I have been thinking more and more about my post that I made recently. The one titled Let Them Be Little, Please! I received so many comments about how so many teachers feel the same way I do. It made me feel so much better to know that I wasn't the only one that felt that way. Puzzling, because so many feel this same way but we still have our standards so high that children aren't allowed to be children, and it is causing elementary schools to be in an uproar all the time!
There was always different times throughout the school year that the students would be a little harder to control. Like, around the holidays, but now it seems nonstop! All they want to do is talk, talk, talk! As soon as I say to stop talking, guess what?!! They begin talking again. What is wrong with these kids? Are they disrespectful? Is it poor parenting? Is it poor teaching? What is it?
Another week of school is over for me, and more and more I am feeling the stress of being a teacher.
Now, do I make it worse on myself? Probably a little bit! But I have high standards for my students and I want to fill their little sponges with the knowledge they will need to be successful. I just don't teach to the 'test' like some teachers do. I teach the standards and what I think the students will need to be successful in life.
I think we have made our standards too high that most of our kindergarteners can't even meet the standard! For example, we use Read Well as our reading series. Last year we started having the students get to unit 20 by the end of the year. This is a first grade reading level. I noticed last year my students were struggling with this. This year the same thing is happening, but it actually may be worse!
At the end of the third quarter our students need to be finished with unit 15. I have one more week before I need to start assessments for the 3rd quarter and my groups are at 13 and 14. The group at unit 14 will most likely make it, but the other group at 13 will not! I have been busting my butt to get these students where they need to be. I have given reading homework for the students to practice. Most of the students are having trouble with the fluency part. It doesn't seem right for half of my class not to meet the goal. What is wrong? Is it me? It must not be because the majority of my team is in the same boat. Is the standard too high? Are the students not back from Christmas break? Are their brains finished for the year? It could be so many things.
I came across this post on Facebook and I thought it was brilliant!
What are you doing in your classroom to help with the talking?
I have been using the Scoreboard from WBT and picking a mystery student.
I am hoping these students turn out ok with the pressure we are putting on them.
Thanks for reading!
Have a Wolfelicious day!
Check out my Jamberry page
I don't mind the talking as much as the random noises, especially the "beedoobeedoo" (which your minion picture reminded me of lol).
ReplyDeleteThe millisecond I stop talking - they start. I had thought it was just the way they are now. But your post makes me think. Sara.
ReplyDeleteI praise them like there's no tomorrow. I then start a list of the table who is the quietest. The 'best' table gets some kind of reward. I do move a ton of kids until I get the right combination of kids together at one table. If they do not stop talking I start taking a minute from their recess time. We go outside and watch our quiet friends, while the ones who cannot stop talking just watch.
ReplyDeleteTania
My Second Sense