Blog 7: 3/24/11 In Case You Missed It the First Time- Melissa Rife

Chapters 11 & 12 Creative Connector and Rigorous Researcher- Melissa Rife

Creative Connector:
1. "Teachers can't teach and children can't learn in a school that doesn't feel safe, ordered, caring, and communal." pg. 126
I don't have many years of teaching so when I read this from our book it reminded me of when I was younger. Before attending public school, I attended a catholic school. I had several nuns for teachers and it wasn't a good experience for me. I had difficulty staying focused, was a left handed writer and has a speech therapist for a while. I just remember feeling out of place, not wanted or a burden to those nuns. It didn't make for a very positive environment. At the present time I teach 22 wonderful second graders and I'm reminded often that I would never want my students to go through  what I had to go through as a young girl. 

2. "The key to creating the school climate and implementing an effective education program for all students, and especially low SES students, is developing the right attitudes in all participants." pg. 130
In my shorts years as a teacher I have been in several different schools, but what these schools all have in common is attitude. It is always very obvious  how most teachers are feeling from day to day about their job. Attitude plays a huge part in the success of our students. As teachers we need to recognize and reflect on our own attitude from day to day. Children will always see right into you as a person so your attitude is important. 

3. "Statistics show that, as a nation, we are failing to fairly serve a growing percentage of our students based on our own misidentification of what the problem really is and what we should be doing to solve it. If you agree, you can do something about it." pg. 133
Stop saying, "these students can't learn". I'm tired of hearing this and yes I do hear this from other teachers. We as teachers need to stop. We are all in this together. We must work collaboratively to teach all children to learn and be successful. 






Researcher:
 I know that we have had these words before but this is a reminder of why we read this book. It's to recognize and understand the differences between SES students and students with LD. 
Socioeconomic Status: 
An individual's or group's position within a hierarchical social structure. Socioeconomic status depends on a combination of variables, including occupation, education, income, wealth, and place of residence. Sociologists often use socioeconomic status as a means of predicting behavior.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socioeconomic+status

Learning Disability: Specific Learning Disability......means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of mental retardation; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
http://www.nichcy.org/Disabilities/Categories/Pages/Default.aspx