The schools we have. The schools we need.

In the Allington article there was a specific point that stuck out to me. The article suggested that schools should have longer blocks that can focus on one certain subject rather than short blocks that causes the teacher to skip around and not focus as much on the fundamentals of the lesson. I completely agree with this idea. If a student doesn't understand a math lesson, but then has to move on to an English lesson, then they will become behind. However, if the teacher had more time to efficiently teach a lesson and allow enough time to ensure every student  has a proper amount of time to ask questions and work on practice problems, then not as many students would fall behind. I remember when I was in middle school and I was struggling in English. It seemed like every time I began to understand, it was time to switch to a different subject. I believe it may be hard to change a school to this type of schedule, but I am interested if any schools do something similar.

Assessment and Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Readers

I read chapters 10 and 11 in Classrooms that work. I really liked how the chapter on assessment gave ideas of what NOT to do first. Sometimes it is easier to know what you should be doing if you already know what you shouldn't be doing. Assessment is not standardized test scores, but it is collecting and analyzing data about the students to determine how they are performing and growing as a student. I also really enjoyed reading about differentiation in the classroom. Students all learn on different levels and certain methods of teaching effect some students differently than others. The book recommended using partners, group structure, one on one and so on. It is very important to remember that every child learns differently and the only way to target each child is to teach in a variety of ways!

Check out this awesome clip!
Differentiated Classroom