I am not a good blogger. I haven't kept up with my journal on line, and not very well on paper, either. So much is going on. Our ninth and tenth graders started MAP testing this week--a computerized way of assessing reading, language, and math. This is a district mandate, rather than a state mandate, but honestly, it's one more "test." How much more do we have to "endure" in the name of accountability?
I'm not sure how the "common planning" is going. We don't have enough time to sit down and think through the units. And when one teacher is philosophically and pedagogically "opposed" to the other? Well, it gets interesting. I'm not sure how our lesson plans compare. I'm not sure her kids are getting what my kids are.
I do know that slowly, I am making progress with some students. Using the literacy strategies from the REading Initiative and the books that I'm devouring, my students are becoming more independent thinkers--at least those who take the time to read and think. I know what I'm doing is the right thing, but sometimes I have my doubts whether I should because of the pressures from the outside. There has to be an easier way.