Today was a long day.
In addition to all the regular end-of-year hubbub, we had a collaboration meeting today to review student data. It was really difficult.
On the one hand, fourth grade reduced our lowest (intensive) reading group from 50% of the grade level to 28% of the grade level. That's a huge change-- especially for those students that have become readers.
But, on the other hand, we looked individually at all the students that remained in that group. This is what we need to do... but, it's also what we do all the time as professionals on our own.
Today, maybe I'm just tired (or super jealous that I'm not "Soarin' Over California" with John), but it was just really hard to do. The series of questions-- what interventions have you done?, have you recommended them for summer school?, have you communicated this to their parents?, have you looked at their Phonics-Decoding screener?, have you... --just felt very accusatory.
Interestingly enough, Elaine (my fellow 4th grade teacher) thought they were attacking me more, and I felt they were attacking her more. I think that's because we both really "own" our data. So, when someone is implying you've not done enough, you just think-- "yeah, I probably didn't". But, when someone implies a co-worker, who you know has worked SUPER hard all year, hasn't done enough, it seems really egregious. The bottom line is that we both did everything we could think of to help "move" these students.
We did celebrate the victory and progress (with sparkling cider), which was wonderful. However, they teach teachers you have to say 3-5x the number of positive things to negative to have a student remember the positive at all. I guess teachers are the same way.
On the plus side, I wore my barefoot shoes all day today... and they were EXCELLENT!
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