Running head: REFLECTION TEN

Reflection Ten Delia Gauna Concordia University

fter a long and needed !"ring #rea$% getting &ac$ to the routine see's to &e tougher than e("ected) There are only t*o *ee$s until !T fourth grade *riting) This *ee$ &egan &y "artici"ating in e(tended "lanning at one of 'y ca'"uses) The "rocedure see's to &e the ty"ical+ grade levels get together and the coaches do 'ost of the tal$ing) I have al*ays had a hard ti'e understanding the "ur"ose of e(tended "lanning) I have al*ays thought that these sessions could serve as o""ortunities to discuss lessons% as$ ,uestions and "lan interactive and "ur"oseful lessons) These 'eetings see' to &e co'"letely led &y the su&-ect area coach *ith 'ini'al teacher "artici"ation) I -ust don.t see *here *e are -ustifying "ay'ent of su&stitutes and the loss of instructional ti'e for infor'ation that could &e easily co''unicated through e'ail) lthough I 'anaged to co'"lete 'y &us assign'ent and fire drill% I *as also a&le to 'eet *ith a cou"le of teachers in order to "lan for revie*) One of the ne* teachers I *or$ *ith *as very an(ious a&out !T R) /e *ere a&le to have conversation as to *hat to e("ect on the day R for fifth grade reading and 'ath and

of the test and I -ust *anted to assure her that she had done a "heno'enal -o& *ith her students) 0ost teachers get into "anic 'ode as the test a""roaches% I have al*ays &elieved that drilling student right &efore the test is counter"roductive) t this "oint% students either $no* or don.t

$no* the 'aterial% all *e can do as educators is to assure the' that a test does not deter'ine their self1*orth and to do the &est they can) 0y *ee$ concluded *ith a 'eeting a&out the i'"le'entation of ne(t year.s dual language 'iddle school) I have &een given the shared tas$ of finding 'aterials that are

a""ro"riate for si(th grade and create a "urchase order) This "rocess has allo*ed 'e the o""ortunity to see the i'"le'entation "rocess of a ne* "rogra' fro' its infancy)