Tomorrow is the first official day back for teachers although many of them have been coming in for several weeks now to get their rooms ready for the students. Thursday is the big day! First day of school. Get to meet your new group of students. Students are nervous and are wondering how it will be. Guess what?! Teachers are a bit nervous, too! I have shared my story with many teachers through the years and most of them begin laughing and nodding their heads because they have done the same thing! Let me tell you about it!
When I taught first grade I would work all summer on lesson plans and units and think about how I would do things differently in the new school year. I would work hard during pre-planning to make my classroom as inviting as possible. The night before the first day of school, I could not sleep. I would stay awake and go through everything I was going to say the first morning back. I would rehearse how I would greet the children, how I would gently usher their mothers out the door so I could have them all by myself, and what I would say on the important first day of school. I would go over my plans in my head, rehearsing, retooling, and working on it. The morning of the first day I would be so excited, yet worn out from lack of sleep! I would get in the classroom and try to make that first day the day of all days - the tone-setter for the rest of the year!
Several years later as I reflected on my career, and by that time, had children of my own, it dawned on me one day! What was I thinking?! Those first graders were just six years old - I could have said anything! I could have made stuff up on the spot! Would they have known the difference?! It's funny now that I look back on it, but even though I laugh, I know how important planning for that first day is. Yes, they were only six, but it is so important for the teacher to be ready for them! I guarantee you they are ready for the teacher!!!!!
I hope all of the teachers who greet students this Thursday will be ready for their students! What a great opportunity to have a fresh start! I pray for safety and that we begin our school year with a sense of urgency that lasts 180 days!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
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Do the teacher's have a dress code. Some teachers wear jeans everyday.They they do not dress like professionals.
ReplyDeleteCurrently there is no system dress code for teachers; however, several principals have instituted dress codes in their buildings. Right now, there are several other issues that I see as more pressing, but at some point I think it is necessary to have a panel of teachers assist me in developing a system-wide dress code. The questions we must ask ourselves are these: Do we, as educators, want the community to think of us as professionals? If so, how do a professionals dress?
ReplyDeleteI don't think that classroom teachers should be required to wear suits and heels or coats and ties, but I do think that business casual is the preferred way for them to dress. Not simply casual! There are days and projects and field trips which require jeans and t-shirts, but, in my opinion, the everyday work of teachers in the classroom should be held in such high esteem that teachers should be set apart from their students by professional action, professional attitude, and yes, by professional dress.
Why are parents who transferred their child to a school that made AYP allowed to transfer back to the non-AYP school at the last minute. Once a student has withdrawn from a school that did not make AYP requirements, he/she should not be allowed to re-enroll in that school for the year. The low student count has resulted in the loss of teachers and classes in many of the schools. Those schools no longer have the teachers at this point to support a large influx of students that return. I think if parents made the choice to transfer, they ought to be held accountable for those choices for the school year, at least. What are your thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me why the kids were not told who they would have for a teacher, what room to go to and were not allowed to go into the halls to see the classroom? I have two children that do not know where to go when they get to school tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI have a daughter going to pre-k that is 4 years old and registration was in the library. Who is going to direct her to a class? She is four and is shy. I cannot honestly see her going up to a stranger (since I taught her not to) to ask where to go.
The halls were closed off at VMMS. When I asked who my childs teacher was and where was the class was I was told that they would have someone in the halls to direct kids on the first day of school. How do they plan on telling over 600 kids, in three hallways (6th, 7th and 8th grade halls) where to go without problems?
How long before I get to meet the teachers of my children?
How is any school going to handle this influx of new students needing assistance?
It was much better having this planned out when the parents could assist their own children on where to go when they got off the bus. This is horrible pre planning on the part of someone.
I can only hope that people in the system, teachers and principles, realize this tomorrow and fix it next year.
As we enter the school year with our new cell phone policy, it has come to light that if a teacher takes up a phone and then the phone is stolen or broken (by accident), then the teacher will be responsible for paying for the phone. It will be interesting to see not just how many students adhere to the policy, but the teachers as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is not part of the student cell phone policy that if a teacher takes up the phone and the phone is stolen that the teacher has to pay for the phone. We do have a policy which states that if an employee is issued a phone and it is damaged or lost, the employee is responsible for the district-issued phone. Perhaps these two rules are being confused!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is a freshman at Northside High School. She has 4 classes. In 3 of the classes there are not enough books available for students to take home. Why is this? Do you know how many books are needed by subject and school? What is being done to address this problem?
ReplyDeleteThanks.