tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post4666233712648875030..comments2024-03-27T11:28:13.401-06:00Comments on Education Matters: Superintendent Vitti, jumps the shark, shows once again he doesn't understand teachers or what they doUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post-60892762390727999942016-09-20T18:05:41.544-06:002016-09-20T18:05:41.544-06:00Our principal told us that the State is breathing ...Our principal told us that the State is breathing down our necks about recess so she suggested we take our students outside for different structured activities. But isn't this missing the point. Recess is unstructured play. I don't understand why Vitti is so against this. I remember having recess twice a day growing up. Once in the morning. Once after lunch. Even on days we had PE(gasp). I'm sure we were more productive. Of course we didn't have this silly curriculum either.Bibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543728085900576908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post-89911518869698329342016-09-18T13:39:28.990-06:002016-09-18T13:39:28.990-06:00This would be a comedy if it weren't so tragic...This would be a comedy if it weren't so tragic. First let me say, yes, as teachers we want to spend 2 and 1/2 hours on literacy skills. What we don't want to do is spend 45-60 minutes reading text to children that does not improve their own ability to read and that is out dated. While this K-2 read aloud program may improve listening and speaking skills is does nothing to make children better readers. I am including the 3-5 curriculum here because it too has teachers reading to children before they are expected to read the text. Even the research done on the program tells us that without the supplemental text in Children's hands they will not be able to read by te end of grade 2. We are reaping what we sow right not in first and second grade. No, we did not get these promised huge classrooms libraries. Yes, we did get some phonics books with Saxon, and these are very useful, but it is not what the program's research calls for. So, my first graders could tell me that we have an esophagus, they can't read the word lungs. Maybe being able to read independently and discern infomation On your own is not important to someone who relys on the gift of gab. Maybe being dyslexic and making it so far in life which is something to be proud of; worked for someone, but it won't be the same for our children. We do want to teach children to be literate, not at the cost of being mathematical or scientific thinkers, but we want to do it with materials and the support we need not mandates and bullies. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1107550755163115303.post-44908596764698378832016-09-18T10:25:07.518-06:002016-09-18T10:25:07.518-06:00It is so constrained that on 2 different occasions...It is so constrained that on 2 different occasions at my school teachers that teach the same subject on the same grade level have been called in after walk throughs to be asked why they were not on the same lesson. So now, even though they supposedly put 'flex' days in the curr guide, we are still expected to be on the same lesson on the same day. What if my kids need more review? What if I have the inclusion class and I need to do go slower? After all, Vitti is the ESE advocate right? NOT!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com