Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Where Were You When I Was Teaching?

Tomorrow is the beginning of our state test. Woohoo!

To be perfectly honest, I don't really think to much about it. I do my job throughout the year, teach the kids what I can, and keep high expectations for all of them. I expect them to all do well and they usually do. I always tell people that I have never been surprised by any results of the state test unless pleasantly. That's when I ask, "How on God's earth did you manage to pass?" and tell the student, "You should be down on your knees thanking whatever angel was sitting on your shoulder!"

Anyways, tomorrow we start with math. So today we did a bit of reviewing of some of our common vocabulary words such as perimeter, area, congruency, symmetry, and so on. One of our math review problems asked about an array something we haven't really covered yet in 3rd grade. We spent a good 15 minutes discussing arrays, drawing arrays, writing multiplication sentences from arrays, and doing all things arrays. We move on to another math topic for a few more minutes and then it's time for me to call a group of students to go pack up.

My classroom is set up in groups of six, two people facing each other so,

I say, "E's table go get your backpacks and pack up".
Smart math student says, "Mrs. Tuttle, you should have said E's Array go pack up" ((pat myself on the back for getting students to learn and apply new information))
Another student chimes, "Why would she say that?"
Smart student, "Because our desks are in arrays."
Other student, "What's an array??" ((bangs head on desk because some information just doesn't quite make it to where I hope it goes!!))



5 comments:

  1. I'm sorry that some of the kids didn't seem to get it, but perhaps they did, they just don't know it yet. Perhaps they only know an array on paper, ya know some folks only see things certain ways.

    I know your kids will do great.

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  2. We are on day 2 of 3 for testing.

    We stop at the "last right angle" in the hall way. My students also make a line segment at the door and will politely point out the error of your ways if you ask them to form a line. (You are so right though...there is always that one!)

    Good luck this week!

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  3. Oh my gosh! I can't tell you how hard I just laughed at your story!!I can't believe how accurately you just described MY CLASS today! Our testing starts next week - Reading. We have been working on written answers for over a week. Answering the question, giving text support and adding and extension (we call the AHA!) So one girl today says "Mrs. Ragan, I'm not so good at the BCR. I can never think of an example." I say to her "M, you are supposed to go back to the text and find an example, not think of a brand new one on your own." She says "OH!"

    Another student seems to think that text support is an example of a text feature -- again, a week later... 20 examples done already... 90% of my class can do them independently and well..

    I am ready to SCREAM! It's at this point that I just stop and think that I have done all I can do and they have gotten what they will get.

    RELAX -- it'll be okay!! :)

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  4. It doesn't change when they are 22 and in college. We get completely through a section, I have asked 20 times if there are questions, then halfway through the next section, someone will say...um. I still don't get the first section. AAAAAAAAAH.

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  5. and this is why I'm in awe of teachers....keep doing your job, your a fantastic teacher I know it!

    ReplyDelete

Go ahead...tell me like it is!

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