Underachieving

Chapter 12 Wow... I cannot believe this book study is over. This book, by far, has helped me so much more than most of the books I have read over the past several years. I had a meeting with my principal a couple of days ago and I expressed my love for this topic and the importance of each teacher reading it. I felt like she was receptive to this -- I sure hope so! I enjoyed the Bill of Rights. And in theory, of course I agreed with all of it. Each one rang true to me, however, one in particular struck me as one of those...."Ok. Come on, you really do need to read this carefully!" That one was: Gifted Children Have a Right to Learn Something New Every Day. Can I say that each of my gifted children learned something new each day? No way. That just sticks in my heart right now. I think I will wake up each day and go to bed each night thinking of this right. Of course they should be learning something new each day. Otherwise, why are they at school? It is a complete waste...

Chapter 10 Perception is everything, right? Perception is our reality. When it comes to our willingness to learn and our confidence in ourselves, we will work harder when we believe we can achieve and that we have the support of those around us. Students are the same way. Of all the goals I have for myself, as a teacher, relationships are at the very top. I hope that every student in my room perceives my support and belief in them. The best way I can show them that I care for them is to take the time to get to know them-- not just academically, but all the way around. I spend time asking  them about their lives and give them plenty of opportunities to share what life is like for them away from school. I communicate with their parents in multiple settings so that I can understand what the children are like off campus. A teacher can have an amazing window into a student's life just by listening to what others say about them, and how they interact with others in unstructured moment...

Chapter 8 Feedback continues to be one of the things that I strive to improve on. Every year, I start strong, set goals for myself, and make minor improvements. I always struggle at the same time of year -- January. I feel the crunch on STAAR writing and get so focused on prep that feedback settles on the back burner. I recognize the importance of it, believe me and every year I know I get a little bit better at it. I provide both written and verbal feedback to my students via their writing/reading notebooks. I focus on specific strengths  and leave them with questions and ideas for growth. One thing I would like to institute next year is students providing feedback to each other in their notebooks. I think it will be even more valuable coming from peers. Our students do have e-portfolios, which I think is a great idea. I would like to spend more time on them. Usually we take time to work on them a lot at the end of the year, while working on our "growth over time" essays...