The ABC's of Education

 



  CCSS (Common Core State Standards): Adopted by forty three states currently. Our nation's approach to standardized and unify what students are learning across America. Although it has received much flack (due more to the curriculum), Common Core is not a curriculum, by the end result. Districts, schools, and teachers have choices in their teaching approach to help their students' reach these goals.

ELL (English Language Learner): A student whose first language is not English or English is not the primary language at home. Students receive specialized services upon qualification, as based on need.

GATE (Gifted and Talented Education): A specialized teaching approach that encourages and develop students that show extraordinary ability in their learning acquisition. Teachers are required to be certified in order to teach GATE. It is an individualized approach, although students are usually clustered in classrooms.

PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers): One of two standardized test that aligns with the CCSS. A few states have opted to take this approach and allow their schools to participate in this testing (AR, CO, DC, IL, LA, MD, MA, NJ, NM, NY, OH, RH, PA).


PLC (Professional Learning Community): A strategy implemented at districts and school sites to create unity among grade levels and set aside planning time for both immediate and future needs.

RTi (Response to Intervention): The educational systems approach for rehabilitating students that are struggling in school. It allows the student to receive individualized and specialized teaching approaches that will better prepare the students for learning.

Smarter Balanced: One of two standardized tests that are used by states to assess student's learning as it relates to CCSS.

 TK (Transitional Kindergarten): A newer program to California's elementary schools. Students are now mandated to be five by the start of school. Student's whose birthday does not fall on or before that date, may be enrolled in the school site's Transitional Kindergarten program, which allows the students to receive a bridging year between preschool and Kindergarten. Districts and school sites have free reign, currently, in their approach to educating these four, almost five, year olds. It is not a remediation class and is separate from the curriculum learned in Kindergarten.

 
 What other words would you like clarified?

Book Review: School Starts At Home

As always I'm constantly perusing the aisles of the library and stumbled upon this quick and easy read. It is chalk full of wonderful helpful ideas to encourage learning in your child. It describes the exact feeling that I have come across as a mom and as a teacher: "How can my child be successful."

Should the school be responsible to teaching my child math, English, social studies, etc, as well as manners, independence, and money management? No. I've been in the classroom and have seen how hard students try to learn, and for some it comes so easily, where others have to work at it. But rarely have I seen a student with a home environment that supports learning struggle in school. I understand that as a parent not every teacher my children have will be their favorite or will even be good at their job, I'm still responsible for my child's learning and love of it.

This could be controversial, but I hope not. It seems that there is always emotion involved when it comes to homework, classroom management, and student success. Why are we expecting someone who has known our child for a year expect to cater to their every need in the classroom? That expection is placed on teachers every day along with the amount of complaints and frustrations parents are addressing with them. Of course our voice as parent's should be heard, but our actions should probably preceed those complaints.





















This book encourages parents to work with their child and encourage learning at home and throughout the school year especially during the summer. Learning doesn't and shouldn't look like it does in the classroom, but some structured is necessary. Fuller encourages reading to and with your student, but also showing them your love of reading as well. Television and movies should be reserved for special occasions because there are other ways to encourage learning.

Fuller encourages parents to work with students and support them in their learning and continue to foster a love of learning. She, like me, sees that schools should not be responsible for teaching and developing a life-long learner.

I encourage you to read this quick helpful and positive book on creating a learning environment at home.

Let me know your thoughts on this read.

What struggles have you found with your student as a learner or in the classroom?