Finished my second day back at teaching and looking forward to my first official weekend as a working mom. (Although I just had two days off for the Jewish New Year.)
So I was expecting to have the classroom teacher in the room with me for the whole week. Her lesson plans might as well have been in Sanskrit and her classroom routines...well...I'd been in there for one day. And these kids are young. 5 year olds. So I was wondering at around 9:45 this morning (when art was wrapping up) where the teacher was! What happens next? What's the schedule? And it dawns on me that she's not coming back. That was fine - we had 45 minutes before lunch - just enough time for a short little circle time to introduce each other and read and talk about what we do to get ready for school. But lunch ended at 11:15 and I had no plan, no copy paper, no whiteboard markers....she took everything. Fortunately she left her nonsensical lesson plans which were of NO help at all. So it's me and the 5 year olds. For 4 hours. I was smart enough and have worked with enough kids to know that's a long time. That's a long time for me to be sitting there.
I have much more to say. But since I'm officially an employee of the Philadelphia School District, I guess I should take one for the team or whatever.
But in all my life, I've never seen such a system - one that seems to not care for students, teachers, or learning....that overprograms in the hopes of looking like they have it all together.
There is a closet in the room that is, no joke, halfway filled up of Philadelphia's failed "curricula" - meaning that they started using something and then switched and switched, and then switched again.
I'm off. No more Internet fun for me. I have to go figure out what to do tomorrow!
4 comments:
O my goodness! That's unbelievable! I know that you handled well. Your kids are going to have a great year.
welcome back! Here is a website for you that will save your life:
www.drjean.org
buy all the online albums, make cd's and sing songs all day long- here is the best part- they are all learning songs they will teach you to read and write!
She is my hero!
That is simply crazy!! I hope your second week of school goes a little better. It was good to see you on Tues!
you are quite welcome. Her website also has links to some of the words, which are always helpful as well! There is also a ton of ideas on things to make on her website, she posts new activities every month! And best of luck with your second week of work!
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