Class Dismissed!! Summer School In Session?!

HOWDY CLASS!!

Sad to say that our semester has quickly come to an end...
I sincerely hope you all have learned something new from tuning in to my class, or simply pondered longer on certain things from what I have spoken about.

With that being said, the end of the semester is the most crucial time of the year. This will make or break your student's grades and determine whether or not they will officially move on to the next grade level. Be sure to monitor your student's final assignments and check their progress. If you find that your student will be held back, there are a few things you can do to get them back on track.

• Place your student in a tutoring program to ensure they get one-on-one assistance with any problem subjects.
• Speak to your school about any possible educational summer programs being held in your area.
• If given the option, enroll your student in summer school so they can learn what they previously missed, and hopefully advance with their classmates to the next level in the fall.

When it comes to situations as such, do not think there aren't options. Speak to your student's teacher, principal, counselor, or anybody at the school. If your child is in a bind, there is someone who will be willing to help them succeed.

I enjoyed working in this class & wish the best for you all & the children's futures. Remember, education has to start somewhere & that is in elementary school. Good luck & I'm signing off!!!
Miss Crystal <3

Final Review: TAKS Prep

Howdy!!!

Semester is coming to an end so I'm glad you're here!
Since the semester is almost over, that means the TAKS is approaching quickly. What can you do for last minute preparation? Well I have a few tips listed below that will prepare your children for this test. Also below is the link to the Texas Education Agency that has practice tests accessible to you!

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3839&menu_id=793

• Review previously learned strategies

It's important for your children to review the strategies their teacher taught them for TAKS. This will ensure that come test day, they will know exactly what to do as soon as they open their test and no time will be wasted. It has been mentioned that many students freeze up when they open their tests, just from nerves and forget to use their strategies. Be sure to practice them so it will come natural and the student will automatically do them!

• Ask the teacher for any extra practice sheets & what your student needs to focus on

Now would be the time if not already done to ask the teacher if your student has any problem areas. If so, request the teacher send home some extra sheets with problems in that area so you can review them with your student. Any additional time you put towards TAKS now will definitely help!

• Rest up the night before & BEAT THE TAKS!!

It might sound juvenile but studies in the past have shown that students who get a good nights rest the night before the test, as well as a balanced breakfast the morning of are more prepared and relaxed, ready to conquer the test. Doing so will ensure your children are not yawning from exhaustion and not focusing on the actual test.

I hope these tips along with the website have helped. Keep up the good work and like I said BEAT THE TAKS!!
Miss Crystal :)

Free Day: Extra Activities for the Kids

Howdy Class!!

Glad to see  your faces again!
Today, I want to touch on the subjest of additional educational activities for elementary school children. By this I mean activities that are not required of the children.

One particular activity I am referring to is the Spelling Bee. Recently, some of my kids at work have decided to enter the Spelling Bee through their school.Why is this a great idea? Well, this gives the children the opportunity to challenge themselves in learning vocabulary they might not typically learn. This also is the chance for elementary age children to become more comfortable in speaking in front of large groups of people.

In watching my kids prepare for their Spelling Bee, I have seen so many changes in them.

1. Their grammar and vocabulary overall has improved.
2. They are more confident in working with others.
3. They are more prone to asking questions about something they are unsure of.
4. They have gained new friends they might not have have interacted with before.

Not only are these children involved improving their learning skills, but they are having a great time doing it! Everyone should encourage their children to participate in the Spelling Bee! Learn, Laugh, & Spell!!!

Thanks for stopping in & I will see you next class!
Miss Crystal

Group Assignment: Importance of Working Together

HOWDY CLASS!!

Glad to see you all back!
Today, I wanted to speak to you all about the importance of group work/working together. As I stated when I first began this blog, I work at a few elementary school in the B/CS area as a tutor coordinator. In doing so, I have learned important aspect of elementary, that help build children in their education to further themselves.

One idea that has proved positive and helpful to children's education is working in groups, as well as being able to work with your child's teacher to see what your child might need assistance on. I recall,  back when I was in primary school, the time of day when we were split up to work in groups. This time is crucial at the elementary age because children need to be exposed to that. They need the opportunity to see how others work, and eventually they will develop their own strategies to learn as everyone else does. It is also important for children to work together at this time for developmental purposes. They will learn how someone their age should interact with others, and overall this will build social skills.

The next idea I mentioned  was working with a child's teacher to check their progress. This is very important, in that you can learn alot about a child from their teacher. Speaking to them would be the time to learn about a child's behavior and how they are progressing academically. Not enough parents ask questions about their kids or take the initiative to see what needs work. There are so many cases in which children have learning disabilities, yet their parents are unaware and no action is taken. This is why it is so important to talk to your child's teachers.

How do you feel about children working in groups? working with the teacher? What else can be done to help the children advance themselves?

Thanks for your views & I hope to see you back soon :)

Miss Crystal

Extra Credit: Back to the Basics of Reading

Howdy Class!!!


Thanks for dropping in for another lesson :)
In searching the ever popular LA Times Newspaper, I found an article regarding the reading reform taking place in Los Angeles schools. Please refer to the link provided below to read this article by Howard Blume of the Los Angeles Times.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0330-reading-20110330,0,7946885.story


Blume's article discusses the current reform that Los Angeles school officials have put into action. This involves the reading program that has been used for years to teach students how to read. Open Court was the previously used program. The complaints toward this program and why it was replaced are that it was simply dated, expensive, and gave no room for teachers to venture out in their own ways to teach their students. The new reading program California Treasures is said to give teachers the support they need to succeed in teaching their kids how to read, as well as giving a little room in curriculum.

To sum up the pros of this new California Treasures program in comparison old Open Court program:

• Breaks down goals of lesson with strategies provided to meet these goals
• Provides different approaches to teach different levels of reading
• Gives educators the chance to create their own lesson plans

Overall, the new program being implemented seems like the best decision for Los Angeles Elementary schools right now. At the end of the day, as long as the students learn to read on the correct level they should, it does not matter what reading program the government provides us. Reading is fundamental and without it, students are not fully capable of moving forward in learning.

Thanks for stopping by & hope to see you next time class!!!
Miss Crystal <3

Review: Hard Work Pays Off!

Howdy & Welcome Back Class!!!

In the news March 14th, I found a success story that I felt needed additional attention! The article for this story can be found by clicking the link provided below:

http://www.theeagle.com/schools/Bryan-school-gets--50K


In summary, this article celebrates the accomplishment of Bryan's Milam Elementary School. The school was awarded $50,000 by the Teacher Advancement Program, which aims to support teachers and their strategies used to better their schools. The school was presented this prestigious award because of their:

• Commitment to advancing careers
• Professionally developing teachers
• Rigourous teacher evaluations
• Performance based compensation

These criteria are what set Milam Elementary apart from the other schools & brought home the grant they deserved. Principal Tracy Spies has turned the school around and this is proved in their awarding of this grant. Milam was known to have low teacher retention rates, as well as a high percentage of students needing government assistance. Setting that aside, Spies created a strategy and got the school back to where it needed to be. Now that the school has this money, I am sure that they will use it as a reminder that anything truly is possible and for teacher effectiveness to remain at an above average level.

Hope you enjoyed discussing this accomplishment & you'll  continue to stop by!

Miss Crystal

Extra Credit: Hopefully You get a Head Start...

Howdy!!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Well, the topic up for discussion is the possible closure of early childhood education centers in San Antonio Independent School District. To give you a little background information on this situation, follow the link below to read the article from San Antonio's News Homepage.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/SAISD-rethinks-pre-K-closures-1048980.php


Now that you're up to speed, let us hit some main points about this issue. The topic at hand is the possible closure of early childhood education centers. Why is this such a big issue? Well, children tend to have an easier transition into elementary school if they attend some sort of pre-k program. I personally attended pre-k for half of a day, the year before I started Kindergarten. It was not as much of a shock once I made it to elementary school and by then I was use to a class atmosphere with other children. More importantly, I got a head start on learning the basics of the alphabet, numbers, and patterns before kinder. This is the main point of early education centers.

This particular issue hits closer to home for me because my sister teaches a Head Start class through an elementary school in San Antonio. Her program is not at risk for closure, but I know this situation will affect her and all the other teachers in the district. If these four centers are closed, parents will then be forced to consider Head Start programs for their children. Now, these programs are great for kids, but there are limited spots for children in these programs. I can confidently say there will not be enough spots for everyone to join. Another issue at hand is that if these current education centers remain open for another year, there program will likely change to half days. Like I stated before, I only attended pre-k for half of a day. At the time I did not realize the conflict this might pose to some parents. We were fortunate enough to have grandparents to watch us until our parents finished work for the day, but what about those who don't? Again, this makes Head Start programs look even more enticing since they are full school day programs, but there would not be room for everyone. If these centers close, I'm sure Head Start would have to create some sort of interview criteria for membership since so many people would probably apply to enroll.

• These early education centers are truly needed in SAISD.
• If they close, Head Start programs will be overwhelmed with enrollment applications.
• There is not enough room for all these younger students in the district to attend the Head Start programs around the district.
• If these centers remain open for the next year, they will be cut down to half days, leaving inconvenience to some parents.
• Proposed that parents could pay fees (like tuition) in order to keep students for full school day.
• We need these programs to kick start the learning of our youth before they are formally introduced to elementary school.

Overall, the district needs to come to some type of middle ground to continue these programs for younger students. Enrolling 3 yr. olds into early childhood education programs is very beneficial in that they learn to work with other children, they begin learning the basics of kinder before they get there, and it makes for a better transition into school, in comparison to daycare. What are your thoughts on this situation?!

Thanks for your time & I hope you return for my next lesson :)
Miss Crystal