Sunday, October 4, 2015

What is BEST for the student?

A student recently  removed from the home due to abuse and neglect may come to school traumatized and under stress. The student may not perform at school as a result of the recent trauma. Trying to make the best decision for the student is so very difficult. It keeps me up at night and wakes me in the morning. It may be in the best interest to retain the student, causing additional esteem or confidence issues. How does a teacher truly know what is best for a traumatized student?

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Progress, not perfection

I am so happy to begin my teaching career at Sahuaro Ranch Elementary School. The leadership is easy to work with, my team collaborates well, and the students are awesome. Two things that are going well are my classroom management (I have the best kids in history) and my differentiated instruction. I have several sped students and they have made progress thus far. Two things that can improve are time management (there is not enough time in the day) and motivating the students to return their homework. They are having a difficult time bringing their homework back. I have made call to parents and taken away class incentives. Now I want to encourage them to bring it back for themselves. This is a task I will continue to work on. I may offer table points for the group that collectively brings back their homework first. I may offer an end of month pizza party for the group that brings back their homework for the entire month.
I am a teacher at Sahuaro Ranch. This is a test.