Successes+and+Challenges

**Successes and Challenges in the Classroom - Fall 2010**
Due September 30, 2010 Reflect on the positive and challenging experiences you have faced in your classroom this semester. Alphabetize your entry by your last name.

Melissa Velasquez (Clara Aguilar) The year started out great with positive attitudes and smiles. My students seem to be responding to seventh grade well and most seem eager to learn and want to be there. Our Admin has taken a bit of a hit with losing our Dean of Stu to budget issues, so of course we (teachers) are having to handle more of the behavior issues in our own classrooms, however, I've been fortunate not to have any behavior issues thus far. Well, none that I can't deal with. Some of the challenges that have arisen from the data are: low, low, low test scores on Spring DBA, SBA and fall STAR. It's amazing to me how apathetic some of these children seem to be on a daily basis. Why is there such a lack of concern or even interest?? I'm not sure how to light a fire under them and I'm really wanting parents to step up and hold their children accountable! Is that wishing too much???

adcox, chad Positive- the kids are a pleasant surprise this year. the attitudes do not seem to be nearly as bad as last year. challenging- lack of support from my administration!!!! i had a girl tell me "i dont listen to my mom, so why should i listen to you?" i wrote her up and the administration just told her to apologize to me.

Beck, Jan Success: My students are doing well learning new routines (K-3 special ed). The older students are being mentors for the younger students. They have lots of compassion with each other. I have already seen so much growth and am excited to see where they are at the end of the year. Challenge: The range in ages and abilities is always a challenge (4- kindergarten, 1 first grader, 3 second graders, 2 third graders).

Kate Bowen CHALLENGE: I am teaching a 4th/5th combination AND inclusion class. This is a huge challenge that is keeping me hyper-aware of the content standards for both grades and jumping through hoops to be sure that all grade levels and skill levels are being addressed. POSITIVE: I am finding that it is not as difficult as I first thought it would be, and feel I have developed a more efficient grading system as a result.

Bishop, Tara Challenge: Dealing with parents. Success!: The students are getting into the classroom routine's and structures. They are happy and love school.

Jo Anna Casados Good- My new room is in order. I have good kids and they are fun to teach. Bad-I do not have a board to write on. I have an incomplete reading program and a lot of lost materials in my new room.

Jo Castillo - Successes: I haven't quit. Challenges: Learning how to flow with students with ODD, ADD, and Autism and team teaching.

Chiuminatto, Tiffany Successes- I have an amazing class this year. My students are so caring and excited about learning. I also have a lot of parental support. I am eager to see what kind of progress we can make this year.

challenging- I am concerned at how low my students seem to be this year in both reading and math. My school has entered restructuring 1 this year and that seems to be presenting many new challenges. The introduction of a new reading program (Treasures) has also been difficult because we are missing materials and most of the materials we have received are the wrong version.

Cole, Kathleen Success - Best start to a school year in at least 3 years. Students are prepared and eager. They work well together on cooperative tasks. Challenges - Scheduling time to teach ESL students for 45 minutes a day in a small group separate from my other 17 students. Hovering parents who are raising their first-born child.

Corbett, Michelle Successes: I have two wonderful EAs, a good group of Kindergarteners, and a highly motivated international student teacher. Challenges: I also have a student who qualified for a BD/ED classroom and his parents refuse to take him out of regular ed.. He takes most of my time and energy.

Crespin, Nakia Success- This year we have a new principal! The school atmosphere is much better this year than it has been the last two years. This year I only have 24 kids where as last year I had 28. Challenges: I have two ELL students that arrived from VIetnam speaking NO English. I have found this challenging. I am having to start with colors, shapes, and basic sight words. The other challenge has been trying to teach Treasures without the teachers materials!

Fitzwater, Rachel **Success-** So far the students have been pretty good. I had heard some horror stories about this group from their previous teachers, but fortunately they haven't lived up to those stories.

**Challenges-** I have a very large number of students, 180+ this year. The classes are large, and we don't have the resources to accommodate that number of students.....thank goodness they've been well behaved so far.

Susan Fuller Successes: My students are beginning to follow routines and are somewhat able to maintain focused behavior. Challenges: A very boisterous group with many behavioral challenges.


 * Glenn, Amanda**
 * Sucesses:** This has been a really good year so far, other than the fact that I am utterly exhausted. My students are doing great and we are getting to know each other better every single day. I love the fact that I taught most of these students in the third grade and now we are in the fifth grade. I am trying out new things this year as far as curriculum goes and am excited to feel myself growing as a teacher each and every year.


 * Challenges:** Again I am going to reiterate how tired I am, which is a huge challenge. There is a tremendous amount of changes at our school this year and it has been at times a challenge to stay focus and remember why I am here. I sometimes wonder who is making all these decisions and whether or not they know how negatively these decisions are affecting education. My students seem to be very low this year and I am going to strive all year to make progress.


 * Gonzales, Camille**
 * Successes:** So far this year has been really good. I feel like I've been working on establishing better relationships with my students, and that seems to make the students more motivated to do well for me. In addition, I am trying to be more student centered and give students more opportunities to succeed. I think that's really helping, as well.


 * Challenges:** My biggest challenge is still staying on top of my grading. With 4 preps, I feel like I spend much of my time planning for the 4 different classes that I teach. Between that, being a mom, department chair responsibilities, and my graduate classes, I always seem to put grading on the back burner. This means that I am not giving my students feedback as quickly as I'd like. This is something that I need to work on!

Hampe, Tiffany Positives- This year I've already established a GREAT rapport with my students! I'm excited about this because it usually takes much more time for this to happen.

Challenges- Class sizes are a very weird this year. My smallest class is 17, and my largest is 38! It's challenging to shift my thinking from one period to another. Also, I have one student in particular with a ton of issues and problems, and it has been a daily struggle

Sucesses: I was really excited to get a Promethean board this year installed in my class. I love technology and I think it grabs students' attention and can be used as an excellent tool for all content areas. Challenges: Although I have this new technology in my class, I often find myself frustrated because I don't know the program well enough. Hopefully through more training, I will be able to use it more effectively in my classroom.
 * Grothe, Rebecca**

Sucesses: I’ve been implementing the Daily 5 and Café program in my classroom this year. The class grasped the routines really well. They’re a terrific, easy-going bunch, and I’m looking forward to trying out other things in the class – they’re so adaptable.
 * Holman, Christi**

Challenges: We had low numbers at my school and lost a teacher, leading to the creation of a 3/4 combo. I volunteered to teach it, but it already has proven challenging to mesh not just subject matter but the schedules of two different grade levels together. I keep thinking, “If I were only a leeetle more organized, this wouldn’t be a problem!” But it will all work out.


 * King, Candace**
 * Successes:** Great year so far! 26 kiddos, 21 same as last year cuz I looped. No need to spend lots of time on behavior, routines, or expectations as they came to school on day one knowing what to expect. Loving this year so far!
 * Challenges:** I ask myself year after year - why do I allow myself to be goal team leader????? I hate doing the EPSS and here it goes again! :/ Otherwise, I have a student diagnosed as RAD and that will be my challenge this year and I want more than anything for her to be healthy - emotionally, physically, and academically. Of course she affects all the other kids so THAT is a major part of the challenge as well. One day at a time!

London, Janet Successes: I have a good group of children that are starting to get the hang of the routines and rules. Several parent helpers that help with committees make the mornings go much smoother. The child on a BIP has been doing fairly well! Challenges: I had an EA the first 2 weeks of school then he quit to work at Comcast. Just when we were getting ready to hire someone, APS put a hiring freeze on and I have been working with EA subs for the past 3 weeks. We just found out last week the hiring freeze has been lifted and we can start interviewing next week. So 7 weeks into school I might finally get a regular assistant!

Milburn, Kristi Success: I have a new classroom 95% set up after moving. I have reading groups up and running, I have intervention strategies in place for 16 ELL students, they have their notebooks for reading and writing set up, we have student data folders with test scores and meaningful goals written by students and we have a weekly schedule and routine set up. Whew! Challenges: No materials for the mandatory intervention program, I have 16 ESL/ELL students assigned to me, no ESL endorsement, no compensation for having them in my class and most of my readers are under a level 20 which is really low for fourth grade. I have 7 SAT referred students, 5 special ed, one gifted and about 5 more who need to be referred to SAT.

Montano, Cecilia Successes: That I began with the Daily 5 program and got my students started with that routine. I also got a SAT meeting for one of my students that desperately needs some one-on-one interventions; preferably in a small group setting. Challenges: That I have been on maternity leave and my sub has a difficult time with classroom management. I believe that she is not following my routines that I had already set in place with my students before I left on leave. So when I return, I'm going to have to reteach the routines over again that I already had them used to. Also, Treasures is a challenge.

Julie Ornelas Successes: I have some great students this year! They are great with their critical thinking skills, can analyze material, and have great comments and questions relevant to what we are studying. Some students even stay after class to continue conversations or ask more questions. I have made many connections with my students even with the large numbers. Challenges: The number of students, 220 as of today. I'm swamped with paper work, keeping track of grades, and making contact with parents. I could really use an assistant!

Jonathan Ramey Successes: I have set higher expectations for myself and my students and they seem to be sticking. Challenges: I am already getting overwhelmed with all of the grading that needs to be done. Knowing what really needs to be graded and what can just be reviewed in class.

Rekow, Mitch Successes: Classes are up and running reasonably well, some behavior challenges are being met, I got my new projector working, I'm using CNN news videos for current events, some of my students are interested to learn about Islam and how we ended up fighting in the Middle East, I'm interested to see how my inquiry project goes.

Challenges: Most of my IEPs are scheduled for the Fall semester so I currently have much less time to devote to my classes and inquiry project than I'd hoped for. I often feel at a loss with reading strategies for my struggling readers.

Rios, Penelope (Penny)
 * Successes:** I have been implementing the Daily 5/Cafe and the students are catching on fast. My Guided Reading groups are able to function because of the Daily 5 working well.
 * Challenges:** I am required to teach my ELL students with Treasure Chest but then we have not received the materials to do so. If my students do not make the required amount of growth this year, I won't be able to teach ELL students next year and in todays world that extra differential is important to survive. How can I expect this growth without the materials that are mandatory for me to use? I have to go back to ESL basics. Why does the District do this every year?

Robinson, Sarah Successes: I am doing well implementing Treasures (without the materials) as best I can. I'm slowly getting the hang of Treasures, combined with CCI, combined with new AIPs..etc. Challenges: Dealing with the lack of training and materials to teach Treasures... yet being expected to do it all. Russo, Elyse Success- I love my EA! She's very professional and we are able to discuss the kids and our observations about them, their learning, and their behaviors.I'm getting a lot of support from the nurse, title I teacher, and counselor on some difficult kids. Challenging- the difficult kids! One has psychiatric issues and it's been a big challenge to help him as well as protect the other kids from his behaviors. Doing a BIP now. Sanchez, Emily

Success-I have a very fun and active group, my parents are very supportive and helpful. I can hardly wait to see where the year takes us. So glad to be back in 3rd grade!

Challenge-Getting a grasp on Treasures and Treasure Chest...if only we had all the materials

Sanchez, Letitia Positive- This year's class is much better behaved than last years. I don't have as many challenging students as I did last year. The students also seem to be academically higher. Class size is smaller too!

Challenges: I have a students who was "home schooled" since the end of kindergarten. She was brought back to school at the end of third grade. She is working at beginning first grade level. I do not know how to help her. I teach 4th grade and have 4th grade materials in my classroom. I am getting some help from the first grade teachers, but I am also having problems managing time. I feel that my other students are paying the price. Also rumor has it that grandma is looking for a lawsuit, so I am worried about if I am doing enough.

Sanchez-Miranda, Alyssa **Positive**- I have had lots of parent support early on this year. Great group of children, can't wait to tackle this year with them.

**Challenging**- Being without a principal for the first couple weeks, had things at school kind of crazy, me stressed, and therefore that trickled down into my classroom. Lack of money- lack of supplies Students seem to be a little lower in their Math skills this year.

Serafin, S. Successes- I have really enthusiastic students who are interested in providing quality work. Challenges- Many students need quite a bit of help on their writing skills.

Tecumseh, Malinda

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Successes: I have a great class and I don't have to train a new EA this year! I have several monolingual students this year and I have already seen enormous progress in their learning.

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Challenges: See above.... I have several ELL students this year and am struggling with scheduling 45 minutes/day with them "separate and apart" from the other 15 kids.
 * Townsend, Marie**

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Goessl, Joan <span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Successes:** The students in my journalism class are a spirited, intelligent group who strive to do well and take an active interest in the material. They ask questions, remain on task during class work, and generally take a serious approach to the subject. That's a marked contrast to some other years.
 * Successes-**It is always great to start the year off with new kiddos. They are excited to begin school and ready to learn.
 * Challenges-**It is always great to start the year off with new kiddos. They are still such "babies" and are still learning how to be students.

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**Challenges**: Oddly, that group is a challenge as well. Because they are so concerned about doing well, they always--always--want me to review their work before they turn it in. That sounds like a good thing, I know, but it's a time consuming process because, in effect, I'm grading papers twice. I'm finding myself scrambling for time more than ever.

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Devereaux, Patti

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Successes: After being told over the summer I would be teaching 5th grade, then 1st grade, then 4th grade, in the end I got to stay doing what I truly love and I have a great group of B Level gifted kids to work with! They are a very diverse group and lots of fun to work with.

<span style="display: block; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Challenges: In order to stay teaching gifted, I had to work out two .5 positions at two schools, so it is challenging keeping up with all the meetings and housekeeping for two campuses. And all of my stuff is at one school, so I have to be really organized about what I need to take to the 2nd school each day because I can't just reach and grab something I forgot.

Colleen Bonney

Successes: I love my children. They are a great bunch of kids. They are very ready for the 2nd grade curriculum thanks to our awesome first grade team and their parents. They grasp concepts easily and most of them truly enjoy coming to school. I have implemented committees for the first time during literacy block and they seem to love it. I feel good about it because I feel students are being able to show what they know in different ways.

Challenges: I do not have all of my material for the Treasures reading program. My kids are extremely social and I have tried numerous ways to cut down on the talking in the classroom during work time, but this is not my strength. This is why I am doing my inquiry project on my classroom management system. I sometimes feel I work harder than my administration.

Deborah Goodgion/Chavez challenges: I started the year with 24 kindergarteners and no assistant. One student severely emotionally disturbed. successes: New kinder teacher started. I now have 13 children, still no assistant, and ED student will be appropriately placed next week. I look forward to starting over and actually be able to teach the kids. They have been patient and flexible with all the transitions.

Monica Salas Challenges: We started the year with only half of our new Treasures Reading Program and we have not had any district training. I feel like I am doing a lot of catching up and not teaching effectively. I am also in a new school building and there are a lot of processes and procedures we are not being consistent with as a staff. This is leading to a lot of unprofessional conversations. Successes: I have a great group of kids and a very supportive grade level. We were also able to get another 4th grade class so I went from 27 students to 22. Big difference!