Comments for Teaching in the Inner City http://cityteacher.wordpress.com The adulterated truth! Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:35:23 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Why Can’t Inner City Kids Learn? by hhutchinson http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-363 hhutchinson Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:35:23 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-363 Oops, I put a broken link in my last post. Here it is correctly, http://applebatch.com Oops, I put a broken link in my last post. Here it is correctly, http://applebatch.com

]]> Comment on Why Can’t Inner City Kids Learn? by hhutchinson http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-362 hhutchinson Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:34:13 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-362 Thank you so much for this post. I think you brought up several really good topics. There is a new website where I think this type of discussion could really flourish located at http://applebatc.com. Applebatch is a place where teachers can come together and solve common problems. In this case, teachers can discuss the topic of this article and receive feedback on how to deal with it. Thank you so much for this post. I think you brought up several really good topics. There is a new website where I think this type of discussion could really flourish located at http://applebatc.com. Applebatch is a place where teachers can come together and solve common problems. In this case, teachers can discuss the topic of this article and receive feedback on how to deal with it.

]]> Comment on Why Can’t Inner City Kids Learn? by bat8976 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-358 bat8976 Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:01:18 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-358 Hello everyone! Have any of you in the past or present encountered this situation? Here's the scene: Inner city school under corrective action for several years, new principal comes in and turns the school around, most of the years instruction is focused towards benchmark and state achievement tests, school is now out of corrective action and is returned to regular status in the school district, the school is a dumping ground for local charter schools' and catholic schools' discipline problems, on top of teaching the regular curriculum you are now responsible for added "teach to the test agenda," 31-33 children in a class, parents won't cooperate or answer the phone, you must grade, review and re-teach added agenda on top of regular curriculum, you must keep a log on guided reading, math, writing and CSAP constantly, because the principal will sneak into your room and check to see if your doing it, the principal has former teachers running around not doing much of anything but go by the title principal liaison, a staff of untrained school climate people (discipline/ conflict resolution) fighting with each other and using teachers as a way to get back at each other, a lazy guidance counselor who got the cake job from connections, told by the principal to cheat on benchmarks by not giving the answer, but to tell them to keep trying until they bubble the right letter, put up an unbelievable amount of posters outlining objectives that the kids are to young to understand, inundated with interruptions from the neighboring teacher who is unorganized but is personal friends with the principal, told to constantly give tests and benchmarks when the kids can't master or have not had enough time to master the skills, kill yourself everyday to try to get through to 33 students, realize that your only running on the spot and not really getting anywhere, added pressure from the principal who admitted that the school district is setting us up to fail by putting ambiguously hard to answer trick questions on the benchmarks, more on top of more on top of more, a paranoid principal who is only interested in her own agenda and is trampling on our civil liberties and contract to do so, an unhappy staff that won't stand up due to fear of retaliation, a weak union, and write ups!, oh yeah- we are supposed to teach too! I forgot-33 kids and not a drop of help in the classroom!- Has this happened to you? How can you get around it? People tell me that the principal thinks highly of me, but to me, we are prevented from teaching these kids adequately, despite the overwhelming behavior issues. Please comment! Hello everyone! Have any of you in the past or present encountered this situation?
Here’s the scene: Inner city school under corrective action for several years, new principal comes in and turns the school around, most of the years instruction is focused towards benchmark and state achievement tests, school is now out of corrective action and is returned to regular status in the school district, the school is a dumping ground for local charter schools’ and catholic schools’ discipline problems, on top of teaching the regular curriculum you are now responsible for added “teach to the test agenda,” 31-33 children in a class, parents won’t cooperate or answer the phone, you must grade, review and re-teach added agenda on top of regular curriculum, you must keep a log on guided reading, math, writing and CSAP constantly, because the principal will sneak into your room and check to see if your doing it, the principal has former teachers running around not doing much of anything but go by the title principal liaison, a staff of untrained school climate people (discipline/ conflict resolution) fighting with each other and using teachers as a way to get back at each other, a lazy guidance counselor who got the cake job from connections, told by the principal to cheat on benchmarks by not giving the answer, but to tell them to keep trying until they bubble the right letter, put up an unbelievable amount of posters outlining objectives that the kids are to young to understand, inundated with interruptions from the neighboring teacher who is unorganized but is personal friends with the principal, told to constantly give tests and benchmarks when the kids can’t master or have not had enough time to master the skills, kill yourself everyday to try to get through to 33 students, realize that your only running on the spot and not really getting anywhere, added pressure from the principal who admitted that the school district is setting us up to fail by putting ambiguously hard to answer trick questions on the benchmarks, more on top of more on top of more, a paranoid principal who is only interested in her own agenda and is trampling on our civil liberties and contract to do so, an unhappy staff that won’t stand up due to fear of retaliation, a weak union, and write ups!, oh yeah- we are supposed to teach too! I forgot-33 kids and not a drop of help in the classroom!- Has this happened to you? How can you get around it? People tell me that the principal thinks highly of me, but to me, we are prevented from teaching these kids adequately, despite the overwhelming behavior issues. Please comment!

]]> Comment on Our School by integratedteacher http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/our-school/#comment-357 integratedteacher Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:36:49 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/our-school/#comment-357 I stumbled across this blog and can resonate with you. I work in a small town just north of Boston, MA. It is a predominantly Spanish-speaking, low-income working class families. It is definitely a highly transient population with families and children traveling back and forth from here to their native countries often, and for extended periods of time. I am a 27 year old Asian woman, who nonetheless sticks out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood but I love love love love this place. The description of your district sounds much like the one I work in. It can be so frustrating as a teacher but more so, it simply breaks my heart. I'm so glad to find your blog because it's given me TONS of encouragement, resources, and support. I stumbled across this blog and can resonate with you. I work in a small town just north of Boston, MA. It is a predominantly Spanish-speaking, low-income working class families. It is definitely a highly transient population with families and children traveling back and forth from here to their native countries often, and for extended periods of time.

I am a 27 year old Asian woman, who nonetheless sticks out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood but I love love love love this place. The description of your district sounds much like the one I work in. It can be so frustrating as a teacher but more so, it simply breaks my heart. I’m so glad to find your blog because it’s given me TONS of encouragement, resources, and support.

]]> Comment on Why Can’t Inner City Kids Learn? by kcaise http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-354 kcaise Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:02:17 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/04/18/why-cant-inner-city-kids-learn/#comment-354 After spending the past 20 years in education, I have held a variety of positions at several campuses and school districts in town. I have seen all of the above and more. We may all be guilty of sitting down now and then but that isn't the same as sitting all day while students do seatwork or worksheets all day. I couldn't teach that way day in day out and certainly understand why those types of teachers have discipline problems and blame students on their difficulties. Unfortunately, it is usually the tenured teachers that take this approach but there are many fabulous and wonderful teachers out there. I know I didn't have any teachers that made a lasting impact on me growing up and I think that is why I became a teacher - to challenge, motivate and help those students that aren't interested in school. It is sad that these teachers refuse to recognize the disservice they are doing to their staff, students and community. The students are the ones suffering the most in these situations. Keep up the great work and continue to write posts challenging educators to be advocates for quality instruction! Kim Caise, NBCT htpp://kcaise.wordpress.com After spending the past 20 years in education, I have held a variety of positions at several campuses and school districts in town. I have seen all of the above and more. We may all be guilty of sitting down now and then but that isn’t the same as sitting all day while students do seatwork or worksheets all day. I couldn’t teach that way day in day out and certainly understand why those types of teachers have discipline problems and blame students on their difficulties. Unfortunately, it is usually the tenured teachers that take this approach but there are many fabulous and wonderful teachers out there. I know I didn’t have any teachers that made a lasting impact on me growing up and I think that is why I became a teacher – to challenge, motivate and help those students that aren’t interested in school. It is sad that these teachers refuse to recognize the disservice they are doing to their staff, students and community. The students are the ones suffering the most in these situations. Keep up the great work and continue to write posts challenging educators to be advocates for quality instruction!

Kim Caise, NBCT
htpp://kcaise.wordpress.com

]]> Comment on Teaching Complete Sentences Using a Tree Map by cityteacher http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-353 cityteacher Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:44:04 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-353 Tripteach, it went really really stinking well and is now a permanent part of my repertoire. I've used it for two years now. My students, even the really low reader/writer can write in a complete sentence (and read their own sentences!) using the tree map, but my strategic students and above regularly write in complete sentences and independently recognizes when it isn't. My ESL and non-standard English students really benefited from this because of the oral component. From this simple start, I've actually extended to more complicated sentences and by the end of the year my students are working on descriptive, complex and compound sentences. Tripteach, it went really really stinking well and is now a permanent part of my repertoire. I’ve used it for two years now. My students, even the really low reader/writer can write in a complete sentence (and read their own sentences!) using the tree map, but my strategic students and above regularly write in complete sentences and independently recognizes when it isn’t. My ESL and non-standard English students really benefited from this because of the oral component. From this simple start, I’ve actually extended to more complicated sentences and by the end of the year my students are working on descriptive, complex and compound sentences.

]]> Comment on Teaching Complete Sentences Using a Tree Map by tripteach http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-352 tripteach Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:27:12 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-352 City teacher- how did this end up working for you? I am also a "city teacher" and have been deeply trained in thinking maps except for the writing part of it. Our district decided they are not sure if it will help! I hope to take it next summer no matter what with another district but I am dieing to know how the maps are working for you in writing. Did this help with complete sentences? How about for you ESL population? Did you tweak it at all? City teacher- how did this end up working for you? I am also a “city teacher” and have been deeply trained in thinking maps except for the writing part of it. Our district decided they are not sure if it will help! I hope to take it next summer no matter what with another district but I am dieing to know how the maps are working for you in writing. Did this help with complete sentences? How about for you ESL population? Did you tweak it at all?

]]> Comment on Teaching Complete Sentences Using a Tree Map by iwasborn2teach http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-351 iwasborn2teach Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:43:34 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/teaching-complete-sentences-using-a-tree-map-2/#comment-351 What a great idea! I'm going to try this with my third-graders--I'll let you know how it goes. What a great idea! I’m going to try this with my third-graders–I’ll let you know how it goes.

]]> Comment on Friendly Thank You Letter – Using Thinking Maps by Friendly Letter - Oral Rehearsal Using a Flow Map » City Teacher Blog http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/25/friendly-thank-you-letter-using-thinking-maps/#comment-350 Friendly Letter - Oral Rehearsal Using a Flow Map » City Teacher Blog Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:34:25 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/09/25/friendly-thank-you-letter-using-thinking-maps/#comment-350 [...] This student was absent during the days when we worked on our Flow Map so he had to use the class created Flow Map for his writing.  The other students use their own Flow Map.  In the video, the student is orally rehearsing his writing prior to writing.  He is doing what we call “Pull Out and Talk”.  For a more detailed explanation of our writing process, please visit this previous post. [...] [...] This student was absent during the days when we worked on our Flow Map so he had to use the class created Flow Map for his writing.  The other students use their own Flow Map.  In the video, the student is orally rehearsing his writing prior to writing.  He is doing what we call “Pull Out and Talk”.  For a more detailed explanation of our writing process, please visit this previous post. [...]

]]> Comment on Friendly Letter – Oral Rehearsal Using a Flow Map by kerbearreadingteacher http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/friendly-letter-oral-rehearsal-using-a-flow-map/#comment-349 kerbearreadingteacher Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:03:55 +0000 http://cityteacher.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/friendly-letter-oral-rehearsal-using-a-flow-map/#comment-349 I just want to say HOW IMPRESSED I am with your blog! I work for a 'smallish' inner city in the midwest. We are not as far along as you are in terms of strategies. We are currently in our 2nd year of Thinking Maps and IFL (institute for learning). It is my job to get people onboard for teaching strategies, and many times I find it impossible to get people to try new things. Your blog will encourage some of our hesitant teachers to get off their b_tts and implement this great stuff that will really HELP KIDS!!!! After all, I sure hope everyone's goal is to help children succeed....I know it is my goal. I just want to say HOW IMPRESSED I am with your blog! I work for a ’smallish’ inner city in the midwest. We are not as far along as you are in terms of strategies. We are currently in our 2nd year of Thinking Maps and IFL (institute for learning). It is my job to get people onboard for teaching strategies, and many times I find it impossible to get people to try new things. Your blog will encourage some of our hesitant teachers to get off their b_tts and implement this great stuff that will really HELP KIDS!!!! After all, I sure hope everyone’s goal is to help children succeed….I know it is my goal.

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