Thursday, March 5, 2009
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This blog is part of the professional learning book study of "Creating Welcoming Schools" by JoBeth Allen. We will use this blog to track and continue discussions about the readings, as well as to post some assignments completed outside of our meeting times.
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2009
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March
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- Please post your questions for the author here!
- Dreams and Possibilities for YES
- Wrapping It Up
- For Monday, March 30
- Chapter 8: "Engaging Families"
- Chapter 7: "Creating Dialogue Throughout the Year"
- Remember no meeting today
- Chapter 4-6 Jigsaw
- Chapter 3: Learning With and From Families
- Chapter 2: Cultural Memoirs
- Using the Past to Understand the Present
- Quiz questions 3
- Making Up for Lost Time (Mar 2)
- Welcome!
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March
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ReplyDeleteThe story of Karen Hankins' dad, Billy, from the 4th grade was inspiring (p.20). I realize that this is not a mainstream story, but it does happen quite frequently. It showed me that if we can find a positive in a given situation and somehow make the child feel special, then that can transcend any cultural, financial or behavioral boundaries in that moment. And sometimes, one moment makes all the difference. It reminds me of a student who had been struggling with an assignment. We worked on a different way to find the answers and, by the end of class, the assignment was finished with little assistance from me. The smile on that child's face was an accomplishment and a reward! I could refer back to that moment whenever we had a difficult assignment before us. It helped with motivation and focus, for the most part, from then on.
ReplyDeleteLike Kimberly's response above, the story of Billy was a powerful one for me as well. The whole idea of "the one defining moment" in the educational process made this story stick out for me because as an educator, I long for this type of situation...the very instant when you reach that one particular child and truly make a difference.
ReplyDeleteThe story was retold by the student (to his daughter, Karen). It makes me wonder if this moment made this big of an impact upon Miss Watson, the teacher. Did she realize that this was the very moment that mattered most in Billy's educational journey? Did she take a moment to recognize that she made a difference in his life? Would she rememebr this particular lesson, this exact moment? I would venture to say that unless Billy visited her later on in life to thank her, she probably does not know how deeply she touched his life and helped him succeed. This gives me hope...a hope that even though I don't remember any particularly dramatic moments, there have been some. Maybe I have made this kind of difference in a child's life.
All of the stories were powerful, but I agree that the story of Billy was the one that really caught my attention. It only takes 1 simple act of caring & concern to change a childs life. We may never know what we have done to make a childs life better, but stories like this one remind me to make every moment count.
ReplyDeleteThe story that was powerful to me was the one told by Teri Holbrook. It was very eye opening to hear the differences in homework the gifted child received compared to the daughter with dyslexia. It made me very sad to read some of the difficulities she had with Michaela's teacher over homework and school work.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds of several students that I have this year in my class that are srtuggling, and their parents have made comments about the homework. I've told them to set a timer for about 10 minutes, and if they get it done -great because the child is getting some extra practice. My homework (all of it )goes home on Mondays, and comes back on Friday so it can work the best with a family's schedule. Some kids do it all in one night- while others do an activity a night.
I think it's important to listen to what a parent is saying, and try and work together to benefit the child. Sometimes it is hard because some parents don't want to be bothered, but a parent that is showing concern and willing to do things to help their child- I want to help these parents and make school a positive for their child.
I also feel that the story of Billy was the one story that I could relate to. It makes me more aware that every minute we spend with children we can make a difference. Many times we will not know but it could be the one thing that child will carry with them throughout life, the moment that could give a child courage to keep trying. In many situations we could be the only person the child comes in contact with who really cares which makes our time with them even more valuable.
ReplyDeleteI liked the story that Teri Holbrook wrote. So did several other people I see. I think it is important that teachers notice what works for students and what might not. If a student is having a hard time and we know that they a learning disability like dyslexia. Then we need to have a working relationship with the parent so we can work on actions that might work with them and develop a good relationship with the parent and child. If they feel comfortable with us they are more likely to have a positive expierence with school.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the story that Teri Holbrook wrote. It really hit home with some of the students that I have worked with throughout the years in Special Education. There are children who have a difficult time learning and it is so important that we listen to what the parent is telling us. These parents know thier children and how they respond and learn at home. By working together I think that you build a better relationship with the child and the family as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe parent that Karen Hankin had that came in and said she didn't know her and didn't like her. Most teacher's would have backed off and either ignored the child or babyed him. But she choose to work with the parents, knowing what her parents had gone through. She could have went either way. We all needto sit back and take a look at how we react to situations and what the students have to deal with at home.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed all of the stories in both the introduction and chapter one, but the most powerful for me was the one about Teri and her daughters. Homework at my house used to be a nightmare. I have had some very similar conversations with some teachers. Some were very positive and some were not.
ReplyDeleteThe example that grabbed me was the lady that hated everyone and everything connected to school. Her child was dropped as an infant and had brain damage. Evidently she had had a bad experience with his last school. She didn't like the idea of him being in special education. She saw this as him just sitting and not learning. I work with special education, and this is not the correct picture. I agree with most of Karen's comments, but to say that she will not refer or test him for special services seems to me not to be in the best interest of the child. Tena Miller/Yargo
ReplyDeleteI think that Karen's story hit me the most. We are here to help children to the best of our ability with all the resourses we have. We have also learned that we have to gain the trust of each and every parent so we can use these resourses. It is sad that many parents consider SPED as a negative instead of an option and/or a positive.
ReplyDeleteI had a friend several years ago that was furious that her son was being considered for retention and EIP. She thought that it was the teacher's responsibility to keep that from happening and that the teacher just didn't know how to teach to her son. The longer that I am in education the more I wish I would have talked out of that feeling that way and helped her understand that the teachers were just trying to help.