Search Results for: blog is teaching to grade level standards the only way to go

Time 4 Learning

Online learning is becoming an increasingly more popular choice for many homeschool families. Some use it to supplement while others use it as the core of their curriculum. There are so many sites offering this type of learning that it can become difficult to figure out which one fits your family. Drawn by convenience and the appeal to students, parents are using today’s technology as an educational tool. One such program on the internet which provides quality education is Time 4 Learning. From the website: “Time4Learning is a student-paced online educational system covering preschool through middle school. It is popular … Continue reading →

You Don’t Have to Be the Winner to Win

It is not how you win or lose, but how you play the game. That is what they tell the people who don’t win, just before they celebrate the winner. It makes the pep talk had to swallow. Still, it is pretty much true. Each year my daughter competes in one pageant/ talent competition or another, this year and one other time, it was on a national level. This meant competition was tough. While winning was the goal, doing her personal best is what we, her family expected from her. In meeting the goals set for by her parents, and … Continue reading →

How Will You Grade Your Students?

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One major aspect about school that concerns teachers, students, and parents alike is grades. States and school districts all have a set standard for grades and grading. They have a grading scale for all schools that places a numerical number with a letter grade. While teachers are bound to these numbers and letters to try to ensure that all students are grade as equally as possible, there are still many different levels of grading. Within their own classroom teachers can use many different methods and styles to grade their students. In addition to having different methods of obtaining grades, teachers … Continue reading →

Homeschool Glossary (words homeschoolers should know) – B

Back to basics: A back to basics approach suggest teaching children in lower grades reading, writing, and arithmetic and factual knowledge only. It suggests leaving out lessons that mold and socialize children like sex Ed, tolerance, and other feel good topics found in schools. Benchmarks: Benchmarks are set by the state and governmental education departments and dictate standards for children’s’ knowledge base for each grade or age level. These standards are also set for the beginning middle and end of the school year. Benefits: Regardless of the reason, if you choose to homeschool you will be sure to discover numerous … Continue reading →

My Struggle with Kindergarten Playtime

I have read all of the research and I will agree that kindergarten children need playtime. Many articles will suggest never sacrificing playtime for more instructional time. However with today’s pressures and rising standards, it is sometimes difficult to find time to allow children the opportunity for free play. There are three obstacles that I am in need of conquering in order to provide my students with the creative playtime that they deserve. The challenge becomes even harder during the winter months when weather does not permit going outside. My kindergarten classroom is equipped with creative play materials. I have … Continue reading →

Back To The Basics – Teaching High School Students To Read

Teaching high school can definitely have challenges. My biggest challenge is something that perhaps you might not think of. The biggest challenge that most people think of is discipline. Believe it or not, discipline is not it. My biggest challenge as an English teacher in the Resource Department is reading. As sad as it is, most of my students can’t read. I find it incredibly sad that I have seniors that can’t read. Most of them do have some reading skills but can only read at about a second grade level. I hear people all the time blaming different people … Continue reading →

What Grade are They In?

In the education blog, Shannon Stepp recently wrote Is Teaching To Grade-Level Standards The Only Way To Go? Another post talks about grade level retention. These are very valid questions. In fact, if it were up to me, grade levels would be abolished. I think there should be a checklist that tells when kids are ready to be promoted to middle school. There should be another checklist for promotion to high school, and a final checklist for high school graduation. Grade levels only get in the way. When we discuss homeschooling with friends, families, and even strangers, the question of … Continue reading →

Is Teaching To Grade-Level Standards The Only Way To Go?

As many of you know, I am a high school teacher. What you may not know is that I teach in the Special Education Department. The majority of my students are not physically handicapped in any way. They are in special education due to a specific learning disability. Basically put, they read at a second or third grade level. First of all, let me express the fact that I absolutely love my students and find being a teacher completely fulfilling. The part that I have a problem with is teaching to the standards. Let me explain. We have certain standards … Continue reading →

Religion Helps Teens Make Good Choices

I grew up in a religious home. We went to church every Sunday, read scriptures, and said prayers as a family. We were expected to live certain standards, including no drugs or alcohol, no pornography, no immoral or illegal behavior. We were encouraged to say our own prayers and develop a personal relationship with God. All three of my siblings and myself, now adults, actively participate in the religion we grew up in. We did not engage in any delinquent behaviors as teens. We are all happily married. Three of the four of us have graduated, or will this spring, … Continue reading →