LiterateLife

Two weeks ago my AVID site team attended the AVID conference in Dallas, TX (just a hop, skip and jump from home in Arlington). I attended the Science Write Path I strand, instead of the English Language Learners strand (which I attended last year, since I am an English as a Second Language teacher), because this year my job description changes a bit. I will be going into the Science classrooms to support ELL students in class rather than pulling them out. THis is a great opportunity for me. I am not sure how this will work logistically though.

I don’t want to be a glorified homework helper, only assisting the students to complete their Science worksheets. On the other hand, is it fair to take up these students’ homework completion time to instead  give them intensive instruction on their science curriculum?

Or am I more a resource for the teacher in how to present the curriculum more effectively for ELLs? I know that my principal wants ne to help these teacher use more AVID methodologies in their classrooms. Less book-worksheet and more “let’s be scientists” and explore our world, sharing our learning through writing and speaking about it.

This will be an interesting endeavor that I will, of course, share here on my blog!

How cool are the science interactive notebooks, an AVID method that blends right brain and left brain to help kids really learn science concepts!

The right side of the notebook is always “input”: notes, information, etc. The left side is student “output” utilizing 4 colors, poetry, art, creative thinking and representing of science concepts.

I went to a technology inservice yesterday and found out that our district has chosen dotnetnuke as our blog provider. Now I have to figure out how to merge this blog with that one…if I want to at all.

Still administering state tests today.

 Colleague Discussion

I had a reassuring discussion with a colleague this morning.

Understand that I am a veteran teacher…14 years behind me.

 Tomorrow I will be having my appraisal observation from my assistant principal. I was telling my colleague that I am embarrassed by my lesson plans as documentation of my teaching through the year. My principal requests references to the TEKS covered in the lesson, a reference to what AVID methodology is used (writing,inquiry, collaboration, reading-there is a chart of AVID strategies under each of these headings), and what level of Costa’s questioning is used.

Both my colleague and I know we don’t consistently include all of this information in our plans that are to be turned in every grading period. Because of this embarrassment, we don’t always even turn in the plans (and worry about being called out on it). We both strive to use workshop methods in our classrooms, offering authentic reading and writing experiences and some choice to the students we teach in our Title 1 school. This often has me writing post-lesson plans about what occurred in my room on a given day.

I searched the web for online lesson plan templates/services that allowed me to maintain my plans online. I found and purchased Lesson Plan Locker, but have not been real happy with it. I have had printing issues (like it prints a blank form even when on the desktop it’s filled and saved). The collaborative elements promised are not there (because no one has used them, I assume).

We want to be GOOD (no, GREAT) teachers. We feel bad about our shortcomings. Is this a PD issue? A motivation issue (am I just lazy???) Am I overwhelmed by all I have to teach and how many choices I have that planning seems impossible? Is planning in a workshop model so different from traditional planning that I’m stymied?

It was reassuring to know I am not the only one who feels this way. I am on a personal search to resolve this issue and proudly have lesson plans that serve my and my administrator’s needs.

I would love comments about other teacher’s feelings about lesson planning!