Musings from a middle school reading specialist. I encourage my students to read, talk, write, and have fun!
I parent two amazing young-adult daughters with my husband of 30+ years.

September 24, 2013

The True First Day

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Two Writing Teachers
The first day of school was August 21st for students and classroom teachers.

Since I'm a resource teacher, I helped students and parents find their classrooms, caught up on their summer activities and basked in the beautiful sunshine at lunch recess.

During the next few weeks, classroom teachers and students built community, learned routines, enjoyed learning together.

Resource teachers gave district assessments, diagnostic assessments, compared new students with current students, popped in for a few classroom read alouds, created and revised Instructional Planning forms, created data sheets and spreadsheets, and truly hoped their work positively benefits the classroom teachers and the students.

***
Today we welcomed primary students to resource groups.  I had to completely shift my thinking and function from whole-school and grade levels and data management to children.  Real children who greeted me with hugs and high-fives.  As I left classrooms, I heard tiny voices, "I can come, too!  Don't forget me! I'd like to go!"

Today I went from thinking and collaborating to listening and conversing.  One student remarked, "I have missed you SO MUCH!"

I really hope all our front-end, building-wide spreadsheets and forms will be seen as time well spent. It's hard to hear from a colleague exactly how many days of school we've had before resource groups began.  I don't want to "compete"... I really don't.  Our roles are vastly different and incredibly essential to student success.
May we all have a common goal.

Today was a good day.

2 comments:

  1. Chris, I'm sure all that up-front planning and work that you, Michelle & the others have expended will be the beginning of a great year. Now you can put all that effort to work for your students who rely on you so much. Have a great year!

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  2. A clear message I wish we could share with everyone, but why do we have this feeling that we have to defend what we do? "Our roles are vastly different and incredibly essential to student success." That, my friend, says it all.

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