While I am in my assigned classroom, a student teacher usually is in charge at the time. I watch her to see if I could be where she is in three years. I feel as if she is not prepared. She doesn't adjust her information/assesments for the children. So if a child can not learn from the way she teaches, that child just does not learn.
There is a little girl in my classroom. Her name is Katie. She sits in the back corner of the room and I have never really worked with her over the time period I have been at this school. On Tuesday, I found my way at her desk. I had watched the student teacher explain the assignment. The topic was transitional words. So the student teacher explained all different types of transitional words and when they could be used. Then she read a book about the growth of pumpkins. The class and her wrote a list of how the pumpkins grew, using those words. And then the kids were supposed to use their how-to's that were previously listed and revise using transitional. In my opinion the teacher did a great job explaining the lesson. She used the I do, we do, you do model. I am a strong believer in this pedagogy. So I wanted to look at Katie's written how to list. I was about to help her revise it. I could not read it though. Katie does not know how to write. What was in front of me looked as if maybe a three or four year old wrote it. They were letters, some backwards or turned, but letters. They were in no particular order. She just wrote them down. Every line looked exactly the same. So I asked her to read me the list. She did perfectly. "How to make a cake. Get a bowl. Pour the mix in. Crack two eggs." Katie was obviously just pulling this off the top of her head. So I spent the next twenty minutes with her, rewriting the list. I had her sound all the words out and try to tell me the letters.
The teacher came over and pulled me aside. She told me that we don't have time to do that with her. That the teacher just usually just writes for her. Katie will talk to the teacher, the teacher will write it. So therefore the teacher can get across the ideas to Katie. At the end of the lesson, Katie could definitely tell you what a transitional word was. She just couldn't write one. I think this is really sad. This student is being lost at such a young age. And all she needs is some extra help.
Your experience is very moving, but as well as a reality that our inner city schools face! As a future teacher how will you go about making sure or at least trying to make sure every student is reaching there full academic potential in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very thoughtful and well written post. Although Katie's case may not be an isolated case in an urban/underprivileged school district, her "special" need with writing may occur in any district and can be addressed with good communication with parents, reinforced sounding work, etc. The key is your intervention and your ability as an educator to make time and that is the challenging part. Indeed, your evaluation of Katie shows great thoughtfulness and still an inclination for your ability to be a great educator...!
ReplyDeleteKatie's story is very sad. In my service learning class, I work with very low reading levels. One side of the class is first grade level the other side is the lowest reading level. And it's grades 3-5, so these students have a hard time learning basic words. But I must say that my students have improved a lot since I been there. I hope Katie doesn't get lost in the system, like other students have and will.
ReplyDeleteAwww! That is so sad! I have read of things like this happening inside of the classroom, however, I didn't actually believe that it would happen. I hope that Katie has a better experience in her future classrooms
ReplyDelete-Jericca