FAQ: What do teachers do in the summer?

One frequently asked question I receive from non-teacher friends and relatives is, "Why do you need the summer off? What do you do all summer?"

 

Well, to answer the first question, I don't know if we NEED the summer off.  Do we enjoy it?  YES!   I like to think of the summer as comp. time.  :)   Many teachers I've talked with over the last few years, while we all enjoy the long vacation, would love to see year round schools.  Teachers that support year round schools say they would like frequent breaks during the year that would give us the time we need to plan, collaborate, and come up with valuable resources, and to prevent students from what we call "the summer slide" where they actually lose progress over the summer from not reading, writing, or practicing math facts for 3 months.

 

To answer the second question:

During the summer we rejuvenate.  One of the things I noticed when I was student teaching is there is no down time during the day at school.  I've heard on the news (not sure it is believable) that many employees shop online, are on Facebook or other social media sites, or playing games on their phones or computers during the workday.  Wow!  IF that is true, how???  When??? Parents, you know how it is when your children are young, you can't even go to the bathroom alone.  Well imagine that you are home alone all day, but instead of 2-3 kids it is 22-30 kids.  :)  And not only are you home alone, you are all in one big room.  It's an entirely different point of view isn't it?  :)  We love what we do, but we appreciate some down time too! 

 

Most of us read.  We read for fun and to grow as people and teachers.  We read professional books. Books about teaching reading, writing, math , science, social studies, books about what we teach in social studies and science.  We read books for fun - beach reads, cookbooks, and how to improve your golf swing. 

 

Many of us take classes.  We  have to take classes to renew our teaching licenses.  Each state determines how many classes or hours in class we need.  We are allowed to take online classes, go to workshops,  take graduate level college classes, or attend professional conferences.  The summer gives us more time to do that. 

 

We travel and spend time with our families which "fills our buckets" it gives us stories to draw on for when we model writing.  I used a family trip to North Carolina to my cousin's wedding for both science and social studies lessons last year.  My students enjoyed those connections and it helped their brains hold onto the concepts I was teaching. 

 

We also do home projects, volunteer and supplement our incomes.  Things you might do in the evenings and weekends, we do in the summer. 

 

Finally, we work during the summer.  Not full time, but we do work.  As an elementary teacher I spend the beginning of vacation in June organizing and purging in my classroom.  I rearrange what worked and didn't work to have a new and improved plan next year.  Then in August, once the summer cleaning is finished, we go back into the building as soon as they let us to start setting up our rooms and getting ready for the next year.  One friend commented she went into school this week to get her materials for her Earth Science unit so she can work on that this summer. 

 

A great book that shows this seasonal process is Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Edith Pattou. 

 

Just in case you were wondering, that's one teacher's answer. :) 

 

 

 

Food Allergies in Schools




askgeorgie.com 6/24/2013

 

Food Allergies Stink! 

I found out I'm allergic to wheat in 2008.  Then this year I had digestive issues again. My intuition again said it had to be something I was eating.  Back to the allergist, more testing, and now it's even worse!  I am allergic to . . . chocolate! .  Oh well, there are worse things in life. One of those worse things in life, in my opinion, is for children to have severe food allergies.  Children don't deserve this! 

Food allergies single us out at any social event because we can't just "go out for pizza."  Students with peanut allergies can't go to baseball games because there are peanuts sold there and peanut shells everywhere.  How fair is that??

 

Schools have cafeterias, and parties, and snacks, and birthday treats, and kids who like to trade food. 

 How will you and your child navigate the world of food allergies in school? 

As carefully and assertively as you need to. 

 

With all the food allergies school personnel  are usually aware  of how to handle and respect food allergies or medical conditions affecting diet (diabetes, celiac's disease, etc.).  However, the first thing you have to do  in order for you school staff to help your child is to tell them. Please start with the school nurse and your child's teacher. 

Please also let them know how severe your child's allergy is.  For example, some children with peanut allergies can't eat nuts, but can be around them.  Others can't be anywhere near them or they will stop breathing.  I've seen a teacher with a nut free zone sign on their classroom doors eating almonds while the students were out of the room.  That may be ok for some students, but may be very dangerous for others.  We need to know that. 

 Finding a teacher with a food allergy or other dietary condition or a teacher whose child has a food allergy helps.  As much as we want everyone to understand and be cautious, those of us living with it understand it far more than those who don't live with it. 



lasotaslittlelearners.blogspot.com 6/24/2013

Another way to be proactive and help your child and the school is to offer to make a sign such as this one from lasotaslittlelearners.blogspot.com to post on your child's classroom door.

Your child's teacher should be able to let parents know what not to send to school with their children for snacks, birthday treats, etc. without revealing your child's name.  However, parents are busy and forget.  You may want to send some safe snacks to school for your child.  Ask your child's teacher what the best plan for that is. . . storing them in the classroom or in the nurse's office, etc. 

 

 

As you know with anything, communication is the key. 
We need to know in order to help your child. 
 

 

 

 

 

Special Education

This morning I went blueberry picking. 

 It made me think of Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.  :)

 

On the wagon I sat next to a woman who was also picking by herself.  She said she has 3 kids.  The youngest is 10 and has special needs.  As we picked blueberries, I picked her brain. 

Her experiences in her local public school made me cringe.  I decided right then to post about special education so parents would know what their rights are under the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Act.  Please keep in mind that I am NOT a special educator.  I do not have a degree in special education or a license in special education.  This is my understanding from being an "education insider."  

 

First of All

If your child has any type of disability - a medical condition such as Down Syndrome or autism, a learning disability (as determined by very extensive testing called a multi-factored evaluation), a behavioral disorder, or a speech or language problem (can't speak, stutters, can't use appropriate grammar, lisps, etc.) you may be entitled to special education services through your local school district.  This can apply even if your child is home schooled or goes to a private or parochial school. 

 

School Districts have to identify students with disabilities by doing extensive testing.  This testing is done as a recommendation by a team of teachers, parents, school psychologist, and district representative.  This testing is usually not done until there is enough documentation to show that the school has tried to provide different techniques called interventions which have proven to be unsuccessful.  This testing is called a multifactored evaluation.

 

After Identification

After a child is identified as having a disability, parents (in Ohio anyway) should receive a copy of the booklet Whose Idea is This?  It is a parents' guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Act which is FEDERAL LAW and what your rights are under the law. 

 http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Special-Education/Whose-IDEA-Is-This-A-Parent-s-Guide-to-the-Individ

 

This link (above) will take you to a page with a PDF version of this document.  Below that you will see translations if you need this document in another language. 

 

The next step is to set up an I.E.P. meeting. 

 I.E.P. stands for Individualized Education Plan.  This written legal document will have your child's present levels of achievement and the goals for your child to achieve in the coming year.  At the end of the document will be the accomodations the school personnel will make for your child to accommodate his special needs.  Included in this is your child's least restrictive environment. 

 

Your child has the right to be educated to the fullest extent possible in the regular classroom.  However, there are limits. . .. For example, if your child has speech services, sitting in the back of the classroom practicing saying certain sounds or techniques to stop stuttering while the classroom teacher is teach wouldn't work for anyone in the room.  So your child would be "pulled out" of the regular classroom to visit the speech teacher (speech and language pathologist) in her room.  Or your child's behavior, for example, can't interfere with the safety and learning of other children in the class.  Another reason for a "pull out program" is that public schools are limited by tax dollars.   There are only so many staff members to go around.  Your child may need to be taught for part of the day in a resource room instead of the regular education classroom.  Resource room is a neutral term meaning the special education classroom.  In this room there will be a trained and licensed special education teacher and possibly instructional aides that work under that teacher's supervision. Some of what the special education team does for your child is limited to the school district's rules and procedures, however most special educators will do what is best for the child and the child's learning style.   This will allow the special educator to individualize instruction for your child's learning needs.  So the least restrictive environment is the best place for your child to receive the services that he needs - maybe the regular education classroom or perhaps the resource room. 

 

What will your child miss while in the speech room?  the resource room, etc?  You have the right to know that.  If you are not told, feel free to ask.  Different states and different districts handle this differently.  My district has 2 plans that I am aware of.  If the child is to learn the regular education curriculum, but get extra support in the subject where she has a learning disability, the child will stay in the regular classroom for that subject then get additional instruction in that subject at a special time of day we call RTI time (response to intervention).  If a child is working well below grade level and unable to do what the regular education class is doing, she may be pulled out during that subject to get instruction at her level during that time.  Again, your district should communicate this with you.  You have a legal right to know. 

 

Legally Speaking

The I.E.P. (the formal typed document with your child's present levels of achievement and goals for future growth) is a legal, binding document.   If there is a service you want to be sure your child receives, make sure it goes into the IEP.  If something in the IEP is not being done, contact the district representative, a parent advocate, and if you've tried all that you may want to consult with an attorney. 

Again, please keep in mind public school districts have very limited resources.  Requesting things your child doesn't need isn't helping the school meet your child's needs. If your doctor says your child needs to eat a crunchy snack to keep those jaw and throat muscles working for breathing and speaking, then school has to allow a crunchy snack.  Now, they can limit that snack to something that other students aren't allergic to so others won't become sick, but they should follow the doctor's orders. 

 

What next?

You can change or add to an I.E.P. at any time if it is not meeting the child's needs.  The school staff (teacher, special education teacher, district representative)  will meet with you annually to review the I.E.P. and add goals for the coming year. 

If you move. . . Because an I.E.P. is a result of the Federal Law, it travels with your child to any school in any state in the U.S.A.  The school is responsible for sending it with the school records, but if you move it would greatly benefit your child for you to speak up and let them know your child is on an I.E.P. 

 

 

On a Positive Note

The district where I work is amazing with special education.  I have taught in 2 buildings, and I truly feel that we do our very best each and every day to accommodate each child's needs.  I like to think we do that because we care about the child's success, and we  care about the families, not just because we are legally bound to do so. 

 

If you have any issues as my berry picking partner did, please ask for help.  You and your child deserve the best education that is possible!!!  

 

 

 

Classroom Snapshots

One of my goals for this blog is to help you see what is going on in your child's classroom when you aren't there.  As a mom who worked full time for most of my daughter's childhood, I know we can't all be (or even want to be) parent volunteers.  But that leaves your child's classroom a mystery.  All we have to fall back on is our own experiences.  Most of those were very traditional with desks in rows, textbooks, workbooks, and not much hands on. 
Well, times have changed.  Thank goodness, right?!  That doesn't mean rows, textbooks and workbooks are bad.  It just means we know A LOT more about how we learn and about how children's brains develop.  Just like there have been a lot of advancements in medical science and technology in the 18 years or so since you were in elementary school, there have been a lot of advancements in the world of education.   
I'd like to share classroom snapshots with you so you can get an idea of the kinds of teaching we are  doing and the high expectations on your children.  That's another thing that's changed.  Students are expected to work much harder even in elementary school than we were.  Well. .. come see for yourself. 
 This video features my alma mater, Miami University's Ohio Writing Project working with a local school district to offer professional development to teachers to improve writing instruction.   http://miamioh.edu/features/global/writing-project/index.html

Another classroom snapshot features Social Studies.  There are actually several short videos of a 3rd grade classroom.  In this video at the beginning notice the talk about the "learning target."  That is one of the recent changes.  The goal is to help students understand the point of the lesson and get their brains ready to learn by telling them our goal or target for the lesson.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3j4QuFMCl4&list=UU-SFEP4_ZxSqlPGIKZjv0Sw
I THINK this will then flow into the other segments.  If not, they will be on the right and you can click on them.  In this segment you will see 3rd Graders looking at photos using Historical Thinking or the Reading Like a Historian Approach.  This will give you an idea of the type of instruction we are doing in Social Studies. We are trying to give even our youngest students primary sources - documents, photos, letters, paintings, etc. from the time period in history being studied.  Then we are teaching them to "think like a historian."
 This means we source  the document - asking who made it or is in it, where was it made, when, and why?  Next we contextualize a photo or document to make sure students understand what was happening in this time in history.  Do they have the background knowledge needed to understand the document?  After we have laid the foundation we do what is called close reading.  That means we read critically, analyzing and studying the picture or document.  This requires students to be able to read, understand, think, compare, contrast, analyze.  If you have the time to watch the video you will be amazed at the deep thinking these 3rd graders are doing!  Finally, we teach students not to take sources for granted.  We teach them to be analytical.  We introduce them to other sources to see if we can corroborate, confirm or give support to the first source or disprove it.  Students are also asked to support their thinking using the evidence from the document. 

Aren't you even more proud of your child knowing the kind of work s/he is doing all day?  :) 

Have you heard about the new Common Core?

Has your school district or teaching staff been talking about the "new Common Core" standards? 
These are new standards in language arts (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and math.  The goal was for these standards to be accepted nationwide so that our students' education was more similar instead of some states outperforming others.  At this point about 40 states have approved the Common Core standards and required their teachers to teach them. 
Here is a short video that gives some background:
Elementary Schools https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-elementary-school
Middle Schools https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-middle-school
And High Schools https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-high-school

To Write in Cursive or Not ???

Have you been wondering why your child hasn't been learning cursive?  or why your child's teacher hasn't been forcing him to write in cursive the way you had to? 
Most teachers believe that cursive is important. After all, we want students to be able to read cursive and sign their names to important legal documents some day.  While most educators see value in cursive, many state's standards  did not place value on cursive.  Also with the pressure on schools and districts to continuously raise test scores  emphasis has been placed on tested subjects.  That means during the school day we are spending every spare minute (not that we have any spare minutes) on reading and math in the elementary grades.  This article linked below gives reasons why we should not give up on cursive just yet. 

What Learning Cursive Does for Your Brain