Teacher Retention

I read an article earlier, Why Do Teachers Quit?

Interesting read! 

I know, within the first 5 years of teaching, I considered quitting.  Feelings of frustration, being overwhelmed, lack of respect, facing situations I never faced before, trying to find ways to connect with children when I wasn't raised the same, and more. 

Unless you have taught, spent more than one day being in charge, doing all the paperwork, checking for understanding, and doing all that is involved in educating today's youth, you have no idea what it is like.  I have always said that everyone with children, politicians, and anyone else making decisions or having opinions about education should have to spend time in a school.

Practicing Balance

Today, we began a new book study in Sunday School.  My dearest BFF is leading the study of Practicing Balance: How Congregations Can Support Harmony in Work and Life by David Edman Gray. Since we just received the books, we haven't started reading yet, but she did a fabulous job leading us through the Preface and Chapter 1. 

Everyone is in a different place in life with different jobs, responsibilities, children/no children, and more.  The experiences, worries, and variousness of the group led to a great discussion.  I can't wait to read the book.

GS: Fall Fun

When I chose dates for meetings, I had to work around my schedule and my co-leader's schedule.  We had no idea that there was a school carnival scheduled for tonight where half our girls attend.  Despite that, we had 6 girls attend the meeting, including one who went to the carnival and then came to the meeting.

No girls had signed-up to lead the meeting, so I planned it. 
1. They began by choosing a meeting date on a wall calendar to lead their chosen badge/activity.
2. We then created a dessert that was layers of sugar free Vanilla pudding, crushed Oreos, and orange sprinkles.  Some liked it more than others.  We sang Happy Birthday to one of the girls and Juliette Gordon Low.
3. The girls were able to make masks with inexpensive plastic masks, Sharpies, chanel sticks/pipe cleaners, pom poms, and feathers. 
4. They ended the night decorating little pumpkins with Sharpies.

The girls had a great time and really got along.  They talked, laughed, and were just silly.  It was a great evening!

Another Good Week

Monday:  See October 14th post.

Tuesday: I had the opportunity to cover a class, see October 15th post, and then I ended the day attending a workshop, Critical Conversations.  It is a three part series on how to coach and lead teachers while having critical conversations.

Wednesday: Today, I worked with various teachers and ended the day with a meeting with other Science Instructional Specialists in the district to plan a Professional Development.  I love meeting with the ladies, asking questions, getting ideas, and more.

Thursday: Today, our 8th graders took a test to help them learn more about the skills they need to be college ready.  We had a teacher out, and since a certified teacher has to administer the test, I filled in.  I was so happy with their behavior.  Sometimes students give you a run for your money when there is a sub, a test, and a group made-up of students not normally together, but they did a great job. We also had early release for Professional Development/Curricular Planning.  I had helped organize the whole afternoon, so I supported teachers presenting to the whole group. Then, I shared some ideas I learned at last week's conference with the Reading and History Departments.  When the day ended, I was exhausted.  There was actually a moment that I thought I would not be able to get to my car and drive myself home.  Great, exhausting day!

Friday: I began the day at a district meeting for other Instructional Specialists.  We learned (or reviewed in my case) Cooperative Grouping.  Now . . . to get my teachers to use it. I covered for the Computer Technology teacher while he attended a meeting for a few minutes in the afternoon. As I watched the students, I learned about special effects.

Family Dynamics

Today, I covered for our "Home Ec" teacher while she attended a meeting for a few minutes.  I showed the students a video on family groups and then got them started on a timeline that was to include all the important people in their lives.

These are a few of the ones from the class.  Some have slightly different names.

Different Types of Families: A Portrait Gallery

Nuclear Families

• Approximately half of all families with youngsters under age 18 are composed of two biological parents and their children.

Single-Parent Families

• Single-parent families make up 27 percent of households with children under age 18.

Cross-Generational Families

• Approximately 670,000 families with children under age 18 have a family member age 65 or older living with them.
• Roughly 2.5 million children under age 18 live with one or both parents in their grandparents’ home.

Adoptive/Foster Families

• Approximately 120,000 children are adopted each year.
• 6.3 children per 1,000 live in out-of-home foster care.

Never-Married Families

• About 1.5 million unmarried couples have at least one child under age 15.

Blended Families

• About 20 percent of children in two-parent households live in blended families.

Grandparents as Parents

• Approximately 1.3 million children under age 18 live with their grandparents.

On her timeline, the teacher began with her parents, their divorce, their remarriages, her marriage, she and her husband having a biological child, she and her husband adopting 3 children, and ending with the birth of a grandchild.  I have not stopped to think about my family dynamics, so it gave me a moment to share a little about myself with the students as they began their timelines.

I was a part of a nuclear family, but I had grandparents who were close-by my whole life. We talked about leaning on family members and having extended families due to financial needs.  I explained the relationship and family dynamics with my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew, their nuclear family being a part of an extended family and living in a home with three generations. I, myself, thought I would have my own family, etc., but I am a single family taking care of another generation.

The lesson, as short as my time was, was very interesting and eye-opening.  I knew it, but to hear it was very eye-opening.  Many of the students were a part of a Never-Married Family, Single-Parent Family, families where students never knew their fathers, or with families with multiple generations living together.  If I had been able to do more with the class over a longer period of time, there is so much that could be done with differences and then building a classroom community.

It also made me even more grateful for the life I have led, having my grandparents so close, and the opportunity to have spent so much time with my niece and nephew in their early years.

To My Blog Readers

To My Blog Readers,

I don't know who you are, but I know you exist.  I also know my blog is not the most entertaining, but I greatly appreciate you and thank you for reading my rambling.  Feel free to comment or ask questions.

Sincerely,
Dr. K

What a day!

Have you ever had one of those days that you had so much to do that you had no idea what time it was?  You just worked and worked and worked?

My co-worker and I spent all day preparing for campus Professional Development taking place this Thursday afternoon.  We will be having teachers present information they have learned at recently attended trainings.  It is the first time they have led PD like this, so I am excited to see how it goes.  I will be leading one session, so we worked on those materials all day.  Now we just have to make copies and finalize the guiding questions.  I hope the teachers truly take the new information and use it in their classrooms.

I also had to have a very interesting conversation with a student.  One I never imagined having.  Nope, not sharing it here, but it was a first for me.