I was asked to write for my district a curriculum pacing resource guide for second grade during the summer. A few weeks ago, I saw the stack of worksheets the second grade teachers were planning to use, and I got a bit cranky. I told them that since I had written their CPR, I should see at least some of the more rigorous activities and lessons in their lesson plans.
Teacher One has been teaching for at least 8 years. She was not happy when the principal and I told her that the worksheets were unacceptable. Last week, she came into my office with a baggie of laminated cards, handed them to me, and said, "I don't know what to do with these! You are going to have to show me."
Since it has been 4 months since I wrote this, I had to ask her to tell me where they came from. She looked up the web site: http://www.k-5mathteachingresources.com/support-files/skipcountingcards.pdf
After having my memory refreshed, and sorting out the cards so they were in an understandable order, I was able to show her a few ways that I might use them.
Teacher Two has been teaching for 2 months and came to me after school for some help with her lesson plans. I asked her what she had planned already, and she pulled up the same activity. HOWEVER, she told me the ways she was going to incorporate the activity into her lessons. The only thing that I can honestly say that I added to her lessons was using Two Ways to Count to Ten by Ruby Dee and Susan Meddaugh as an opener for teaching skip counting.
Reflection
Teacher One wants to do activities with her students, while Teacher Two is looking at the learning objectives/targets of her students. I need to be mindful when I meet with teachers to ask them what they are trying to teach and why, rather than focusing in on the activities. I will especially have to be mindful when working with Teacher One, to help deepen her understanding of what she is teaching rather than going through a series of activities and wondering why her students aren't learning!
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