that bad before this remark, but the MOST important thing when disciplining students is consistency. If you say you will do something, DO IT. If the threats are empty the behavior will continue. It seemed as if this woman were on a power trip yet had no idea how to control the class. I realize she is just a sub, but it seems like common sense to do what you say you are going to do.
Yes, the students did their work but it was not at all an appropriate learning environment.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
I taught today!
The female eighth grade English teacher had to go to a meeting during the first part of her class today, so she very briefly explained her plan for the day and had me teach the first part of the class. It was pretty invigorating, and the kids were actually extremely amenable, and even with the no preparation whatsoever it wasn't that intimidating (only a little). They started with a warm up and then I went over it (correcting grammatical errors), which went very smoothly. Then we moved into copying grammar notes from their textbook, and I was a little confused because even though I know grammar like the back of my hand, I don't know the terms for everything. When Ms. L. told me they'd be practicing comparatives and superlatives, I gave her a look like WTF? But after glancing at the textbook, I realized it was just "er," "est," "more," and "most." Even though I couldn't answer all their questions and kind of confused them with how to take notes (which Mrs. L. then went over once she got back) it went pretty well. The kids were really respectful and patient with me. Hooray!
Also, I've been helping the drama teacher run auditions. They have been pretty crazy, and today we finished and did the casting. It will be interesting working with 30 middle schoolers every afternoon. Should certainly wake me up!
As tomorrow is Veterans' Day, we all have the day off. But then we go back on Friday. Strange, and will probably screw everything up. So it goes.
Also, I've been helping the drama teacher run auditions. They have been pretty crazy, and today we finished and did the casting. It will be interesting working with 30 middle schoolers every afternoon. Should certainly wake me up!
As tomorrow is Veterans' Day, we all have the day off. But then we go back on Friday. Strange, and will probably screw everything up. So it goes.
Monday, November 8, 2010
School Culture
...is usually its own entity, and it more often than not doesn't mimic culture as a whole. This should not be the case. The reason, I think, many kids do not like school is because they do not find it relevant to their lives as a whole. I completely empathize with this. Instead of improving schools from the inside out, we need to work on improving them from the outside in. That is, look at society/culture as a whole and attempt to integrate it into the school environment. As things stand now, though, these two cultures are way too disparate to ever help kids connect one with the other. The most obvious example of this is the culture of reading, which is extremely prominent in schools, but virtually non-existent in the real world. Every day you see advertisements for consumer culture, including TV shows, movies, video games, food, and almost never for books. You rarely hear among people not in the field about the latest or greatest book they've read. But if we expect our children to not only accept but embrace reading, society as a whole has to encourage it. Before we can look at school reform, therefore, we need to look at societal reform. In grad school I read a book by Jean Anyon that discussed just that. I think it's something we should all aspire to, but certainly something that will require our patience.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Happy Students
Slacking off again. Oh well.
This has been an interesting week. Yesterday was no exception. First of all, my first period is a class of self-contained math students. I don't have access to their exact IEP's (individual educational plans, used for special ed kids) but my guess is most of them have ADD due to their inabilities to focus. Today they took a quiz that took about 10 minutes, and during the rest of class I graded them quickly. They asked to see their grades on the quizzes afterward (mind you, these are kids who are excited with their C's for the quarter grade), and I showed one boy, who was so unbelievably excited when I showed him he got 35/36. His smile was so gigantic and his "For real!?" statement was incredulous. This is a kid who's been driving me crazy from day one, but that smile wiped every annoying instance away. THAT is teaching.
It was also Career Day today for the seventh graders, which meant I had one extra period off, which was nice. Then the two eighth grade teachers combined their classes so the students could meet a Secret Service Agent. They asked her questions that would (hopefully) help them write their next paper. They were really interested in what she had to say. It was pretty cool. I saw the speaker again during the last period. It was quite the way to end a Friday and the week as a whole.
This has been an interesting week. Yesterday was no exception. First of all, my first period is a class of self-contained math students. I don't have access to their exact IEP's (individual educational plans, used for special ed kids) but my guess is most of them have ADD due to their inabilities to focus. Today they took a quiz that took about 10 minutes, and during the rest of class I graded them quickly. They asked to see their grades on the quizzes afterward (mind you, these are kids who are excited with their C's for the quarter grade), and I showed one boy, who was so unbelievably excited when I showed him he got 35/36. His smile was so gigantic and his "For real!?" statement was incredulous. This is a kid who's been driving me crazy from day one, but that smile wiped every annoying instance away. THAT is teaching.
It was also Career Day today for the seventh graders, which meant I had one extra period off, which was nice. Then the two eighth grade teachers combined their classes so the students could meet a Secret Service Agent. They asked her questions that would (hopefully) help them write their next paper. They were really interested in what she had to say. It was pretty cool. I saw the speaker again during the last period. It was quite the way to end a Friday and the week as a whole.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Deja Vu
I've said it before and I'll say it again: librarians are amazing. Today was the first day of the school book fair, and the library is set up like a book store. It looks pretty authentic too. It obviously took a lot of work to do. Especially considering the fact that most kids aren't avid readers and books have to be set up in an alluring manner to entice them to read. And they were. I was impressed. There was also a section there for adults, with several cookbooks that I was drooling over. But I haven't cooked a lot recently, and the last thing I need is another excuse to make desserts.
Also, I went back to the counseling head to get my alternative assignment and the teacher with whom she said to be had a dark classroom when I showed up. I was, again, confused, and hung out in the library instead of being productive. But you know what, I don't even care, I do what I want.... Seriously, though, without sounding like a spoiled brat, I have eight of nine periods a day (including after school) in which I have an assignment. I don't think it's too much to ask for a forty-five minute break.
And more and more, I am preferring Mr. S's methods over Ms. L's. Yesterday he did an activity of which I did not see the point, but it was fun. My questions of relevancy, though, were answered with today's activity. Though Ms. L's students read the same story and had an interesting lead-in, I thought Mr. S's was better (and more bravely) run. However, both could stand to be more transparent with their students. I think this is one of the most difficult things to do in the teaching world, but also one of the most important. Speaking of transparency, I really liked the fact that Mr. S. handed out a state-written rubric for essays and explained how his grading system was similar because that's how they will be graded for the SOLs. Hooraaaay for explanations.
Also, I went back to the counseling head to get my alternative assignment and the teacher with whom she said to be had a dark classroom when I showed up. I was, again, confused, and hung out in the library instead of being productive. But you know what, I don't even care, I do what I want.... Seriously, though, without sounding like a spoiled brat, I have eight of nine periods a day (including after school) in which I have an assignment. I don't think it's too much to ask for a forty-five minute break.
And more and more, I am preferring Mr. S's methods over Ms. L's. Yesterday he did an activity of which I did not see the point, but it was fun. My questions of relevancy, though, were answered with today's activity. Though Ms. L's students read the same story and had an interesting lead-in, I thought Mr. S's was better (and more bravely) run. However, both could stand to be more transparent with their students. I think this is one of the most difficult things to do in the teaching world, but also one of the most important. Speaking of transparency, I really liked the fact that Mr. S. handed out a state-written rubric for essays and explained how his grading system was similar because that's how they will be graded for the SOLs. Hooraaaay for explanations.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Slacking Off
Changes in scheduling make me a slacker. There was no school yesterday because it was teacher workday (to coincide with voting day). Teachers had to get their grades in since it was the end of the first quarter. Yesterday was a great day for me for a variety of reasons, but I hate breaks in the middle of the week. It makes them seem so much longer.
Anyway, today in the reading class I help with, I was testing fluency of some of the students. It was an interesting experience. I listened to how slowly and effectively kids read while marking down mistakes. They seemed completely used to it and not at all nervous. Evidently they are tested often. The passage seemed really long and may have been to high a level for them, but I am certainly no expert. I just wonder how accurate these reading tests really are.
Also today, the head of the counseling department changed my schedule a little. Instead of helping with the eighth grade reading class, I'm now helping with a seventh grade social studies class. My knowledge of late US history is pretty good, and I'm interested to see how it will fare in this class. She also took me out of helping in the counseling office and switched me to another class for that period, but when I went to that classroom today it was a different class than what she said it would be. The teacher in that classroom and myself were very confused. So I came to the library and typed this up instead of looking for another assignment. Woooooooo slacking!
But I will find something else to do in that time tomorrow, and tell the counseling head there was some sort of mix-up today.
Anyway, today in the reading class I help with, I was testing fluency of some of the students. It was an interesting experience. I listened to how slowly and effectively kids read while marking down mistakes. They seemed completely used to it and not at all nervous. Evidently they are tested often. The passage seemed really long and may have been to high a level for them, but I am certainly no expert. I just wonder how accurate these reading tests really are.
Also today, the head of the counseling department changed my schedule a little. Instead of helping with the eighth grade reading class, I'm now helping with a seventh grade social studies class. My knowledge of late US history is pretty good, and I'm interested to see how it will fare in this class. She also took me out of helping in the counseling office and switched me to another class for that period, but when I went to that classroom today it was a different class than what she said it would be. The teacher in that classroom and myself were very confused. So I came to the library and typed this up instead of looking for another assignment. Woooooooo slacking!
But I will find something else to do in that time tomorrow, and tell the counseling head there was some sort of mix-up today.
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