This is the first installment on my thoughts and experiences of teaching in Texas. I am in my fourth year teaching at a suburban Dallas elementary school, which primarily serves low income and immigrant children. My goals for writing are two-fold: 1) to clarify my own thoughts on teaching and education, and 2) to be of assistance and/or engage in a conversation with others.
Rather than beginning at the beginning, I'd rather jump into the swirling waters where I find myself currently (sorry for the pun--"the lowest form of humor," as Ms. Jacobs, my eighth grade English teacher would say admiriingly).
I teach bilingual first graders (in Texas, or at least my district bilingual means Spanish-speaking, while children who come from other language backgrounds are classified as ESL). This comes after my first three years of teaching fourth grade, where I had students in the same classroom who ranged from monolingual English speakers to monolingual Spanish speakers, to students who spoke southeast Asian languages, to students who were stuck between two languages, mastering none. This cultural and linguistic mix was both delightful and exasperating, but someone we managed to make it work. And those of you who teach, can understand how it feels almost magical when a class begins to click and find a certain groove or rhythm.
My district has restructred its bilingual programs this year, and I was moved from Fourth to First Grade after the third week, due to "leveling," wherein students are shifted around different schools to fill up classrooms. In addition, I now only have students who are classified as Blingual students. I went from a class of twelve to a class of nine students (I KNOW how lucky I am to have such a small class, believe me!). I will be adding more throughout the year, undoubtedly, but for now, I am almost afraid to speak of it, for fear of being "found out."
So, after finally feeling that I was beginning to get Fourth Grade down, I now was facing what I soon discovered was a whole different ball game. The gulf between First and Fourth is vast, which I knew beforehand, having elementary aged children of my own.
Some differences I've noted off the bat: First graders hug on you a whole lot more, and slip and call you Mom or Dad fairly often (or mami or papi, I should say). First graders attention spans are even shorter than fourth graders. First graders need to go to the bathroom more often (and may not make it to the actual restroom in time). First graders don't often get irony or sarcasm or satire (fourth graders actually do get it most of the time), requiring me to retool my sense of humor.
In first grade, it really is all about Reading (at least at my school and district), while in fourth, it was about Reading, Writing and Math, coincidentally the subjects the dreaded TAKS test covers in fourth. While in first there are no state standardized tests, these kids are measured just as closely, although the consequences to them (and me) are not yet as clear to me.
Enough of the comparisons, and enough of the First Diary. In future diaries I will cover my experiences with such subjects as: incentive pay programs for teachers (my school has been "awarded" one from Governor Perry--gee, thanks); standardized testing of children; bilingual education as it works (and doesn't) in the classroom; alternative certification programs, and religion in schools (yikes!).