Frustration

I was so frustrated and overwhelmed today after work. It was early release which means that the kids go home at 11:00 and I have to sit through meetings until 3:30. Matthew Fishencord presented to us. He is a kindergarten teacher in the district. The reading specialist and instructional specialist worship the ground he walks on. They had him come teach us how to teach kids to write. Matthew has some great ideas but the specialists think that we have to do everything the way he does it. He has his students writing twice a day and one time at home everyday. There is a lot of writing going on in his room.
I just became very frustrated because some people at my work think that his way is the only way. Which makes me question how I teach. Am I just wasting time because I don't so what he does? Are my kids learning anything? I just became soooooooo overwhelmed with everything.
I finally just had to tell myself that what I am doing is working. I know my kids are learning and I am trying to help everyone in my class. Which is a completely different story.




I have a little boy in my class that isn't learning. He is still too young to be in school and isn't retaining any information we are learning. I wasn't sure how to help him so I talked to the other kinder teachers. Their thoughts -- work with the kids you know will learn it! Their advice to me was to not worry about him. He won't learn it so work with the one who will. These are the ones that will improve our test scores. The kinder teachers are not the only people to say this. Our very own reading specialist has told us the very same thing. I was shocked!!! So much for "No Child Left Behind!" More like "Leave the Low Ones Behind" It will be interesting to see in a few years the large gap between our high kids and our low kids. Shame on the teachers that ignore our struggling students.