Comments for Tyson's Corner http://ctyson1.edublogs.org Just another Edublogs.org weblog Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:54:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on What inspires you? by thinton http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/04/30/what-inspires-you/#comment-30 thinton Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:19:41 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/04/30/what-inspires-you/#comment-30 How eloquently written. I, too, am sad in many respects to see this year come to an end. I will miss hearing the glimpses into the lives of all our classmates. It has been interesting, inciteful, and yes, truly inspiring. I have learned so much from everyone. Charlotte, you have been a wonderful model for all of us in our little group. You have held the bar high for us all. We are all the better for it, too. There was never a time when you were not a positive role model. You always had a solution. What an inspiration you are to us. Thank you! How eloquently written.

I, too, am sad in many respects to see this year come to an end. I will miss hearing the glimpses into the lives of all our classmates. It has been interesting, inciteful, and yes, truly inspiring. I have learned so much from everyone.

Charlotte, you have been a wonderful model for all of us in our little group. You have held the bar high for us all. We are all the better for it, too. There was never a time when you were not a positive role model. You always had a solution. What an inspiration you are to us. Thank you!

]]> Comment on Assessment by jen5729 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/assessment/#comment-29 jen5729 Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:35:21 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/assessment/#comment-29 I agree --Charlotte there is toomuch testing going on. That is all the kids are going to know about school--testing. They should be remembering field day, science fun, chapter books they read, etc not test test test. I do not know how you guys do it in 3rd grade. I love teaching 3rd grade--I left the year we did the practice CRCT. I do not know if I could go back to all of that testing and the stress of what teacher had what scores etc. How can one test--either CRCT or SAT make the difference in how students and teachers are perceived!?!? I agree –Charlotte there is toomuch testing going on. That is all the kids are going to know about school–testing. They should be remembering field day, science fun, chapter books they read, etc not test test test. I do not know how you guys do it in 3rd grade. I love teaching 3rd grade–I left the year we did the practice CRCT. I do not know if I could go back to all of that testing and the stress of what teacher had what scores etc. How can one test–either CRCT or SAT make the difference in how students and teachers are perceived!?!?

]]> Comment on The Community by thinton http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/the-community/#comment-28 thinton Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:17:49 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/the-community/#comment-28 I remember your first grade class. Your room was on that very busy first grade corner. It was always ineresting to peek in as I traveled by. I remember discussions of your Saturday events. I agree with Corey about being envious. You are always creative and I expect that your Saturday meetings were filled with excitement. I have to admit that I really miss the commaraderie with students and parents. Sometimes I wish I had my own classroom so that I could make those connections again, too. It will be interesting to see what happens as our little town changes. Hopefully our school will become a 'town center' of sorts where the community will play a bigger part in educating its children. I remember your first grade class. Your room was on that very busy first grade corner. It was always ineresting to peek in as I traveled by. I remember discussions of your Saturday events. I agree with Corey about being envious. You are always creative and I expect that your Saturday meetings were filled with excitement.
I have to admit that I really miss the commaraderie with students and parents. Sometimes I wish I had my own classroom so that I could make those connections again, too.
It will be interesting to see what happens as our little town changes. Hopefully our school will become a ‘town center’ of sorts where the community will play a bigger part in educating its children.

]]> Comment on School Culture by park http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/school-culture/#comment-27 park Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:15:09 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/school-culture/#comment-27 Charlotte, You're right. School is a family. And as a family we have to collectively work together. One person in a family cannot change and expect to coexist in the family without impacting the actions and thoughts of the others within the family. As a family, it is the safe haven to explore, inquire, and challenge how things are within the family. Likewise, we need to do the same within our school "family" to impact our school culture. And as for the "old-school" teachers, I don't think you are "old-school." I think you're quite progressive and I've learned a lot from you in our class culture. Charlotte,
You’re right. School is a family. And as a family we have to collectively work together. One person in a family cannot change and expect to coexist in the family without impacting the actions and thoughts of the others within the family. As a family, it is the safe haven to explore, inquire, and challenge how things are within the family. Likewise, we need to do the same within our school “family” to impact our school culture. And as for the “old-school” teachers, I don’t think you are “old-school.” I think you’re quite progressive and I’ve learned a lot from you in our class culture.

]]> Comment on Assessment by jonschoening http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/assessment/#comment-26 jonschoening Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:11:20 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/assessment/#comment-26 We do give too many assessments and then do the wrong thing with the information we get from the scores. We rank students and teachers instead of identifying areas that need improvement and focusing on that. The students feel the grind just as much as the teachers. The test will not go away until parents and community leaders stop putting so much value on a number. As we have learned in Truscott's class, numbers can be decieving. It is that time of year again when students are going to take the SAT and all the states will be compared to one another. Of course we will be in the bottom ten, not from a lack of good teaching, just a strange need for journalist to compare apples to oranges when talking about SAT scores. In 2005, Georgia had the highest SAT score for African Americans in the entire country. I didn't read about any of that in the AJC. Keep a portfolio, sit down with parents at the end of the year and you can show them the growth little Johnnie has made. We do give too many assessments and then do the wrong thing with the information we get from the scores. We rank students and teachers instead of identifying areas that need improvement and focusing on that. The students feel the grind just as much as the teachers. The test will not go away until parents and community leaders stop putting so much value on a number. As we have learned in Truscott’s class, numbers can be decieving. It is that time of year again when students are going to take the SAT and all the states will be compared to one another. Of course we will be in the bottom ten, not from a lack of good teaching, just a strange need for journalist to compare apples to oranges when talking about SAT scores. In 2005, Georgia had the highest SAT score for African Americans in the entire country. I didn’t read about any of that in the AJC. Keep a portfolio, sit down with parents at the end of the year and you can show them the growth little Johnnie has made.

]]> Comment on The Community by coreyrieke http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/the-community/#comment-25 coreyrieke Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:29:18 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/the-community/#comment-25 I've heard you mention your "Super Saturday Events" before, and I was envious. They sounded like so much fun! I think that it was so brave of you to step outside of the box and take that extra step to connect with your students' families. I also think that we could just take more steps to get to know the parents of our students by simply talking to them. I thought that the Critical Child Project was a great way to start doing that. It is something that I'm going to try to do with each of my parents next year. I occassionally run into some road blocks because I don't have children of my own. I've even had parents make mention of that fact. Regardless, I want the parents of children in my class to know that I care about what goes on in their families and I want to be a valid part of their lives. I’ve heard you mention your “Super Saturday Events” before, and I was envious. They sounded like so much fun! I think that it was so brave of you to step outside of the box and take that extra step to connect with your students’ families. I also think that we could just take more steps to get to know the parents of our students by simply talking to them. I thought that the Critical Child Project was a great way to start doing that. It is something that I’m going to try to do with each of my parents next year. I occassionally run into some road blocks because I don’t have children of my own. I’ve even had parents make mention of that fact. Regardless, I want the parents of children in my class to know that I care about what goes on in their families and I want to be a valid part of their lives.

]]> Comment on School Culture by Cindy http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/school-culture/#comment-24 Cindy Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:02:54 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/29/school-culture/#comment-24 It sounds like you try, and do your part to improve your class through your efforts of parent participation. And that's all we can do. We've learned through our class talks, and listening to P. Gorski, a variety of views and suggestions for our class participation, but at times, we have to realized parents just can't do it. Until we've walked a mile in their shoes we can do what we can as teachers (and maybe a little prayer but not out loud) and accept the rest. Patients and acceptance, and a good attitude, kill 'em with kindness and all that. I've had some great classes, but I do know what you mean about parents who don't participate to the ones who participate too much. It's all for the kids. It sounds like you try, and do your part to improve your class through your efforts of parent participation. And that’s all we can do. We’ve learned through our class talks, and listening to P. Gorski, a variety of views and suggestions for our class participation, but at times, we have to realized parents just can’t do it. Until we’ve walked a mile in their shoes we can do what we can as teachers (and maybe a little prayer but not out loud) and accept the rest. Patients and acceptance, and a good attitude, kill ‘em with kindness and all that. I’ve had some great classes, but I do know what you mean about parents who don’t participate to the ones who participate too much. It’s all for the kids.

]]> Comment on Gorski by coreyrieke http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/24/gorski/#comment-23 coreyrieke Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:02:23 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/24/gorski/#comment-23 I'm feeling the same unease your feeling Charlotte, in regards to Gorski's focus on Ruby Payne. I felt like I was listening to Hillary bash Barack as I listened to Gorski continuously bring up Ruby Payne. Why can't people just be passionate about their own issues without bringing up other's perceived shortcomings? I think his message has a lot of validity, but I think it can passed on to others with a bit more class. I’m feeling the same unease your feeling Charlotte, in regards to Gorski’s focus on Ruby Payne. I felt like I was listening to Hillary bash Barack as I listened to Gorski continuously bring up Ruby Payne. Why can’t people just be passionate about their own issues without bringing up other’s perceived shortcomings? I think his message has a lot of validity, but I think it can passed on to others with a bit more class.

]]> Comment on Savage Unrealities by jlefils http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/16/savage-unrealities/#comment-22 jlefils Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:53:39 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/16/savage-unrealities/#comment-22 Charlotte, I can identify with your experiences as single mom near financial poverty. When my parents divorced we faced a similar situation. And as with the stresses caused from any break up of a family we faced poverty on several of the levels you discussed. Your right, we can't make assumptions about anyone. Poverty isn't always about money. Charlotte, I can identify with your experiences as single mom near financial poverty. When my parents divorced we faced a similar situation. And as with the stresses caused from any break up of a family we faced poverty on several of the levels you discussed. Your right, we can’t make assumptions about anyone. Poverty isn’t always about money.

]]> Comment on Culturally Responsive Teaching by ctyson1 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/02/culturally-responsive-teaching/#comment-21 ctyson1 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:39:35 +0000 http://ctyson1.edublogs.org/2008/03/02/culturally-responsive-teaching/#comment-21 Wow! Thank you, Jon and Corey, for your comments! Wow! Thank you, Jon and Corey, for your comments!

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