Welcome to Second Grade!

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to second grade! I'm really excited to get this year started because I've missed teaching and being with kids so much these past couple months (my own teen aged children not included, of course). Nothing energizes me more than laughing and learning alongside second and third graders.

For those who might not have seen the Parent Info video, this is my 18th year of teaching and 11th at CFI - a school I love with all my heart. I have a master’s degree and PhD in Language and Literacy from USC. In addition to teaching at CFI I occasionally teach as an adjunct professor at either USC or Columbia College. I also work on different professional writing projects and offer presentations designed to support educators to use their teaching as a means to help children: (1) build strong social identities (be proud of exactly who they are), (2) continue developing a strong appreciation and understanding of the rich diversity that makes up our nation and world, (3) identify and question those things that happen around us that don't seem to make sense or don't feel fair, and (4) do the work necessary to change the things they want changed (either individually or collectively).

There is lots I can share but I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information all at once. So, I'll share a few things here and then hold the rest of it for future blog posts. As always, if you have any questions just let me know.

Expectations

KIDS

- Offer respect and care for others

- Be actively engaged in thinking, listening, speaking, and doing

- Grow increasingly responsible for individual behavior, materials, and work

          

PARENTS

- Check in on the kids’ work and offer support as needed

- Access the class blog to find out what’s happening in the classroom

- Provide a consistent time and place for reading at home

- Follow-up at home when I contact you about something (whether it’s a celebration or concern)

- Be my partner (open dialogue; mutual respect and appreciation)

 

Homework

I very rarely assign homework outside of asking kids to read for a minimum of 20 minutes each day for leisure. As explained by Alfie Kohn,

No research has ever found a benefit to assigning homework (of any kind or amount) in elementary school. In fact, there isn’t even a positive correlation between, on the one hand, having younger children do some homework (vs. none) or more (vs. less)... If we’re making 12-year-olds, much less five-year-olds, do homework it’s either because we’re misinformed about what the evidence says or because we think kids ought to have to do homework despite what the evidence says.

If no research has ever been able to demonstrate that homework is beneficial then why do we see it assigned so often with young children? Great question! I’d venture to guess it’s for two reasons: (1)because assigning homework has always been done in the past therefore people believe it’s just what we are supposed to do, and (2) because assigning homework to support skills makes logical sense (despite the fact no one has ever proven this is actually true).

So…all this is to say you shouldn’t expect to see much homework coming home. That said, there will be times I’ll ask kids to read with you, interview you, or have a written conversation with you about a topic we’re exploring at school. There will also be times I’ll ask them to finish up something at home that really should have been completed at school provided the time and support I offered them. Beyond this…please use your evenings to play outside, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy some great books together!

Schedule

            9:00.....Morning Meeting

            9:25.....Reading Workshop

            10:25.....Break

  10:35.....Writing Workshop

            11:15.....Lunch/Recess   

            12:10....Unit of Study (w/ Mr. M)

            12:50.....Special Area

            1:20.....Break   

            1:30.....Math (w/ Mr. M)

            2:30.....Read Aloud

For Phase 1 (all virtual) Dr. Hass is teaching reading and writing to all students in 2nd grade while Mr. Martin will be teaching math and unit of study. When we return to physical teaching we will be with our own classes for the duration of the day again. 

Assessments

In second grade our kids take the MAP test in the fall and spring semesters. It is administered on the Chrome books and is designed to demonstrate the kids’ understanding and skills as related to our state standards. In all honesty, it does an okay job of revealing some data about the kids as readers and mathematicians but conceals or misrepresents lots of other data. I would suggest, as parents, you not become overly concerned about the results of these sorts of tests. Rather, you might consider them to be just one small component of a much larger body of assessment I will conduct to better know your child as a learner. The assessments I conduct take place each and every day as I sit beside the kids and work with them. Some of the forms of assessment I access in the classroom are:  kidwatching notes, conferences, formative assessments, summative assessments, task-based assessments with rubrics, paper and pencil assessments, projects, and reflections. What I come to know about your child will be communicated through two narrative progress reports and two standards-based rubric reports. These will be a great resource for you.

Contacting Me

The best way to contact me is via e-mail. I almost always respond within a few hours. That said, if you do not hear from me after 24 hours there’s a good chance something happened (maybe I accidentally deleted a chunk of emails) and you should not hesitate to follow-up with me. You can also call or text me if there’s something of great urgency during the school year. My number is 803-743-3753. Also, in regards to phone correspondence I LOVE receiving texts with photos of the kids at home or on the go around town. I generally receive lots of messages showing the kids reading books, catching bugs, visiting special places, celebrating after a game, etc. I’d love nothing more than to keep up with your child’s life outside school so feel free to send me things throughout the year. Often times, this allows us to bring these stories into the classroom during Morning Meeting.