SHEDDING LIGHT ON EDUCATION

Unrealistic demands in kindergarten

Let me start by saying I’m no miracle worker and I ain’t Jesus. If you as a parent are not working with me at home it makes my job just a little more difficult.
1. With common core kids are expected to read fluently and independently on level C by the end of the school year.
2. Common core says they should write a paragraph at the end of the school year
3. Sight words will depend on who you ask. I’ve heard, seen and assessed 39 to 100.
4. Add and subtract fluently within 5.
5. Count to 100 by 1s, 5s and 10s.

Now when you don’t help with the weekly homework packet or even look it, don’t come at me
When you don’t read with and to your child, don’t come for me
When you look me dead in my face and say I don’t have time but I want…..let me stop you right there.

I am not a miracle worker. Let me explain my day.
They have specials. Time not teaching
They have lunch and recess. Time not teaching
They have breakfast and if I’m lucky snack. Time not teaching
There will be students ranging from various developmental levels.
There will be anywhere from 18 to 36 students with no TA (could be higher or lower depending on the state most have no cap and some states have assistants)

Let’s be real some kids slip through the cracks.
Some kids are not motivated.
Some of these curriculums are outdated.
Some kids are so far behind when they start not attending any kind of preschool or Prek program and no one has worked with them at home, they can’t even hold a pencil.
The first 6 weeks of school is policy, produces, rules and consequences.
Some kids have developmental delays and behavioral problems.
Remember I’m alone in this classroom with all this.

We come in hoping to save, teach, and reach EVERY SINGLE one of our students.

Then admin comes down with extra.
The district adopts a new assessment.
Sept to Oct assessments are given.
Then again in Mar and April. I have done as early as February.
Guess what your child is not performing on or above grade level after I have pulled and used every strategy known to mankind I could very lose my job.

Okay fine you say I should. Well do you stop to think. There’s a child who came speaking no English but they are already 5 years behind because the curriculum and the standard don’t take that child into consideration.
What about that child who is moved around from house to house because mama is strung out on drugs and had no consistency. He can’t focus in class.
What about that angry child who’s mad at the world coming in tearing up everything not bolted to the floor.
What about the 3 hour lockdown because there is an active shooter outside the school.
What about the child who is hungry and sleepy who can’t focus on the lesson.
What about the fight that broke out in the classroom and no you gotta spend the next hour filling out paperwork while calming the class down.
What that IEP meeting that ran over my break now I’m not in my room but the first available teacher.
What about the lack of resources and funding.

What about….. the list can go on and on. It’s way too many factors that are not taken into consideration when we tie these test scores to teacher pay and jobs.

We do the best we can with what we have been given. Yes we dip into our pockets to purchase things for our classroom to ensure student success, but it takes you as parents to help us out. READ WITH YOUR CHILD! Make sure the homework gets done. It’s all practice. They won’t get better with just the teacher alone.

Show up to parent teacher conferences.
Stay in contact with your child’s teacher.

Those parents who are involved we can tell because it shows.