The Frustrated Teacher

Try " Teaching Basic Writing Skills". D...

2011-08-14T11:25:14.723-07:00

Try "
Teaching Basic Writing Skills". Dr. Coachman. Sing spell read and write or excellence in writing by pudewa.

When I began teaching, seventeen years ago, I was ...

2011-07-25T11:40:10.073-07:00

When I began teaching, seventeen years ago, I was forced to use a basal reading series with my first grade students. The program was horrible and didn't meet the needs of the underprivileged, at-risk population of student that populated my school and classroom. The district had no "official" writing program. I know I had to do something different. I was lucky to find Lucy McCormick Calkins that year. I read "The Art of Teaching Writing" and it changed my teaching in a very positive way. Lucy Calkins, among others (Regie Routman, Marie Clay, Donald Graves, Nancie Atwell, and many others) has changed the face of literacy instruction in many positive ways. If not for them, many schools would still be using old-fashioned basal readers and/or using stringent programs that have too heavy a focus on phonics. These progressive educators gave us "the workshop model" which works when a good teacher is at the helm.

That said, I do believe that Lucy Calkins is no longer a teacher of teachers, but is instead a corporate machine. She has come to enjoy her royalty money, and has left more than a few of us disenchanted by her "units of study." After reading "Lucy" for the first time, I was inspired and excited about teaching. Now, when I read "Calkins" I frequently feel like vomiting in my mouth. She is highly self-absorbed and very close-minded toward any approach other than her own. As I become a more experienced teacher, I am better able to take what I like from these materials and leave the rest. There is some to like, and a lot to leave. Any teacher who tries to use either the writing or reading units without supplementing with lessons in spelling, punctuation, grammar and usage will suffer the consequences when their students take the mandated state assessments. The writing units also lack direct instruction in how to compose a sentence and a paragraph. All of her cutesy jargon is obnoxious to read and confuses the students. When they get to high school, these kids won't know what a narrative is...since they've only known "small moments." The reading units seem to have been put together in a haphazard rush...they are all over the place with no real sense of organization or structure. My students need much more ordered teaching, with explicit instruction on specific reading strategies presented in a manner that builds upon each previous lesson. The Calkins units don't seem to do this in an effective way.

I would also like to add that trying to follow the units is extremely frustrating and annoying, with all of Lucy's sidebars, topbars, windows, etc. I never know where to look first...every page is an ADHD person's nightmare. She could have done these units, using half the words and half the paper, for half the cost.

I miss the old Lucy...the one who really cared about kids and teachers and had something authentic to offer the world. Where has that Lucy Calkins gone?

Reading Lucy Calkins is similar to having my skin ...

2011-04-27T08:48:20.402-07:00

Reading Lucy Calkins is similar to having my skin peeled off my body slowly.

We removed our son from an elementary school after witnessing the illogical, feel-good, dumbed-down methodologies she employs. I prefer classical methodologies such as the progymnasmata, the ancient Greek rhetorical exercises used to teach writing, which trump any modern writing program used today. The old methods stuck around for so long because they worked. Period.

Many of you posters who claim to teach writing could benefit from learning grammar, spelling, logic and writing yourselves. Stop watching ridiculous television shows -- it is abundantly clear you're not serious readers or thinkers -- and show a serious interest in educating yourselves. We taxpayers are tired of paying for arrogant, low-quality educators.

Reading Recovery teacher? So you work with 1st an...

2011-04-15T16:41:31.144-07:00

Reading Recovery teacher? So you work with 1st and 2nd graders. How many of them know the phonemes? And when they don't, do you address it?

Phonics is a necessary part of reading--the decoding part.

I agree that phonics is not all there is, but unless a kid can decode, there won't be much reading.

My personal experience with RR is that it is also a disaster.

It is interesting that this group of complainers h...

2011-04-15T06:59:52.841-07:00

It is interesting that this group of complainers haven't learned that phonics is not the end all of reading or writing. It is a part of the whole process. I have been a Reading Recovery Teacher for the last 15 years and have seen the process and have seen it work. Phonics is not the center of the universe. It is a part. If all we did was that we would have nothing but sounder outers and word callers. Update yourselves and have an open mind.

I come at this from an educational psychology and ...

2011-02-27T22:11:23.118-08:00

I come at this from an educational psychology and special education point-of-view. I agree that the Lucy Calkins "program" is terrible. There is far too much focus on personal narratives. After 3 years of this program the students are sick of writing about "small moments" and "zooming in." Students need to learn about about many different types of written communication and this program is just too limited. I really dislike the book on essay writing. Elementary students need a far more explicit approach to crafting essays. She also is a big fan of whole language, an approach which has been proven to have a high rate of failure.

I taught for seven years in a variety of instituti...

2011-02-11T11:55:00.969-08:00

I taught for seven years in a variety of institutions ranging from suburban parochial to job corps to a canoe camp which recruited mainly Episcopal boarding school preppies. And although the teachers aren't necessarily bad the schools most definitely are. The reason the schools are bad is because they allow failures to persist in their failure without reassigning them to private tutoring or some more therapeutic regimen more appropriate to the culturally deprived or the just plain ornery. Toleration of ongoing failure is tantamount to being "asleep at the switch". Yours, Marc Meinzer

I would also add "Lack of sleep" to your...

2010-10-21T05:55:20.092-07:00

I would also add "Lack of sleep" to your list. Whatever happened to going to bed early on a school night?

Brim over I assent to but I think the list inform ...

2010-02-07T17:19:51.898-08:00

Brim over I assent to but I think the list inform should acquire more info then it has.

"We are not going to fix education (education...

2010-01-25T08:59:54.955-08:00

"We are not going to fix education (education being the filling of society’s collective mind with good and correct information) by blaming schools and teachers."

Is as fine a definition for education as I believe I have ever read.

Wow, I wrote this post a looooong time ago! It wa...

2009-12-15T11:43:08.072-08:00

Wow, I wrote this post a looooong time ago! It was my first post, and it still is relevant!

I am a teacher in New Jersey. I totally support th...

2009-12-14T20:01:54.650-08:00

I am a teacher in New Jersey. I totally support the content in this article. It is a shame that politicians and some administrators try to blame teachers. Most American teachers are excellent; however, in all this confusion, we are being blamed bombarded with unnecessary paper work; in fact, we are treated very unprofessionally. We have to fight for our rights as we continue to the best we can for our students who, unfortunately, are the victims of dysfunctional families and society.
There is a huge number of teachers becoming administrators because they do not want to be in the classroom anymore; what a shame, but once they they get an administrative position, they feel they can tell real teachers how how to teach. What a disgrace! This is the only profession in which professionals tell other professionals how to proceed; it seems an attempt to justify positions and salaries...We should stand for our rights!

My distict adopted Lucy Calkins for the 09/10 scho...

2009-12-10T18:11:50.050-08:00

My distict adopted Lucy Calkins for the 09/10 school year. We were aware of the pending adoption yet, we received no training prior to the start of the school year. Since Sept. we have only received 1day of training with a promise that it will come in the spring. As a result, we've had to jump in feet first. Right now I'm drowning in my students "small moment" stories. I've followed along with this program long enough. My students are bright and eager learners. They deserve to be quality, not quantity writers.

Remember, charter schools are (for the most part) ...

2008-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Remember, charter schools are (for the most part) union free! Yipee! The schools can hire, and fire at will! No bad teachers! Woo-hoo! Goooo charter schools!
I live in Philadelphia, PA. Here in Philly, we have roughly 75 charter schools. About 40 of them are elementary. My daughter is in pre-k and thus will be in Kindergarten next fall. Of those 40 or so schools only 3 (three!) of them are good enough for my daughter. Due to distances of those schools, we are applying to only one of those three. So much for offering "choice". Charter schools are almost like fast-food restaurants. While it is great that instead of only McDonalds, you can now choose from Burger King, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken, you are still getting crappy food. Charter schools, are one expensive experiment that needs to be retired.

I am a union member. And you work for a...

2008-11-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

I am a union member. And you work for a...

This must be a union site. Teacher who are stuck ...

2008-11-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

This must be a union site. Teacher who are stuck in old ways. Teachers who rely on scripted textbooks that are sold by salesmen who don't have a clue about learning. After 2 years of implementation at my school I see children who LOVE to write and are writing well and our test scores have gone up. But leave to the unionized teachers to buck anything that actually takes work.

We have Pete's. And, sorry!

2008-11-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

We have Pete's. And, sorry!

I am in Arabica's [coffee shop- does California ha...

2008-11-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

I am in Arabica's [coffee shop- does California have anything but starbucks? ;-)]

And I have to tell you I was drinking my tea and hence choking as I read this. My lawyer will be contacting you about the necessary reparations via distress from coughing up Orange Pekoe in front of strangers.

:-)

I am using a combined approach because I teach Mid...

2008-11-19T04:15:00.000-08:00

I am using a combined approach because I teach Middle School, and Atwell's workshop method is specifically formulated for middle school school. Calkins focuses on K-5.

I am an experienced educator and I have to say I d...

2008-11-15T18:09:00.000-08:00

I am an experienced educator and I have to say I definitely agree that Lucy Calkins is a horrible approach to writing! In fact, for a lack of better word that can be posted online...IT SUCKS! I have never witnessed such poor writing skills. The children don't take much from this program and are not producing the quality of work that my writers have done in the past 11 years. Unfortunately, I HAVE to follow the district's policy of using this writing program. It saddens me to see the direction my writers are headed as a result of this very poor purchas. Furthermore, if Lucy Calkins is such a wonderful program, why is the teacher above combining it with another writing program. If it is a solid program, it should stand on its own in producing successful writers! I am using the program as it is intended and my writers simply are not learning to write!!!!!

What is the point of the program? In deed, what k...

2008-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

What is the point of the program? In deed, what kind of "program" is it if it is just some old ideas reworked into new parlance? Lots of teachers have great ideas, or reworked old ideas, but don't write books about them.

And I think it is a bit presumptuous of you to claim that everyone who disagrees with the program is doing it wrong. That is just patently untrue, and on its face, a bit silly. It may be that there are teachers who find the "program" silly, redundant, shallow, and pedagogically unsound. I think it is obvious I am one of these.

I am sure your classroom works because of YOU, not Lucy Calkins!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Most teachers who disagree with the program are do...

2008-07-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Most teachers who disagree with the program are doing it wrong, but it seems, by extension, that the districts/boards are doing it wrong. The units of study are not scripts. Never were, never should be. Teachers should be using them as models, and developing their own mini-lessons based on Lucy's ideas, workshops, other teachers, and their own experiences.

I use a combination Atwell/Calkins workshop in my classroom and the results have been phenomenal. But I have to put in the work. I write the units, and they change from year to year. Teachers and schools that just use the scripts verbatim are wrong and giving the workshop a bad name.

I loved it too. Seems logical, which is why manag...

2008-07-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

I loved it too. Seems logical, which is why management probably doesn't want to use it!

Thanks for commenting!

I love this sentiment, although it is rarely put i...

2008-07-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love this sentiment, although it is rarely put into practice in my experience. It's performance review time at work so I had to dig this up and send it around. Thanks!

Not only do I disagree with the program, but it is...

2008-06-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Not only do I disagree with the program, but it is a completely unnecessary purchase. There is nothing in the 6 little softbound books, replete with scripts and anecdotes about how wonderful a teacher Lucy is, that is new, except changing the names of some things. She changes the names of genres as if to make things easier to understand for children (narratives become "small moments"), and they are not easy to understand, they are confusing.

Any teacher who needs the LC program might as well be on an assembly line.

And, I don't pick and choose where researchers come from. The Hoover is right wing, but the study makes sense to me, and many others I have talked to. So, sure there are enthusiastic teachers who want to attend conferences, and get paid or get college credit toward salary increases by attending. Or, don't you know how the education industry works.....?

NCLB has assured that anyone with a new way to present what is ages-old pedagogy gets a payday.

And my point in the post is that a "needs-improvement" district MUST purchase the curricular materials, and we better claim the newly purchased curricular materials are great, even when they are more of the same, or even possibly useless. Just because it is cheaper doesn't make it okay or necessary.

Thanks for stopping by anon!