So those of you who live in Ohio (and other states if this applies) - let's talk about this 3rd grade reading guarantee. Not that I want to, but I'm so stressed and perplexed about some of this crazy law. So how many of you have been implementing this new reading intervention class (outside if Title I/Reading Recovery)? Meaning it has to be taught by a classroom teacher and teaching the lowest kiddos. Please tell me someone knows what I'm talking about?!?!? If you don't, that will stress me out more. :P What I want to know is how your school is doing this. We are implementing this extra reading intervention class K-2 (3rd and up departmentalize, so they have it covered in a different way). What I'm struggling with is the lack of time I have to teach what I'm supposed to teach. I have stressed, gotten angry, and cried over the ridiculouslessness (if that's a word...auto-correct says it's not...oh well, it's SO a word to me! :P). I can IMMEDIATELY feel my blood pressure rise when I think about this. I need to let it go. I just wish the state understood what they're doing to the kids who AREN'T low. Between Title I pull-outs, speech, and now intervention, I have half an hour to teach math, half an hour to teach writing, and an hour and a half to teach reading/language arts. Um, 2 1/2 hours? Are you serious? I struggle everyday. Majorly. Add in lunch, 2 recesses, and bathroom breaks, and out of the 6 hours we're at school, I get 2.5. 2.5. 2.5. I'm MAJORLY bothered by that. And I'm the teacher that's teaching 1st grade intervention, so there's that. Not that I mind. I like reading and I'd rather teach intervention than science/social studies any day...
How does your school do it?!?!? Please, we need ideas. We have done intervention the past few years, so that piece isn't new, but the scheduling and now the REQUIREMENT of it is really getting us. In past years 1st grade has done it 3 days a week, not 5. That really did help because Monday is the busiest day introducing lots of new concepts. So that extra half hour was golden.
I truly apologize for venting, but this has been on my mind so much since the beginning of the year and I'm overwhelmed to the max on how to fit it in and teach it all. I promise I love my job more than anything (sometimes too much), but as we all know there's a lot of stress involved! Once I can figure out how to maneuver my schedule I'll be fine. But I've rearranged it 3 times. Ugggg. I do reading groups/Daily 5 during Title I time, but you can't really introduce anything new while other kids are out of the room. Between Speech, Title I, and Intervention, I lose an hour a day. Ok...enough venting. Just tell me what you do. Please. Pretty please? :)
If you comment and leave your thoughts, please leave your e-mail address because I'm going to give away my October Math Centers to one lucky person! Even if you have nothing to say because you have no idea what I'm talking about, I want to know that, too. I need info from every realm. And if you don't want a chance to win the centers but would still like to leave a comment, please do, just omit your e-mail address. :) I realize I could get comments from upper-elementary bloggy friends, and these centers are appropriate for K-2, so it might not do you any good. :P
As a sidenote about the October Math Centers, I'm going to put them on sale for TOMORROW (10-1) ONLY! You can pick them up for only $4! :) And if you just can't wait to see if you've won and you want to pick them up tonight, I'm having a 15% off sale tonight...you've only got 25 more minutes, but you can snag them real quick! :)
Thanks, guys! :)
We have to teach Reading in 2 blocks, one in the morning and in the afternoon, so there is not much room to teach tht other content areas. It is a struggle and I feel for you and know what you are going through. Just fit in and teach what you can, when you can. It is difficult, but with the schedule, I can only do so much. Best wishes!
ReplyDeletermariemuniz@hotmail.com
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWe don't have "The Reading Guarantee" like you do, here in NH. Our school does do Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading interventions but those are taught by the reading specialists, Title 1 teacher, and special education teacher. It's so hard to fit everything in! Hopefully someone will reply with some great advice for all of us! :-)
Karyn
Kideducator@comcast.net
Aisforapplebisforblog.blogspot.com
I don't know how much help this will be, but in Fl, we have been under a state law for several years now that requires 3rd graders to pass the state FCAT in reading or be retained. In our district, we have Intensive Reading classes, which I taught for 4 years. I had the 18 lowest students on my grade level and was given an assistant for 90 min. per day. I did both the standard reading curriculum and SRA. I can't imagine trying to do what I did in 2.5 hours a day. My schedule allowed me to spend 3 -3.5 hours per day in reading and I was also able to tie reading into Science and Social Studies (actually, I tied Science and Social Studies into reading.) Even then, I never had enough time. The only advice I could give you would be to try and integrate as much as possible. And maybe see if you can get any volunteers to come into your room to provide one on one practice to your students. I totally get your frustration. I wish someone out there had all of the answers. Good luck with your challenge.
ReplyDeleteAmy
Adventures In Teaching
I feel your pain. I am at a private school, so we don't have the same issues as you. (Different ones, though...the grass is not always greener!)
ReplyDeleteHope (on a happy note) to win these math centers...
tokyoshoes (at) hotmail (dot) com
Wow, we have a 2 hour literacy block daily. Sounds like we all have a directive about how important reading is-as if we didn't know!
ReplyDeleteCenters look great!
kellybrown28021@gmail.com
I don't teach in Ohio but we have what we call "extended learning time" that sounds similar. It is difficult to get it all in every day. Each day I end up skipping something.
ReplyDeleterebeccanemecek@gmail.com