Saturday, August 4, 2012

Saturday Sayings: My Bailiwick

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My parents spent a few weeks in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria back in June.  Whenever they're out of town for more than a week, I babysit the children.  You see, my dad has about 70 orchids which cannot be left alone for too long.  Even though I have not inherited my father's green thumb, he trusts me to take care of the finicky creatures.  Watching over orchids is not my bailiwick, but I know well enough that frequently uprooting them to check on their growth would not make them or my dad very happy and certainly wouldn't improve their growth.  I know this about my children too.  Good teachers are constantly in assessment mode, but they know how to do it without disturbing the nurturing environment that their littles need.  I cringe when I think of the programs that require teachers to spend an abundance of time assessing their students on a weekly basis.  I can almost hear the inward groans of the students as once again their roots are pulled up for another inspection.  I'm not insinuating that assessments are all evil.  I would simply concur with Lucy that the frequency and approach in which we analyze our students' growth is an important one to consider.  Watching over these little fragile seedlings is indeed my bailiwick.

bailiwick |ˈbāləˌwik|
noun Lawthe district or jurisdiction of a bailie or bailiff.• ( one's bailiwick) informal one's sphere of operations or particular area of interest you never give the presentationsthat's my bailiwick.ORIGIN late Middle English : from bailie wick .
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8 comments:

  1. I cringe to think of the instruction time lost to all of the assessing some teachers are required to do! Just when students are gaining momentum with their learning, some have to stop that forward movement and endure tests. I like short, quick, unobtrustive assessing. Also when working very closely with your students, you know their abitlities better.
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. Lori, exactly. I totally concur! Thanks for every single comment.

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  2. Thanks, Tammy, for such good thoughts (as usual). I've been working in my room and trying to get ready to launch Daily 5 and CAFE. I really think this new structure is going to help my kiddos! I like the idea of conferencing with the students...seems more relaxed than "assessing" and less stressful for all.

    Crystal
    Teaching Little Miracles

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    1. Crystal, I think you'll love Daily 5 and the conferring process too! Thanks for all your comments.

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  3. I think I print and save every Saturday Saying! Thank you, Tammy, for reminding us that we need to give them time to grow.

    PS: Since I asked for prayer about class numbers, my class has increased by 33%! :-) I'm still praying for a few more...
    ReadWriteSing

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    1. Chrissy, you've made my day. You actually print and save some Saturday Sayings? You've left me speechless. Thank you for thinking I have something worthy to say.

      P.S. Bless that little class of yours!

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  4. Well said, Tammy. I love Lucy's analogy. That really puts it in perspective.

    ❀Barbara❀
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

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    1. Barbara, Lucy sure does word it well doesn't she? It makes total sense! Thanks for your comments as always.

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