"Districts, too often send mixed messages, confounding teachers and adding confusion to their writing practices." Hasn't this happened to all of us at sometime? We attend several workshops and professional development days to learn about how to best teach something. Yet, we don't seem to have the adequate time to practice, revise and implement these best practices into our classrooms before we are off and running to the next set of workshops on something else. Regie says that it takes up to 3 years to truly implement change.
"We're told what to do, and mostly everyone's so stressed out that we just do it. We're worn out and discouraged."
How do we change this??
* "Trust your professional common sense and your own successful teaching experiences."
* Implement best writing practices.
* Have high expectations.
* Collaborate with your teaching peers.
Evaluate student writing samples together.
Observe other teachers' writing instruction.
Share successes.
Create writing guidelines.
* Include parents as writing partners. Appendix B & C - good ideas.
What about a writing journal between home and school?
* Write everyday, together and individually.
* Always celebrate writing!!!!
"Outstanding teachers analyze situations, know the research, rely on their heart and spirit as well as experience and professional knowledge, and make wise instructional decisions for their students. Such teachers do not discard what they know when a new mandate or program comes along. They find ways to ensure that their students are successful." I hope that I am one of these teachers.
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4 comments:
I agreed with the final quote. I am sure you are a teacher who makes wise instructional decisions, and weighs mandates against needs of the students. How can you not consider this when teaching?
I totally agree with you, Mindy. Teachers need at least three years to try, perfect, and change a new approach to teaching. I think teachers get very frustrated when something new is continually pushed.
I agree with you too. We have so much knowledge, but we don't have the time to practice it and before you know it, we're off and running and learning something else new.
I agree that we cannot continue to keep adding new programs and content. We need to time to implement what we've learned and to do it well.
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