Each student is an individual. As a teacher, your expectations for each student are not the same. This is especially true when dealing with SPED students.
In my math support class, called Math 360, I have to boys in particular who have special expectations. They both have IEPs (I think), and probably ADD or ADHD, although I haven't actually had access to their files. These boys are always out of their seat, talking, and they both seem to want to slap themselves, hit their heads against things, over react etc. They're both fairly bright, but can't focus for long periods of time.
So where do I draw the line with these students as far as sending them out of the room and to their advisers, rather then just dealing with the discipline issues in classroom. I don't like to take things out of the classroom if I can help it. I don't want to escalate things for the students, I don't want the paper work, and there is probably a little bit of ego that tells me that I can deal with it myself.
Today I should have sent both of them to their advisers. My co-op teacher for that class, Zach, interjected on my behalf a couple of times, and separated one of the boys at one point, but he wanted to allow me to retain the power of sending them out of the room, rather then taking over, which I appreciate.
My problem I think was that I was so involved with trying to keep them doing something, and trying to keep the other students engaged that I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until only a minute or two were left in the period. At that point it was too late to send the student out.
So when you have students with behavior problems like that, how do you make the call about when their behavior has crossed the line. I would never tolerate their behavior today from a "normal" student, but how bad do you let it get in the interest of compassion for the student?
Friday, April 24, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Can you hear my voice?
Last Friday I learned that I don't have quite as much stamina as I thought I did. Friday was my first day teaching two class periods. Soon I will add a third. Friday I started the day observing and helping out in World History with Rebecca.
She had a really interesting topic tying their history topic to today. They were studying Imperial China, and specifically discussing the Great Wall of China. The students were doing an assignment writing a mini paper comparing the Great Wall of China with the potential 'Great Wall of Mexico', specifically they are asked to discuss why both walls were built, and how they functioned, and what caused it to eventually fail (in the case of the Chinese wall) or why it may or may not work in the case of Mexico.
I think it's a really fascinating topic for kids to look at, especially 7th and 8th graders, however because of the split focus, and the style of the lesson, it was really disjointed and full of tangents. Basically, the teacher talked a bunch, and then assigned a reading and the kids had to fill out a worksheet while they read. It was terribly boring, but then again, she tried to do a role play, and it was well explained and prepared, and the students just wouldn't buy into it. I'm really excited about my unit, I have the great fortune to be teaching a period that I have great personal interest and knowledge in, I just hope I can instill some of that passion into the kids.
After the social studies class I teach a Math class full of the loudest most talkative 30 7th graders I've ever met. I spend way more of the period shouting then I'd like, but the feed back that I'm getting (and comparing my lessons to the ones Marna, my Co-op teacher taught) I'm actually don't pretty darn well. The material is a bit challenging, percents, ratio proportions are not easy concepts to get, but most of my kids will do anything they can to get out of working.
After a prep that usually doesn't feel nearly long enough, I teach my second Math 7 class. Friday was my first day of teaching this class, and about half way through my lesson I quickly realized that if I didn't start doing things a little different my voice wouldn't last until the end of the day once I started teaching my third class.
Though my last class is smaller, and more cooperative, it's the end of the day, and kids are antsy.
So my new goals for myself include working on keeping the pitch of my voice low. 'Going under them' as Marna puts it, rather then getting shrill or shrieky. I'm also trying to employ a tactic that Jenn, a member of my cohort, mentioned, of quietly saying sit down and look at me if you can hear my voice, over and over again until the whole class is seated.
Fortunately I seem to have established a pretty positive relationship with several of the more challenging students, so even if they aren't inclined to pay attention, when I ask them specifically to do something, they smile, knowing they've been caught, rather then getting upset at being asked to stop.
She had a really interesting topic tying their history topic to today. They were studying Imperial China, and specifically discussing the Great Wall of China. The students were doing an assignment writing a mini paper comparing the Great Wall of China with the potential 'Great Wall of Mexico', specifically they are asked to discuss why both walls were built, and how they functioned, and what caused it to eventually fail (in the case of the Chinese wall) or why it may or may not work in the case of Mexico.
I think it's a really fascinating topic for kids to look at, especially 7th and 8th graders, however because of the split focus, and the style of the lesson, it was really disjointed and full of tangents. Basically, the teacher talked a bunch, and then assigned a reading and the kids had to fill out a worksheet while they read. It was terribly boring, but then again, she tried to do a role play, and it was well explained and prepared, and the students just wouldn't buy into it. I'm really excited about my unit, I have the great fortune to be teaching a period that I have great personal interest and knowledge in, I just hope I can instill some of that passion into the kids.
After the social studies class I teach a Math class full of the loudest most talkative 30 7th graders I've ever met. I spend way more of the period shouting then I'd like, but the feed back that I'm getting (and comparing my lessons to the ones Marna, my Co-op teacher taught) I'm actually don't pretty darn well. The material is a bit challenging, percents, ratio proportions are not easy concepts to get, but most of my kids will do anything they can to get out of working.
After a prep that usually doesn't feel nearly long enough, I teach my second Math 7 class. Friday was my first day of teaching this class, and about half way through my lesson I quickly realized that if I didn't start doing things a little different my voice wouldn't last until the end of the day once I started teaching my third class.
Though my last class is smaller, and more cooperative, it's the end of the day, and kids are antsy.
So my new goals for myself include working on keeping the pitch of my voice low. 'Going under them' as Marna puts it, rather then getting shrill or shrieky. I'm also trying to employ a tactic that Jenn, a member of my cohort, mentioned, of quietly saying sit down and look at me if you can hear my voice, over and over again until the whole class is seated.
Fortunately I seem to have established a pretty positive relationship with several of the more challenging students, so even if they aren't inclined to pay attention, when I ask them specifically to do something, they smile, knowing they've been caught, rather then getting upset at being asked to stop.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Will work for salary...
On Tuesday, I attended the Oregon Professional Education Fair. This is a huge job fair in Portland attended by many districts in the area, and not a few districts from other areas, especially Washington and California, but also from as far as the Bering Strait and El Paso, Texas. I arrived early and with optimism, but despite the fact that I felt confident and positive about all of my interactions with districts it was a discouraging day.
I left my resume with ten districts, but one has to wonder how much that really matters. In the world of EdZapp and internet, especially when there are hiring freezes, is handing someone a resume going to make any difference? Even if I did make a really positive impression on people, even impress them to the point where they want to hire me, are they going to remember that they felt that way about me in a month when they perhaps have an opening I'm qualified for? At least with theater, when I gave a resume, it included a head shot so the directors could remember which one I was.
Because of my personal situation (my fiance is going to school in Eugene, and we own a house in Springfield) I cannot consider moving to a new area, which means that I could only consider districts close enough for me to drive to. There was not a single district from my county at the fair. One had been signed up, but they had canceled at the last minute, an event which was particularly frustrating for a colleague of mine that had attended the fair specifically to talk to that district (Bethel).
So I talked to Corvallis, Lebanon, Roseburg, Salem... ten districts total. Not a single district had a job available that I was qualified for, although most of them also said that they didn't know what jobs they might have at all. In general it seemed as if the fair was happening to early. I heard the same story over and over again, "we just don't know yet."
The most frustrating experience was Woodburn, which is probably too far for me to travel to, in reality. I waiting in line for at least 45 minutes. I of course had chosen the slowest moving line. It was the last school on my list, and I was already achy and tired. It moved so slowly... and when I finally arrived up to the front of the line, my mini-interview was conducted to the side of the booth, standing, in the walk way, very quickly. At that point was so terribly discouraged and convinced that there was no way I was getting hired.
I was surprised at how many positions required advanced math, so I will be actively pursuing that in the next couple years. If I am indeed unsuccessful in getting a job in the fall, I will re-take those more advanced math classes that I don't remember as well. They will likely be easy classes, and it will probably come back to me, but by taking the classes, I can also steal some ideas on how to teach the material (or how not to teach it, depending). Even if I do receive a teaching position, I still want to work towards passing that praxis. Because I have already done practicums in math, I should only have to pass the praxis in order to receive the endorsement.
Regardless, I am not terribly optimistic about finding jobs, nor was anyone else at the fair, or anyone who I've talked to who is in the same position as me. And combing the district websites for openings sure makes for tedious work in the evenings.
I left my resume with ten districts, but one has to wonder how much that really matters. In the world of EdZapp and internet, especially when there are hiring freezes, is handing someone a resume going to make any difference? Even if I did make a really positive impression on people, even impress them to the point where they want to hire me, are they going to remember that they felt that way about me in a month when they perhaps have an opening I'm qualified for? At least with theater, when I gave a resume, it included a head shot so the directors could remember which one I was.
Because of my personal situation (my fiance is going to school in Eugene, and we own a house in Springfield) I cannot consider moving to a new area, which means that I could only consider districts close enough for me to drive to. There was not a single district from my county at the fair. One had been signed up, but they had canceled at the last minute, an event which was particularly frustrating for a colleague of mine that had attended the fair specifically to talk to that district (Bethel).
So I talked to Corvallis, Lebanon, Roseburg, Salem... ten districts total. Not a single district had a job available that I was qualified for, although most of them also said that they didn't know what jobs they might have at all. In general it seemed as if the fair was happening to early. I heard the same story over and over again, "we just don't know yet."
The most frustrating experience was Woodburn, which is probably too far for me to travel to, in reality. I waiting in line for at least 45 minutes. I of course had chosen the slowest moving line. It was the last school on my list, and I was already achy and tired. It moved so slowly... and when I finally arrived up to the front of the line, my mini-interview was conducted to the side of the booth, standing, in the walk way, very quickly. At that point was so terribly discouraged and convinced that there was no way I was getting hired.
I was surprised at how many positions required advanced math, so I will be actively pursuing that in the next couple years. If I am indeed unsuccessful in getting a job in the fall, I will re-take those more advanced math classes that I don't remember as well. They will likely be easy classes, and it will probably come back to me, but by taking the classes, I can also steal some ideas on how to teach the material (or how not to teach it, depending). Even if I do receive a teaching position, I still want to work towards passing that praxis. Because I have already done practicums in math, I should only have to pass the praxis in order to receive the endorsement.
Regardless, I am not terribly optimistic about finding jobs, nor was anyone else at the fair, or anyone who I've talked to who is in the same position as me. And combing the district websites for openings sure makes for tedious work in the evenings.
Monday, April 6, 2009
New School, New term.
This term I am at Roosevelt Middle School which is one of the 'premier' middle schools in Eugene, it's long had a reputation for being innovative and highly rigorous academically. It's got a fairly high SES and is a feeder school to the high school with the same reputation, South Eugene High School.
The culture of the school is very, for lack of a better term, Eugenian. Equity and diversity are highly valued, though there is still a fairly traditional status quo. But students call their teachers by their first names, they get to pick their teachers and their classes with surprising freedom. It's also the only middle school that I know of that has a semi-open campus. Students are free (with parent permission) to go across the street to the local convenience store, organic grocery, or funky coffee shop.
As far as math, there seems to be a very strong program. For the at level students they rely on a curriculum called Connected Math. This is very application based, and the books don't actually ever tell students how to do anything. Instead they lead them through 'investigations' that cause students to apply the math. The downside of this highly constructivist approach is that the students often lack the concrete rules, algorithms or equations that they would gain from a more direct instruction oriented curriculum.
For those students who are below level, either because of learning disabilities, other IEP issues, or simply because math is particularly difficult for them, they take, instead of one of their electives, a class called Math 360. This class is taken on the opposite day of their regular math class and pairs pre-teaching and over-teaching with structured and guided homework help, and time using the 'Bridges to Algebra' computer math practice program .
For students who are above level, there are several class opportunities, as high as Algebra II offered, as well as math club(s) and quiz teams for those who truly enjoy math. RMS is moving towards an 'Algebra for All' approach which would place all (or nearly all) 8th graders in an algebra class, verses Algebra being an at level class for Freshman. This is likely in response at least partially to the new state requirements of three years of math Algebra or above in high school .
My situation, being paired with four total teachers, may seem chaotic or busy, but compared with my physical classroom situation last term, I don't mind a bit. My 'home location' is with Marna, and two of my other classrooms are just down the hall. My other Math 7 class is on the opposite side of the school. Despite moving around, I feel like I have had ample time to get to know and get a feel for each of my math teachers. My Social Studies teacher has been absent, so I have had a limited opportunity to talk with her. The math teachers work together very well, and have a fairly effective communication mechanism.
Right now it seems that my challenges for this term will be juggling more then one class preparation, shifting to fit in with several different teacher's house rules and styles, and integrating skill practice and drill into a highly application centered curriculum.
The culture of the school is very, for lack of a better term, Eugenian. Equity and diversity are highly valued, though there is still a fairly traditional status quo. But students call their teachers by their first names, they get to pick their teachers and their classes with surprising freedom. It's also the only middle school that I know of that has a semi-open campus. Students are free (with parent permission) to go across the street to the local convenience store, organic grocery, or funky coffee shop.
As far as math, there seems to be a very strong program. For the at level students they rely on a curriculum called Connected Math. This is very application based, and the books don't actually ever tell students how to do anything. Instead they lead them through 'investigations' that cause students to apply the math. The downside of this highly constructivist approach is that the students often lack the concrete rules, algorithms or equations that they would gain from a more direct instruction oriented curriculum.
For those students who are below level, either because of learning disabilities, other IEP issues, or simply because math is particularly difficult for them, they take, instead of one of their electives, a class called Math 360. This class is taken on the opposite day of their regular math class and pairs pre-teaching and over-teaching with structured and guided homework help, and time using the 'Bridges to Algebra' computer math practice program .
For students who are above level, there are several class opportunities, as high as Algebra II offered, as well as math club(s) and quiz teams for those who truly enjoy math. RMS is moving towards an 'Algebra for All' approach which would place all (or nearly all) 8th graders in an algebra class, verses Algebra being an at level class for Freshman. This is likely in response at least partially to the new state requirements of three years of math Algebra or above in high school .
My situation, being paired with four total teachers, may seem chaotic or busy, but compared with my physical classroom situation last term, I don't mind a bit. My 'home location' is with Marna, and two of my other classrooms are just down the hall. My other Math 7 class is on the opposite side of the school. Despite moving around, I feel like I have had ample time to get to know and get a feel for each of my math teachers. My Social Studies teacher has been absent, so I have had a limited opportunity to talk with her. The math teachers work together very well, and have a fairly effective communication mechanism.
Right now it seems that my challenges for this term will be juggling more then one class preparation, shifting to fit in with several different teacher's house rules and styles, and integrating skill practice and drill into a highly application centered curriculum.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Final Reflection
You can tell it's the end of the term because my blog updates are coming several times a day! This is my final reflection for winter term, discussing the term as a whole.
This term has been a term of challenges for me. I am a person who likes things to be in order, organized. In fact that is part of the appeal of ‘school’ for me. You have a schedule that only varies in predictable ways that were known ahead of time, you have a classroom that you prepare so as to be suitable for your lessons, units, style of teaching etc. You have a classroom routine, that you may then choose to disrupt at choice intervals. You set down expectations for your students, with predictable consequences. Things in a classroom should follow a certain equity and logic that is not often found out in the ‘real world’. A lot of my difficulties this term had to do with a school environment that was not many of these things. I started out ‘working’ in a class that felt more like a freshman seminar then a high school class, especially since the teachers didn’t need my help. I had very little to do at first except observe, participate and enjoy. Then suddenly everything changed and I was in a chaotic classroom, that shared many classes and teachers, that was also the lunch room, with a class that was nearly too large for the room, and didn’t have many clear expectations, at least not based on my observations of student behavior. And then again, I was thrust into yet a different classroom, with even more limitations as far as technology, resources and space. I think that the hardest part of all of this was the fact that I couldn’t be in my classroom before class started. Perhaps I could have taken more initiative and asked about getting keys, or getting let into the classroom early, but I didn’t. I was spoiled last term in that my teacher had prep first thing in the morning so I could come in at 8 am and have two hours of time in the classroom without students, or sometimes even my cooperating teacher. It was a peaceful and relaxing way to make sure that I was completely ready for class, and had all of my resources ready. I now appreciate just how lucky I was.
Another huge challenge for me had to do with the uniqueness of the students. A lot of these students aren’t regular students, they are at our school for a reason, they are artists, performers, musicians. Regular school wasn’t cutting it for them. That is the sort of high school student I was, and I find that that type of high school student is often more mature then your normal high school student. I have a knack for building relationships with my students, and maintaining positive relationships with them. With these students I had a hard time maintaining those positive relationships without slipping into my ‘just Ruth’ mode. I had to constantly remind myself that I was still the teacher. These kids reminded me a lot of younger friends and family members of mine and it was difficult not to treat them like friends. I felt like I was constantly moving back and forth between two personas inside of myself. Perhaps this is an issue that would solve itself with time as I adjusted to the age group, and as I continue myself to get older (and theoretically more mature). I think that this is part of the reason that I prefer middle school students, is that as much as I might like a middle school student at a person, I am in no danger of accidentally treating them like a peer.
Finally, designing curriculum is really hard. It sounds obvious, and I knew it was hard getting into it, but I had anticipated more resources or help. I feel like I didn’t know what I was supposed to teach about quadrilaterals, so I just sort of picked something that I thought was right, and erred on the side of the simple. I then feel like from watching Aaron teach the unit (twice now) that I taught the wrong things, or forgot to teach many things. I feel like my unit was sort of useless, which I know from the analysis in my assessment report isn’t true, but it’s hard not to be discouraged when most of your students don’t even turn in their final project.
Despite a discouraging tone in this reflection, my over all experience at A3 was a positive one. I love that school and what they are trying to do, and I feel like it is the type of school that I would like to spend time teaching at, I just don’t think I’m ready for it yet.
This term has been a term of challenges for me. I am a person who likes things to be in order, organized. In fact that is part of the appeal of ‘school’ for me. You have a schedule that only varies in predictable ways that were known ahead of time, you have a classroom that you prepare so as to be suitable for your lessons, units, style of teaching etc. You have a classroom routine, that you may then choose to disrupt at choice intervals. You set down expectations for your students, with predictable consequences. Things in a classroom should follow a certain equity and logic that is not often found out in the ‘real world’. A lot of my difficulties this term had to do with a school environment that was not many of these things. I started out ‘working’ in a class that felt more like a freshman seminar then a high school class, especially since the teachers didn’t need my help. I had very little to do at first except observe, participate and enjoy. Then suddenly everything changed and I was in a chaotic classroom, that shared many classes and teachers, that was also the lunch room, with a class that was nearly too large for the room, and didn’t have many clear expectations, at least not based on my observations of student behavior. And then again, I was thrust into yet a different classroom, with even more limitations as far as technology, resources and space. I think that the hardest part of all of this was the fact that I couldn’t be in my classroom before class started. Perhaps I could have taken more initiative and asked about getting keys, or getting let into the classroom early, but I didn’t. I was spoiled last term in that my teacher had prep first thing in the morning so I could come in at 8 am and have two hours of time in the classroom without students, or sometimes even my cooperating teacher. It was a peaceful and relaxing way to make sure that I was completely ready for class, and had all of my resources ready. I now appreciate just how lucky I was.
Another huge challenge for me had to do with the uniqueness of the students. A lot of these students aren’t regular students, they are at our school for a reason, they are artists, performers, musicians. Regular school wasn’t cutting it for them. That is the sort of high school student I was, and I find that that type of high school student is often more mature then your normal high school student. I have a knack for building relationships with my students, and maintaining positive relationships with them. With these students I had a hard time maintaining those positive relationships without slipping into my ‘just Ruth’ mode. I had to constantly remind myself that I was still the teacher. These kids reminded me a lot of younger friends and family members of mine and it was difficult not to treat them like friends. I felt like I was constantly moving back and forth between two personas inside of myself. Perhaps this is an issue that would solve itself with time as I adjusted to the age group, and as I continue myself to get older (and theoretically more mature). I think that this is part of the reason that I prefer middle school students, is that as much as I might like a middle school student at a person, I am in no danger of accidentally treating them like a peer.
Finally, designing curriculum is really hard. It sounds obvious, and I knew it was hard getting into it, but I had anticipated more resources or help. I feel like I didn’t know what I was supposed to teach about quadrilaterals, so I just sort of picked something that I thought was right, and erred on the side of the simple. I then feel like from watching Aaron teach the unit (twice now) that I taught the wrong things, or forgot to teach many things. I feel like my unit was sort of useless, which I know from the analysis in my assessment report isn’t true, but it’s hard not to be discouraged when most of your students don’t even turn in their final project.
Despite a discouraging tone in this reflection, my over all experience at A3 was a positive one. I love that school and what they are trying to do, and I feel like it is the type of school that I would like to spend time teaching at, I just don’t think I’m ready for it yet.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Homework
Homework always seems to be a point of contention and conflict in education. Some schools of thought seemed to believe that only through doing homework can students master skills. I admit their arguments are convincing. If a student can perform a skill at home where they don't have their teacher or peers to help them, then they truly know how to do it. I know from personal experience that homework tests how well I know how to do something very well. I might think I understand in class, and then get home and look at the homework and be totally lost. I've found this true in math classes, as well as other types of classes from social studies, to music, to theater.
On the other hand, I have also often done my homework with little attention to what I was doing, and just done it to be finished. Likewise I have often been in situations, most often in high school, where I knew the material very well, and had to do the busy work of homework. In many of my classes, I did all my learning in class. I also understand how many teachers give their students homework as if their class was the only class, or the most important class.
So what do we do about homework? All things in moderation I suppose. I think it is important that students learn how to do homework. They need to learn how to budget their time and plan ahead so that they can turn in an assignment when it is due, even if they have no little to no time in class to work on it.
I have recently been working in a class that Does Not Do Homework. The fact that these students lack the will, work ethic, or whatever to do homework is incredibly frustrating, and it means that I have only the time in class to give them to practice their skills. It is clear to me after this experience that No Homework is not a good option for my style of teaching.
I think that perhaps I would start of the year with homework most nights, and grading it all very carefully. This way I would build the homework habit, and students would be concerned about doing it. Then I would slowly ease up on the amount of homework assigned and choose to grade only a couple problems, or grade it for completion. This seems to me like a happy medium, but do you think the students would 'catch on' and stop doing the homework? I know that it's not always a priority for students, especially it seems high school students who have all kinds of other drama of relationships, friendships, and more 'real world' issues. So how do we convince students that it's important to do their homework?
On the other hand, I have also often done my homework with little attention to what I was doing, and just done it to be finished. Likewise I have often been in situations, most often in high school, where I knew the material very well, and had to do the busy work of homework. In many of my classes, I did all my learning in class. I also understand how many teachers give their students homework as if their class was the only class, or the most important class.
So what do we do about homework? All things in moderation I suppose. I think it is important that students learn how to do homework. They need to learn how to budget their time and plan ahead so that they can turn in an assignment when it is due, even if they have no little to no time in class to work on it.
I have recently been working in a class that Does Not Do Homework. The fact that these students lack the will, work ethic, or whatever to do homework is incredibly frustrating, and it means that I have only the time in class to give them to practice their skills. It is clear to me after this experience that No Homework is not a good option for my style of teaching.
I think that perhaps I would start of the year with homework most nights, and grading it all very carefully. This way I would build the homework habit, and students would be concerned about doing it. Then I would slowly ease up on the amount of homework assigned and choose to grade only a couple problems, or grade it for completion. This seems to me like a happy medium, but do you think the students would 'catch on' and stop doing the homework? I know that it's not always a priority for students, especially it seems high school students who have all kinds of other drama of relationships, friendships, and more 'real world' issues. So how do we convince students that it's important to do their homework?
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pessimism
During my ELL class last week the HR guy from one of the local school districts came in to speak to our class. I think that my professors purpose was to bring in people who could talk about the opportunities for ELL education in Lane County, and discuss what sort of programs existed in this area. However, I felt more like he came in to tell us all that we weren't going to get jobs.
I understand that he was speaking to a class that was focused on teaching strategies designed for working with EL students, specifically the SIOP model, however I'm not sure if he was aware that many of us are not receiving ESOL endorsements, and none of us are receiving SIOP certification from this course, despite the fact that we have spent at least the last five weeks on the protocol.
The message that I received was that if you didn't have an ESOL endorsement or some sort of SPED certification, then that school district probably wouldn't even look at you for a job. And unless you were foreign and bilingual, your chance at getting a job was slim.
So I understand that this is just information from one guy, about one district, but it leaves me significantly less optimistic then I was before, and it also leave me feeling a bit tricked. If EL certification was so important now, why didn't they tell us this back in the summer when we could have done something about it. Why didn't they tell us then that they were going to start requiring it as part of the program, instead of waiting until part of the way through Fall term when it was too late to take the methods course?
I understand that things take time to change, and I can appreciate that, but it seems like the least that they could do is make it so that the ESOL strategies class that we elected to take actually left us with some sort of certification. After having spent a term learning all about SIOP, I feel sort of cheated that I don't have the sort of certification that a person who takes a weekend seminar on SIOP would have simply because our teacher wasn't certified by the company. It comes down to money. Whoever publishes SIOP wants to be paid for letting people teacher their stuff, and someone somewhere at the University decided that the SIOP class wouldn't include an element by a certified SIOP instructor, so I am left with no certification in an area that could mean the difference between me getting a job, or not getting a job.
I guess it's all just making me a bit blue.
I understand that he was speaking to a class that was focused on teaching strategies designed for working with EL students, specifically the SIOP model, however I'm not sure if he was aware that many of us are not receiving ESOL endorsements, and none of us are receiving SIOP certification from this course, despite the fact that we have spent at least the last five weeks on the protocol.
The message that I received was that if you didn't have an ESOL endorsement or some sort of SPED certification, then that school district probably wouldn't even look at you for a job. And unless you were foreign and bilingual, your chance at getting a job was slim.
So I understand that this is just information from one guy, about one district, but it leaves me significantly less optimistic then I was before, and it also leave me feeling a bit tricked. If EL certification was so important now, why didn't they tell us this back in the summer when we could have done something about it. Why didn't they tell us then that they were going to start requiring it as part of the program, instead of waiting until part of the way through Fall term when it was too late to take the methods course?
I understand that things take time to change, and I can appreciate that, but it seems like the least that they could do is make it so that the ESOL strategies class that we elected to take actually left us with some sort of certification. After having spent a term learning all about SIOP, I feel sort of cheated that I don't have the sort of certification that a person who takes a weekend seminar on SIOP would have simply because our teacher wasn't certified by the company. It comes down to money. Whoever publishes SIOP wants to be paid for letting people teacher their stuff, and someone somewhere at the University decided that the SIOP class wouldn't include an element by a certified SIOP instructor, so I am left with no certification in an area that could mean the difference between me getting a job, or not getting a job.
I guess it's all just making me a bit blue.
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