Frustrated

It has been quite a while since I've written. It is the end of the quarter today and parent-teacher conferences begin next week. I'm pretty excited to be able to meet with 24 out of 25 families! (Hopefully I can work out a way to meet with the one last family!)

The flu and sick bugs have hit our school hard this week. One of the 1st grade teachers had 9 out on both Monday and Tuesday! The most I have had out was 5. I have 2 that will be out the rest of the week. I really hope they get better quickly.

What I'm most frustrated with is our school dynamic within the administration-teachers and the people in between. When I signed on to work at this charter school, my understanding was I would have more freedom to teach the way I wanted and teach in a fun way with the kids, but still so they understand and learn. Now I am finding out this was a lie.

One of our programs we use is SRA's Reading Mastery. We have used it the past 2 years and are continuing to use it this year. I teach Reading Mastery 3. This is considered a 2nd grade reading program, but the majority of students in my class are 3rd graders. I truly want this group to master the concepts I am teaching, so I am taking the time to make sure they are solid in the concepts and their fluency continues to build.

I have had frustrations in the past with RM, but overall have enjoyed teaching the programs. (I have taught RM 1, 2, and 3.) This year I am beyond frustrated.

We have a consultant who comes in and assists our reading coach about once a month or so. I am not the biggest fan of our coach, as most people are not.

Last week our coach came in to observe me for the first time this school year. This would be the week I was sick. I'm pretty sure I had a fever when she came in. Let's just say this wasn't the best day to observe me.

I can deal with that day. It wasn't too bad. The day I'm having trouble with is today.

The consultant came in today. Basically her evaluation of me said I didn't teach the program correctly. UGH!

Her points were the following (summarized):

I gave the students too much time to do their work. I need to continue on when the majority of the group is finished with their independent work. I am not to wait on every student.

I have to make sure I am playing the "Fact Game" with the students every 20 lessons. (In RM, students are given different 'rules' to learn and some of them are given in vocabulary sentences, such as "A dozen typists approached the stairs." and students memorize the sentence and I feed them the definition of the new words. And they basically repeat the words verbatem. It's very robotic. And boring.)

I also need to have the students mark something next to each number when they are grading their work. If they are correct, they put a check. If it is incorrect, they circle the number.

I also need to read the entire question when I am giving them the answer to continue to engage them and help them learn. (But yet I am supposed to move quickly through all these lessons because these are mostly 3rd graders and they are behind.)

I am extremely frustrated with the expectations given to me and my co-workers. Some of us are working super hard to benefit these kids, but others are just working to get the School of the Year Award.

Are we here to teach? Or are we here to win awards?

I am here to teach.