Reflections on Framing Literacy 17,
Intertwining the assessment and instructional methods seem like a missing chapter
or table in the book. I was looking for some guidance, in the form of a table,
showing the instructional options overlaid with their assessment performance.
The book is otherwise well laid out, and technically one could say the
information exists in chapter 9 in the sub-sections entitled When a learner
has one or more of these targets for growth…
When you feel the varied aspects of the teaching profession pulling you
in opposing directions, pulling you apart, you look for things that are
already done for you. No, I’m not talking about teaching by worksheet.
You have the district putting pressure on administration, pressure for
high performance.
Administration refocuses it on their teachers, tries to help them, but
sometimes simply threatens. You have students who need special modifications
both socially
and instructionally. There are science fairs, and history fairs, spelling
and geography bees, speeches and performances, PTO, PTA, IEP, LEP, DEC
and HISD bureaucracy.
I imagine after the third, fourth, or fifth year there is more of an opportunity
for using the ten-kan of teaching to bring these seemingly opposing forces
into balance and, in so doing letting them work in harmony instead of in
competition for time and resources.
Justin
