Friday, April 15, 2016
Donna Lowe Blog #7 Routman Chapter 12: You Only Have So Much Time
I purposely saved this chapter for the end of the year. When I saw the title, "You Only Have So Much Time" I thought to myself that I would read this chapter and then feel as if I needed to change my schedule...and I just couldn't imagine changing my schedule in the middle of the year. It stressed me out. So, I saved it for the end of the year so that if I need to make schedule changes I can plan for next year.
Routman had some genuinely positive suggestions about how to use your time wisely as a teacher, and I found that I already try to instill many of these practices. However, much of our schedules and demands at school are not as flexible as the book suggests. I would love to not have to grade papers, but I am required to have a certain number of grades for every subject each quarter. I would love to "live an interesting life" everyday but I have tutoring on Mondays, planning on Tuesdays, faculty meetings on Wednesdays, and Class or SAT meetings on Thursday, and I am just thankful that they are spread out on different days.
I feel like I, and the other teachers on my team, make the most of every moment of a school day. We are constantly evaluating and assessing our students every part of the day. We are carrying around journals and binders so that we can quickly jot down notes about students so that we don't forget. We create and teach challenging and enjoyable lessons.
I try to be more organized, plan strategically, and let some things go that are least important in the big picture of first grade. I try to keep work simple. But, I want to go to my student's ballgames and recitals. I want to send parents pictures of their children at school. I want to buy clothes and food for students who need help. I find it hard to "leave school at school". It's too much a part of me. I think about my students when I go home. I worry about them. I pray for them.
So far, the only thing that has worked for me to not be overwhelmed is to pray. Pray for my students and trust that God will take care of them. Pray for my family. And pray for myself to be kind and patient and wise. And take home grading every night so I don't get behind.
I'm definitely not an expert in this area so I may make a copy of the four questions that Routman suggested to keep in your mind all the time.
1. What do I want them to know and understand?
2. How can I help them know and understand it?
3. How will I know when they know and understand it?
4. What are my new expectations for students?
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When I read that you "take home grading every night so I don't get behind," my heart ached a little that you were sacrificing your family time to grade work. I get it, I used to as well. One of my professional goals for next year is to have each grade level look at what might be eating up our personal time and see if we can work on still meeting those "grade requirements." I want to work to gather useful data on our students, that won't require you to grad a worksheet! I can assist with creating rubrics that will allow you to grade existing practices in your classroom. For example, you are doing IR in your room everyday. Can't we create a rubric for those who conference with you and those who share the strategy you had them working on during IR? By the end of a two week period, that should be 1-2 grades for reading! I am excited about working with you to find ways to assess our students in authentic ways...and in ways that will give you some family time back! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Donna,
ReplyDeleteLike you I spend a good chunk of time in the evenings when the kids have gone to bed preparing for the next day, creating prof. dev. lessons, and grading. While there is only so much time, I wish we could all figure out better ways to provide our students with the best instruction without engaging in tasks that aren't meaningful or conducive to student growth. I love Nicole's suggestions for creating checklists and rubrics that allow us to grade and assess during the day.
Sincerely,
Dawn