Monday, November 30, 2009

I love this!

I'm posting this here so I don't need to try to go back and find it again!

The Comprehensive Math Assessment Resource

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Teacher/Parent Confusion

I sub at the high school my child attends.  Last year, I taught the entire year as a long-term sub.  She was in my classes, which was actually really great!  But now the teacher I was filling in for is back.

When I sub there now, I invariably get comments from the students that "I wish you were still teaching",  "I never understand Teacher X", "Teacher X talks too much and doesn't teach us what he's testing us on."

I see for myself, when I subbed in X's class, that they are far, far behind where I was last year, and will never be able to cover the required material by the end of the year.  (Which, because we are on a 4x4 block schedule, is in three weeks!).  My child is now taking a class from X, and complains frequently that she has to explain things to her classmates, and that they are often left to decipher the textbook alone.

As a parent, it infuriates me that X is allowed to teach in this manner.  As a teacher, it frustrates me to no end to know that, because X has been at our school for a certain number of years, he will continue to teach this way, while other, more effective educators, sit on their hands and are unable to do anything.

When your teen-aged child, who thinks you are the uncoolest, geekiest parent on earth, tells you "You are a way better teacher than X" you know that means something!

Friday, November 20, 2009

Can you read too many blogs?

Certainly...

I can read myself silly with great new ideas, and then my head will explode because I have no where to put them into practice.  I say to myself "Oh, I am totally going to do that!"  and it takes a moment to realize I don't have a class to practice on.  Shoot!