Stephanie has had an eventful week plus at school. Last Thursday a pre-programmed lesson in her READ 180 curriculum has students – remember, English as a new language and other students – discuss immigration. Several of her ENL students talked about harrowing journeys to the United States – including above the train a la the movie Sin Nombre Stephanie and I saw earlier this year – and it was interesting for them to talk about and for other students to hear. One of her newest students seemed to remember a particularly tough journey.
Then on Friday Stephanie accompanied some of the 4th graders to the Kentucky Center for the Arts, where – a few weeks earlier – we had seen a dance performance with Penny – to see The Nutcracker, a childhood favorite of Stephanie and Vincent – and ours. The students from Stephanie’s school who went were from a special etiquette/citizenship afterschool program that the school guidance counselor helped lead (for the first year – separately – for boys too). The kids came dressed in suits and dresses and were trained and urged to be on their best behavior. When they got to the Kentucky Center – for a kids’ day shortened performance – they were the best dressed and – as it turns out, from the nosebleed seats – the best behaved kids there. Stephanie was very proud of her students.
Also late last week the principal at Stephanie’s school did her usual surprise evaluation and Friday Stephanie got good marks: excellents and a couple of goods.
This week continued to be eventful at school for Stephanie. Already this year – in an effort to boost middle school standardized test scores – Stephanie and two of her colleagues have been teaching READ 180 to a mix of ENL and non-ENL students who are OK but still below-grade-level readers. This fall the new district superintendent has also pushed schools to regularly test all students and math and then divide students in each grade level into several groups based on their math skills and have different staff teach them, then re-test them regularly. At Stephanie’s small school, this will involve pulling all possible staff to help teach math. Already this fall, as part of Stephanie dropping in to help out in classes with a number of ENL students, Stephanie has been taking a small group of students to her classroom to teach math – but the classroom teacher has been doing all of the lesson plans. Now, Stephanie will have to do the lesson plans also – and she’ll be teaching a mix of ENL and non-ENL students, as in her READ 180 class. I believe this will start in January.
Also this past week, as in December 2008, Stephanie had students in one of her classes draw pictures of their favorite foods, and then we scanned and color-printed them, and then they make books out of these pages, as presents for their parents. Today the students put their books together.
Today Stephanie also lost two of her ENL teaching colleagues for a short time. This past weekend the school’s other ENL teacher, also named Stephanie, gave birth to a baby (her fourth – twins two years ago!), and she’ll miss teaching during part of the winter months. The translator-aide who works with the other Stephanie most, Annabelle, is taking education classes and will do her student teaching during the first few months of 2010 and so won’t be back until around April. I believe a teacher who covered for a colleague of Stephanie on medical leave will take over for the other Stephanie this winter. Stephanie and some of her colleagues gathered after work today to talk shop and celebrate the end of the year, and this ended a busy 10 days for Stephanie and her colleagues.
Then on Friday Stephanie accompanied some of the 4th graders to the Kentucky Center for the Arts, where – a few weeks earlier – we had seen a dance performance with Penny – to see The Nutcracker, a childhood favorite of Stephanie and Vincent – and ours. The students from Stephanie’s school who went were from a special etiquette/citizenship afterschool program that the school guidance counselor helped lead (for the first year – separately – for boys too). The kids came dressed in suits and dresses and were trained and urged to be on their best behavior. When they got to the Kentucky Center – for a kids’ day shortened performance – they were the best dressed and – as it turns out, from the nosebleed seats – the best behaved kids there. Stephanie was very proud of her students.
Also late last week the principal at Stephanie’s school did her usual surprise evaluation and Friday Stephanie got good marks: excellents and a couple of goods.
This week continued to be eventful at school for Stephanie. Already this year – in an effort to boost middle school standardized test scores – Stephanie and two of her colleagues have been teaching READ 180 to a mix of ENL and non-ENL students who are OK but still below-grade-level readers. This fall the new district superintendent has also pushed schools to regularly test all students and math and then divide students in each grade level into several groups based on their math skills and have different staff teach them, then re-test them regularly. At Stephanie’s small school, this will involve pulling all possible staff to help teach math. Already this fall, as part of Stephanie dropping in to help out in classes with a number of ENL students, Stephanie has been taking a small group of students to her classroom to teach math – but the classroom teacher has been doing all of the lesson plans. Now, Stephanie will have to do the lesson plans also – and she’ll be teaching a mix of ENL and non-ENL students, as in her READ 180 class. I believe this will start in January.
Also this past week, as in December 2008, Stephanie had students in one of her classes draw pictures of their favorite foods, and then we scanned and color-printed them, and then they make books out of these pages, as presents for their parents. Today the students put their books together.
Today Stephanie also lost two of her ENL teaching colleagues for a short time. This past weekend the school’s other ENL teacher, also named Stephanie, gave birth to a baby (her fourth – twins two years ago!), and she’ll miss teaching during part of the winter months. The translator-aide who works with the other Stephanie most, Annabelle, is taking education classes and will do her student teaching during the first few months of 2010 and so won’t be back until around April. I believe a teacher who covered for a colleague of Stephanie on medical leave will take over for the other Stephanie this winter. Stephanie and some of her colleagues gathered after work today to talk shop and celebrate the end of the year, and this ended a busy 10 days for Stephanie and her colleagues.
-- Perry
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