So far, So Good

What a difference in the number of posts from the teacher on summer break and the teacher in September!

So far I am beyond impressed with my class this year. This is the first year that everyone in my class has come from a full day Kindergarten class which makes a world of difference in their skill level when they enter First Grade. I am thrilled to see the things that they are already capable of doing. Mostly, I see they have a better ability to follow directions and stay on task compared to other groups I have had. I feel lucky.

Surprisingly, when my students were assessed with DIBELS, 11 of 25 students were identified for Title 1 support which indicates they need supplemental reading intervention to meet the First Grade benchmark standards in reading. That is almost 50% of my class! Despite this high number of students identified as needing extra support, I find my group to be hard workers and happy learners.

I have especially been impressed with their math skills. I think they are already mastering skills, like place value, that my class last year was still struggling over in the spring! It is wonderful to be able to challenge them and have them welcome the more difficult work. Earlier in the week, I gave each student a 100 board with a few numbers filled in, but most of the spaces blank. I asked them to write in all the missing numbers. You could have heard a pin drop on my floor! They were so engaged and enthusiastic. When it was time to get in line for PE I was trying to coerce them away from their work and they were telling me, "Wait, I am almost done, I want to finish." I gave a few students an entirely empty 100 board and one of those students said to me. "Mrs. T. this is too easy, I think next time I will have to write 100-200!" He is so excited about learning, he knows how to differentiate his own instruction. I love it!

I am finally getting to experience what I have read about in so many books. Kids being excited about learning and wanting to learn more, and more, and MORE. It is a great feeling. :0)

At my school, despite the fact that First Graders are 6, the students regroup for reading in order to be in reading groups appropriate for their skills. We are torn about this process because developmentally, it is appropriate for 6 and 7 year olds to remain with one teacher in order to develop a relationship and sense of belonging and trust with that teacher. On the other hand, we have SUCH a broad range of skills amongst the kid this year. It is difficult to teach the same lesson to one student who has an Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) score of 0 words in one minute and another who reads 124 words in a minute. These children have different needs!

I volunteered to teach the lowest group this year and I love it. My class consists of 14 students, 6 of which are English Language Learners, and one student with Down syndrome who does not yet use oral communication. Several of my students have very low phonemic awareness skills, struggle to pay attention, and are not yet proficient in relating sounds (phonemes) to letters (graphemes). I am so excited to work with students at this level because they have so much room for growth this year. They are a wonderful little group and I am enjoying teaching them very much.

Sometimes I feel like I need to stand on my head and juggle with my feet in order to get them to pay attention to my lessons, but I know they will come so far this year and I know that my expectations for success will help them make great gains.

So far it has been a great year. I am finding myself more motivated and more excited to go to work in the morning. It reminds me of when I was student teaching and I was almost disappointed on Friday afternoons because I loved working with my class so much. I can't say that I am disappointed when Friday afternoon rolls around now, but I do feel like this will be a terrific year.