Oct 1, 2012

5th grade math

In today's world education is like being on a teeter totter. They want less teachers so bigger classes and want the kids to know so much more. Yes my children are smart an they do just fine with the core standards set up for each of the classes but.
My kids go to Edgemont elementary and while it's a very old school it's still a really good family school. They try hard though I don't agree at all with a few things they have done in the past.

Hailey is in 5th grade this year, and you know me being a math teacher, I volunteered to help with their accelerated math program for her class. There used to be a teacher that was paid to teach the class, but that was one thing the budget cut and so it dissolved. 6th grade still has it, so how are the students suppose to be ready for it in 6th grade. Accelerated math in 6th grade is pre-algebra yet in 5th and 6th grade they learn so many things that they really should not skip. So what could I do to help?

I decided with the 5th grade teachers to take the top 18 students in their classes and teach them 5th grade math just using a lot more logic and having them do more story problems, developing their true understanding of the basic math facts. We would move faster than the other classes and so in the end we would cover a small portion of 6th grade math also, preparing them for their pre-algebra class next year.

What I didn't expect was Macey, people always canceling on our kid swap and parents who had said they would watch her because I'm teaching their children flaking out completely. It has ended up I do two kid swaps a week and Johns mother watches her two days. This week due to some unseen events I am suppose to take her to school with me 3 days. Let me just say Macey is 2 but will be 3 soon. She has more energy than anyone I have ever met and completely ruins any lesson I am trying to teach by stealing the attention of everyone in the classroom. They all love sweet little Macey!

What am I to do, well right now the only option if this continues is to stop volunteering at the end of the semester. I've spent lots of time and money on this class but I cannot continue to do this all year if I continually have to deal with this. So I guess 2 1/2 more months and then they will all go back to their teachers 2 chapters ahead.

1 comment:

Brady and Karen said...

Hi, Wendi! Sorry about your Macey predicament and I wish I could watch her for you!!