BulgingButtons

Not bad for a fat girl


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Progress Reports – Stay Calm

This type of thing happens more often than you might expect. Most teachers I know work hard to set students up for success.

This type of thing happens more often than you might expect. Most teachers I know work hard to set students up for success. Unfortunately, confrontational people rarely make good collaborators, so breathe, people.

What is a progress report and what function does it serve?

This is an excellent question, and it has more than one correct answer. The following is my reality.

I teach elementary school. In our school we have a four quarter system, meaning that each quarter a report card is sent home to parents with grades and notations about how their child is performing in school. Note the term performing. It has grades on it, based on the work the student has done (or, in some cases, chosen not to do). It is not an indicator of ability.

Twice a year, in the fall and in the spring, every teacher in our school invites every parent to come in for a parent-teacher conference, to discuss each child’s individual growth and progress. We discuss strengths, weaknesses, and strategies to help each student achieve and learn.

In addition to these six detailed and time intensive points of contact, we send home mid-quarter progress reports. These are not as elaborate as the report card, but they do give a snapshot view of how the child is doing, grade-wise, at the middle point of each quarter. At this point students who are struggling can still make a tremendous amount of improvement, and poor grades are not set in stone. The idea of these reports is to communicate with parents, particularly those whose students may not be bringing home their scored work.

For those of you keeping track at home, we’re at ten formal communications at this point. For my group this year that means 340+ combined reports and meetings (some families request and receive more than one, due to family issues). Continue reading →


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Get Moving – Shake It Off

A little fun to start the day, courtesy of Miss Taylor Swift and the fabulous aerobics dancers of 1989.


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Sometimes People Suck

thumbI feel grumpy.

I feel unsettled.

Frankly, I feel kind of dirty.

Why?

Something I witnessed while I was out walking the dog earlier.

Here’s what happened. A few houses down from us a basketball came flying out of nowhere and landed in the street. I have no idea where it came from, but I expected that some kid would be out soon to retrieve it. We kept walking, but no kid appeared. It was on the far side of the street, near the curb, and since I didn’t know where it came from I left it alone. I figured the kid would be along momentarily.

Well, the dog and I continued down the street and a small car passed us and continued down the block. All of a sudden it stopped. I turned around to witness the passenger, a grown man, jump out of the car and grab the basketball, then hurry back into the car and drive away.

I was confused. Did it come from a yard all the way on the other side of the block? Was it his ball? Why else would he have picked it up? The dog and I made it to the end of the street, then turned back toward home. As we approached we saw them, the two boys looking for their ball. They were looking in bushes on both sides of the street. When I got close enough I asked if they were looking for their blue basketball. Of course they were. I told them what happened. They were as confused as I was.

Who would do that?

Karma’s a bitch, I hope that guy’s ready for her.