We have these tests we give every 6 weeks or so at school. Each theme has one; a five part standardized test that is supposed to drive our instruction. After each test we are given an entire day out of our classroom to go over the charts and scores provided, to obsess over every student and decided which 60% of are class is most likely to pass ( Read more... )

I've been reading Janet Allen's Words, Words, Words, and it's forcing me to face some of the major issues I have with the way we teach vocabulary in Calistoga. After the first story, in which my students were less than clear on the target vocabulary, I've gone with the method of vocab instruction favored by general fourth grade consensus. Students ( Read more... )

I know it sounds a little odd, but in a lot of ways I think of Philadelphia as my second hometown. There are so many reasons I really shouldn't think of it that way, starting with the fact that I was never particularly happy there. Unlike Davis, it's extremely unlikely I would run into anyone I know at the local Rite Ade, and aside from a ( Read more... )

Conversation on the beach this morning (in a rare break from encouraging greater coastal clean up from socializing 10-12 year olds ( Read more... )

There are few things I hate more than doing my laundry. I hate it even more than washing dishes and vacuuming, which, if you've ever lived with me, probably says something. But then I watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog and the laundromat looked like so much fun. Everything was so clean! They were eating frozen yogurt and opening dryers in ( Read more... )

The funny thing about looking to find the good in people is that you normally find it. I wonder, however, if I occasionally make up good in others so I won't blow my own personal theory of humanity. Part of me wishes I could go back to the faith I had as a child; that there was a divine plan for everyone and everything, that a heavenly power kept ( Read more... )

When I was in 2nd grade my teacher loaned me a stack of books to read. The first day of summer after 6th grade I crept back to the school and slipped them on her desk while she was out, too embarrassed to face the 4 year extension on the loan ( Read more... )

I am going to be a math fairy for Halloween. A math fairy. I just spent the better part of 3 hours sewing numbers onto my costume when I'm pretty sure I'm going to have an open revolt if I don't decide on new seats soon. The problem with sitting children near people they don't like so they won't talk to them is that eventually they will start to ( Read more... )

On Monday the local news aired a clip of my class. It was part of a story about the new KIPP high school attached to us, but shiny little 5th graders must be a more marketable lead in than awkward teens. I was excited even though I wanted to be too cool to care.

My 30 seconds of partially obscured fame

I am a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. I have a Masters in Urban Education, by some strange miracle I actually managed to finish my thesis-replacing portfolio and all the other random and assignments that have loomed over me for two years. I'm not sure that I'm happy as much as I'm surprised ( Read more... )