According to an article on the Washington Post poverty and student achievement are related. The reason for this everyone should know and it's that the rich get the best education possible, tutors, help from their parents, better schools than the rest and the list goes on. Of course poverty affects learning! Students that have a nice home and everything they need, unless they have a critical … [Read more...]
Did you eat? Are you clean?
These are the words that Sonya Romero-Smith says to her students every day when they enter her classroom. Coincidentally, they are the words that almost any teacher in Title I schools say to their students everyday. Most of Title I schools are 100% lunch free.The teachers that work in those schools are constantly checking on the well-being of their students because they have the same background as … [Read more...]
A BAD PRINCIPAL TAUGHT ME A GOOD LESSON
The Situation: It surprises me sometimes how some people can tolerate more than others! The young teacher referred to in this article, was brutally criticized and humiliated by her principal in front of her colleagues. We are talking yelling, insulting and diminishing. And if that wasn't enough, the principal moved her to a different room and grade level almost every year. Can you believe this? … [Read more...]
I am a bullied teacher!
My dear friends! Today I want to discuss an article that I just read: "I am a bullied teacher (https://talesofateach1987.wordpress.com/). This story is taking place in a lot of districts throughout the United States. I cannot believe that this teacher is being bullied by the ones that should be helping her and guiding her if that's what needed so that her students can be successful. The … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas Everybody! I have made a decision--if it was New Year it would be a resolution and I might do so when the time comes--to write more often on this blog. I know a lot of my personal friends have been asking what's going on, but to be honest with you, this think about having to write and then learn how to post it and how to fix mistakes it's a lot of work! This … [Read more...]
Reading Details…
Every student learns how to read in Kindergarten and First Grade, but Reading Comprehension...that one starts for real in between second and third grade. Here in Texas, we take the state test in third grade. Therefore, students need to be ready in seven (7) months. Hopefully, by the time … [Read more...]
Vocabulary Strategies
Learning Vocabulary: Learning vocabulary is absolutely one of the most important task in developing students to success in reading comprehension. Vocabulary and reading comprehension go hand in hand. We cannot underestimate the value of teaching vocabulary. It is part of an effective instruction that is a top priority in your lesson plan. Marzano's 6-Step … [Read more...]
Language Arts in Spanish – Sentences
There is a lot of work out there about grammar in English, but in Spanish it is very limited. One of the reasons why when I started in the teaching field, most of the time I found myself translating what my English Teacher partners had in English or making it up myself to help my bilingual students be on the same level as the English students. So they would have quality work to help them meet … [Read more...]
Creating a good library!
Creating a good library is essential for the reading teacher. You need to have good English as well as Spanish reading books in the bilingual classrooms. Students need to fall in love with reading and the best way to start that process is interacting with books that they can relate to and can learn to love. I choose books that relate to my students. Patricia Polacco is a great author when it comes … [Read more...]
