|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Learning: Problems and Solutions
When Elizabeth Nem's son, Vatt, started first grade at Point Defiance Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington last fall, she had one nagging concern: her child's persistence in using his fingers to count. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Nem, her son, and his teacher met for the first of their "partnership conferences," a new and improved take on the traditional parent-teacher conference that has now spread throughout the district's 37 elementary schools. These meetings differ from traditional conferences in several ways:
"I told the teacher that I want my son to count with his mind," says Nem. So, at the teacher's suggestion, Nem is using flash cards and other math exercises at home to gradually reduce Vatt's reliance on his fingers. Involving parents and children in setting such a goal and then giving them the tools to reach it--that's what partnership conferencing is all about. "We have a conversation, with structure," says Gayle Nakayama, who, as a reading teacher at Tacoma's Larchmont Elementary School, was in the group that pioneered the practice about six years ago. "It's about relationship building and goal setting." Teachers are trained to listen, ask open-ended questions and adjust their body language to be more approachable. Translators are on hand whenever possible. Sometimes the students themselves translate. The first conference takes place by early October. There's a second in November or March, depending on the child's progress. The idea grew out of school improvement discussions at Larchmont Elementary. A grant from the NEA's Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) and training from the Washington Education Association made the proposal a reality. The old way of waiting until November report cards for conferences and then cramming everything parents should know into 15 or 20 minutes wasn't working, says Nakayama, who is now vice president of the Tacoma Education Association. In contrast, partnership conferencing offers everybody in the room "a chance to dream about the child, about what we want him or her to learn this year," says Vatt Nem's first-grade teacher, Judy Jarvits. Before conference time, Jarvits and her colleagues all over the district talk to students about setting goals. Even the youngest children start using the vocabulary. Parents fill out an information form in advance, providing a conversation opener. "Most children are very pleased to be the focus of the conference," says Jarvits, an educator for 35 years. "They enjoy hearing their parents and the teacher talking about their education." Having the children present brings other benefit: Parents are more likely to come when their children have to be there, too, Jarvits notes. Generally, parents begin with very broad goals, such as wanting their child to learn to read or to add and subtract, she says. So she suggests more specific targets, such as learning the letter sounds or consonant clusters. At that point, she notes, parents will say, "That's something I can do." At the end, everybody signs a plan setting goals for math, literacy, and social skills. Included are details on how all the partners--the teacher, school, parents, and child--will work to reach the goals. "It is very beneficial," says Nem, who makes sure she spends an hour or two each day helping Vatt and his brother with schoolwork. Jarvits has already had a second conference with most parents of her 20 students. For children with difficulties, she'll go beyond what's required. Each conference sees the goals revised or continued. "The more times the parents hear the expectations, the more apt they are to follow through," says Jarvits. The conferences also help parents understand what is going on in the classroom, Jarvits adds. Nakayama says this enhanced conference program is especially useful for children and families living in poverty, who have difficulty setting goals when mere survival is a struggle. And it offers a non-threatening way to introduce school to parents from different cultures who may not be accustomed to participating. "As teachers, we're used to taking it upon ourselves to be givers of knowledge," says Nakayama. "But with this model of partnership and parent participation, parents aren't being told what to do. "Once we get them to a conference, they'll come back. If you connect with them just once, you're going to make the whole year easier." --Mary Anne Hess For more: Contact Gayle Nakayama at gnakaya@tacoma.k12.wa.us. Dilemma One of my son's very good friends was in my seventh grade class, and I caught him cheating. I just walked over and took his paper without making a big deal of it. Years later, we're still friends. When I saw him, he asked, "Do you remember when you caught me cheating?" I actually didn't--but he did! I think the fact that he was caught made a bigger impression on him than if I had made a big deal of it. Margie Steinberg I teach writing. If a student plagiarizes, they receive a zero, may not make up the work, and must call or write a note home explaining the grade. This is in our student handbook. Several times in the last year I have had students try to copy work from the Internet--if the writing seems too good, it is worth a few minutes to search and see if the work pops up. June Shultz I allow students to retake exams as many times as they want to. But if they are caught cheating, they receive a zero with no chance to retake the exam. This seems to work quite well. Students realize that if they didn't study for the exam, they still have another chance to succeed. Barbara Daniels The last time I had someone cheat on a major test, the punishment was as follows: 1) Take a new test and average the new grade with a zero. 2) Tell parents about the cheating, and have a parent write me to confirm he or she was told. I also did this for an athlete who "mooned" a car on a school bus. Lee Berger I take the student aside and explain how serious cheating could be later in life. If it is the first time, I give the student another test. The second time, the student gets a zero. Pamela Clark I have the student write home explaining what they did. The parents must sign the letter and the student and parents must suggest an appropriate consequence. I then usually consult with the parents to decide on the consequence. This system helps the students take responsibility, and the parents are usually very appreciative. Susan Bray I staple the exam paper to the cheat sheet, mark the date, give the student a zero, and drop the subject. Usu-ally, the student apologizes. In 11 years, only one student did not. Angela Herron If I catch the student early in the exam, I change their seat and mark the paper to show how far they had gotten before I noticed. If the test is nearly over, I let them finish. Then they must take the test again in a private setting. Most often, cheating is due to nervousness over the exam. Students need an opportunity to show what they know without the stress. Kate Axlund Got an Answer? E-mail your answer to dilemma2@list.nea.org. Or send by regular mail, or fax to 202/822-7206. Include your name, city, state, and job title. If published, you will receive an NEA Today mug! Idea Exchange Four Corner Questions Janice Vinco Promoting Praise I write the name of each student on a piece of paper and copy what everyone said about that student. Then, I give the student the paper with all the comments. Before long, the entire class is smiling and saying, "Really? I never knew that meant anything to anyone. I never knew others liked me." You'll find students treasure this paper and keep it with them forever. Eileen Durgin-Clinchard Student Heritage Barbara Pollak Have a great idea? You can pass along your tip to NEA Today's 2.6 million readers in one of five ways:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
help contact us change your address sitemap legal privacy policy your california privacy rights advertise jobs@nea
© Copyright 2002-2008 National Education Association
