I love teaching first grade. I have taught first
grade for three years, and while I would like to experience teaching other
grades, I would not be surprised if I decide to eventually go back to first. In
my opinion, it is one of the most important grades, and one of the most
rewarding. Students need to build a strong foundation of skills, and it is my
job to help them. When I am at work, I teach children how to read. Think about
it. If you are reading this blog, you know how to read and have known for many
years. It is a skill many people, including myself take for granted. But there
was a time when you looked at a paper and tried to figure out how the words
went together. That is part of my job. When students enter first grade, they
may know how to combine some letters, or know certain words. By the time they
leave, they have become fluent readers who can comprehend texts. It is an
amazing accomplishment and I am a part of that experience for twenty-plus kids
every year.
Each child enters a first grade classroom at
different levels. Some may still be struggling with their letters and some may
already know how to read higher-level books. I differentiate my instruction to
the best of my ability based on each student's needs. One of my favorite parts
of the year, regardless of the skill, is when it clicks for the students. A
student who had difficulty blending sounds together, all of a sudden, gets it.
A student who didn't understand how to put thoughts together to form a
sentence, writes a meaningful story with multiple sentences. It is exciting for
the students and rewarding for me to observe. I remind myself, they just needed
time. I allowed them to take the time they needed, and it paid off.
In my Research into Practice education class, many
people have shared stories of their children or students in early childhood
grades needing more time to develop certain skills. A four year old may not
want to write his or her name. A first grader might love to read but hate
sounding out words. Certain people may feel the best way to solve these
challenges is to encourage those students to practice the skills they hate. I
would argue, that unless it is clear to expert educators that there may be a
learning disability, the children just need time. Instead of forcing them to
practice something they connect with negative feelings, try encouraging them
and provide positive experiences that will help the students build confidence
in those skills. For example, express interest in a child's wonderful drawing
with lines that represent letters, rather than reminding her she didn't add her
name. Take time to read books with your children that represent enjoyable
experiences rather than forcing them to sound out a word in a book. Through
literacy experiences and practice in school, students will be ready. You can't
force children to do something they are not ready for, but can help build their
confidence and let them know they are supported.
While I feel strongly about allowing students to take the time they
need, it is difficult as a teacher to find that time. Teachers feel pressure
from administrators to make sure their students are meeting benchmarks by a
certain time. Teachers are evaluated based on whether students meet those
benchmarks, or pass a standardized test. I understand the need for benchmarks
and assessments, but I have an issue administering standardized assessments in
early childhood grades. The students may have not had the time they need to
fully develop their skills, and therefore the standardized tests are not a
reliable determination of what the students know. Randi
Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, and Nancy
Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education at Lesley University
feel that implementation of the Common Core Standards needs to reflect how
children learn, through real world, hands on experiences, developing skills
over time. They expressed that "this process is not always linear
and is not quantifiable; expecting young children to know specific facts or
skills at specified ages is not compatible with how they learn. It emphasizes
right and wrong answers instead of the developmental progressions that typify
their learning." (Strauss, 2013) They suggest the best way to evaluate
students is through expert teacher observation. In this Washington Post article, they recommend rejecting
standardized tests in K-2 classrooms. I agree with this recommendation. I have
seen second graders cry over confusion when taking standardized assessments. I
have seen results that are not useful for teachers to reflect on their
practices to best help their students. I do not think administering
standardized tests supports the developmental philosophy of allowing children
to have time in early childhood education classes. If we feel strongly about
children's success, we need to allow them to participate in developmentally
appropriate experiences.
Reference:
Strauss, V. (2013). Reject common core tests in k-2: Weingarten, Carlsson Paige. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/11/17/reject-common-core-tests-in-grades-k-2-weingarten-carlsson-paige/
I completely agree Rachel. Time is the determining factor. Not just for the students, but for the teachers as well. It takes time to know when a student simply is having some difficulty on a topic and will get it in a few days, or the child has a learning disability that must be addressed right away. You mentioned that you have had the privilege of teaching the same grade for three years, but there are some teachers who get switched from grade to grade and never have the opportunity to learn what is the correct amount of time a student needs. This will be my fourth year teaching and at the end I will have taught five different grades. My easiest and most rewarding year was when I had the opportunity to teach the same grades for a second year. I was more familiar with the literary concepts, what the students would need to be successful, and what lessons not to teach or simply modify from the previous year. I believe more time should be allowed for students to learn at their own pace and for teachers to learn their craft to ensure student growth. This is my I love the idea of a Montessori school because it allows a student to progress at their own pace. Children of different ages are in the same classroom, growing and learning with each other because some progress quicker in math while other progress quicker in English. It allows for that growth and scaffolding that is not allowed in standard classrooms. If only we were allowed to teaching the using the Montessori method in our classrooms I think it would help the students to learn. Think about high school and college classes. The ages in the classes are mixed and it allows for more student growth because other students of other ages have a different perspective. Having this mentality in all grades who improve development and help allow for that extra time needed for development. If your interested in opening a school let me know:-)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel and Kenny,
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those times when I’m just going to say: I completely agree with both of you and I have the personal experience to back it up. Obviously, none of us really love Piaget because we all seem to believe that people (students and teachers alike) need to develop at their own pace. I think a huge part of development is motivation. As both Rachel and Kenny write (and I’m paraphrasing and generalizing) until a learner experiences a small amount of success at something, it’s hard to find the motivation to push through challenges, much less failure.
I think we’ve all heard someone say at some point: “he just turned into a student when he got to [fill in the blank with when ‘he’ turned into a student.]” I don’t believe that anyone magically “turns into” a student. I think it’s more likely that motivation finally catches up with development. I’ve had plenty of friends who weren’t “good” students in elementary, middle or high school, but who cleaned up in college because they finally saw a reason to work hard at what they were learning. My sister was like this. She was always capable but un-invested until she got to college and found her calling as a social worker. She studied diligently through college and excelled. Her senior year she balanced a part-time internship an hour and a half away from her campus, a full class-load, and still managed to fit in time to have a social life. There is no way that a standardized test in second grade would have or could have captured my sister’s academic, much less social-emotional, intelligences or capabilities. She would not have been motivated to demonstrate what she could do on these tests because it didn’t impact or benefit her directly.
Similarly, (and I don’t remember this but my dad does), I was slow to learn to read. My dad recounts how my mother (a career English teacher) used to fret to my father that in first grade, I wasn’t “taking to” reading like the other children. She was worried that I would never become an avid reader, and clearly, as an English teacher, she understood the connection between reading and academic success. It wasn’t until the winter of second grade when my mom gave me a copy of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for Christmas that I really became a reader. I enjoyed reading the book and was motivated to continue to read. Reading frequently made me a better reader. Becoming a better reader made me enjoy reading more. Enjoying reading made me more motivated to read. All of this turned me into an English major in college and, following in my mother’s footsteps, a career English teacher.
It seems to me that our shared experiences show us that time and motivation have just as much to do with academic development as quality instruction. Noting as much, I agree with Rachel and Kenny in saying that standardized tests are certainly not a fair or appropriate way to assess whether a student is acquiring necessary academic skills.
"Reading" this reminded me of my own struggling students and how important time and patience is in the primary ages. Students develop skills at different paces and we can't expect them to be in unison. Yes, it is very difficult having a class where you have students still learning their letters and sounds while having some read on a grade level above them. The difference in level is so drastic that it becomes difficult to accomodate to everyone's needs as one teacher in the room. You are being pulled in all directions and everyday I feel I did a disservice to them by not being able to provide them with more support and time.
ReplyDeleteTime is a huge factor not only to students but also to teachers. We learn to balance our time with each of our students. During Writer's Workshop, I always work closely with my struggling writers with a lot of one-on-one time with conferencing. After continuously working on the same skills of sounding out our words and working on writing conventions, my struggling writers have shown such amazing progress that I see myself being able to get up and leave, allowing them to be independent writers and go conference with my other students who are more independent. I see them practicing the skills I taught them on their own and I gain such a proud and rewarding feeling knowing that they are absorbing and applying what I taught them in their writing. My experiences have shown and proved to me that all we need is a little bit of time and patience to reach our goals as we can refer to the fable, Tortoise and Hare's moral: slow and steady wins the race.