\doc\web\98\10\seating.txt Date sent: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 13:27:42 Subject: [education-consumers] Parent/Teacher Conference To: "ClearingHouse" From: ghoffman@bellatlantic.net Send reply to: ghoffman@bellatlantic.net ===================================================================== I had a conference with my son's first grade teacher last week. I thought for a long time about how I would approach this young teacher about the problems I saw in the classroom when I had the opportunity to observe the class during education week. I think I was her first scheduled parent conference. She probably wanted to dismiss me as quickly as possible and get me out of the way. I did not want to make her cry since I know the opposition would use it to their advantage. I did want to make her aware of the problems I observed while visiting her classroom though and the reasons I feel they exist. I allowed her to start the conversation and she began by asking me about my background. She asked if I was a teacher, how long, where, etc. She then began to tell me that my son was doing well in his class work, BUT was having difficulty following directions, focusing and paying attention. I knew she was going to address these issues since she sent his report card home and those areas were marked as needing improvement. I then pointed out to her that maybe he was having problems because his back was to her for every lesson and he had to keep turning around to see her demonstrations. For each activity that required step-by-step directions he had to turn his head or body each time. I told her the kindergarten teacher told me last year that he was methodical in following directions so I really have to believe the problem is with the seating arrangements. She then turned around and looked at his table and said she never considered that to be a problem. I then pointed out that he was not the only student with his back to her, but that six other children have their back to her. I also pointed out that the little guy that sits to my son's left could not see the screen she was using for one of the lessons because he sits too far forward. I asked her whose idea it was to replace the desks with the tables. She simply stated that they were in the room when she arrived. I tried to explain to her that eye contact is very important when teaching and working with children. Teachers are often able to understand if a child is following the lesson or simply bored just by looking at a child's eyes. She was quiet and did not say much when I made my suggestions. Actually, I think she was in agreement. She looked around the room and said she did not know how to fix the problem with the tables. She told me she does move around the room a lot so my son's back is not to her all of the time. I told her that because of his placement there could not ever be a time she made eye contact with him. One fourth of the class has their back to her all of the time no matter where she places herself in the room. I went on to tell her that I noticed that when the children sit at the tables she spends a large amount of her time asking them to quiet and the children talk to their neighbors. I told her it was not a criticism of her teaching ability or disciplining techniques, but simply the seating arrangement around the tables. I told her I believe it is just a natural tendency for humans to want to reach out and touch their friends and talk when in such close proximity. I think adults would behave the same way when sitting at tables. I told her that the children were more difficult when sitting on the rug for the other lessons. I noted that the children did not seem to talk as much, but she lost many of them because of sitting unsupported for such long periods of time on the rug. One lesson, the "The Morning Meeting," (occurs everyday as the first lesson in the morning) required the children to sit for at least 45 minutes on the carpeted area. I told her I noted the children started to fidget, swing their heads around, talk to their neighbors, crawl under a table, lean back to lay down, or poke their neighbor. The only real participant for the entire lesson was the child that was chosen to write answers or walk around to some of the charts. I watched this teacher teach reading, morning meeting, social studies, and math on the carpeted area. I happen to think our district administrators are like children that really have no care about what is educationally sound…The administrators are more concerned about visitors thinking the district LOOK as though we are on the CUTTING EDGE. The cutting edge of what though? BEDLAM, ILLITERACY, CHILDREN THAT CANNOT CALCULATE OR WRITE? I think the administrators are like teenagers that want to make certain they are perceived as being "COOL" and up to date on the latest FAD! Our elementary education superintendent told me that I just would not be satisfied until every teacher is doing direct instruction. He said I want teachers to be up and lecturing for one lesson after another. How sad that this fool does not know how direct instruction is done. Our teachers are lecturers now…They stand and talk to our children for almost every lesson. Without the textbooks they are forced to talk (not teach) to the children. Without the textbooks, worksheets, and workbooks the children never learn to work independently. All work is completed as a whole class lesson with all children working together. Most of the work is cut and paste and some sort of arts and craft activity. If one child is faster than another they just sit and wait for all to finish that step. How boring! I watched this young teacher do the most pathetic reading lesson. She obviously does not know how to do a directed reading lesson. She simply sat the children in the carpeted area and asked them all to read along with her as she read the story. Some of the children did read, but many were not paying attention. I wondered how she determines who can read and who is having difficulty. She did not ask the children one question about the story. She never checked for any comprehension of the story or the vocabulary words. They simply read than returned to their seats. She then did what the district probably thinks is a phonics lesson. She asked the children to substitute a different letter before the word ending ig to make new words. This was done at their seats with letters. My son had the most difficult time following her because he needed to keep turning around and looking to see what she was doing and then turn to his area and do it. He could not simply look up and then down at his work. Many of our teachers do not use the chalkboards either. My son's teacher utilizes an area about one foot wide by three feet. I would not know how to teach without a chalkboard. The rest of the chalkboard is covered with bulletin board material. What has happened to board work? I have not visited all of the classrooms, but I have noticed that very few teachers use the boards for classroom work. When I taught school the children were required to do some sort of exercise from the board. The children were required to write the answers to comprehension questions (in a complete sentence) on the story or some sort of work on vocabulary development. I guess it just isn't appropriate anymore! I do not think our district has an elementary supervisor that observes the teachers and makes suggestions on how to improve a lesson. Actually, the superintendent told me the union does not allow supervisors to go into a classroom unless invited by the teacher. Our principal told me that he just does not have enough time to observe teachers in the classroom. He said he would like to spend more time observing, but his function as principal is like that of a business manager. So who is keeping watch over the teachers and students? Why do school boards agree to these demands and tactics? This young teacher needs someone to help her with her questioning techniques. She asks questions in such a way that the children do not know what information she is trying to get from them. Many times she would answer the question she just asked the children. This tells me that they either did not understand her question or the information she just presented or both. We went over the time allotted for the conference by about ten minutes. The parent waiting was very annoyed with me. TOO BAD! In the teacher's defense she did move my son's seat so that he will always be facing forward. She also moved my friend's son because she complained after I told her that her son had his back to her also. Unfortunately, six other kids have their back to her and unless their parents complain they will probably remain seated that way. I told one other young mother about her son's seating arrangement and she told me that it was not a problem for him. He could simply turn his head around to see her. This same young mother told me her son was not doing very well and does not like school. DUH! Gloria Hoffman ===================================================================== EDUCATION CONSUMERS CLEARINGHOUSE networking and information for parents and taxpayers on the internet Subscriptions & Archives: http://education-consumers.com or You are currently subscribed to education-consumers as: arthurhu@halcyon.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send a blank email to leave-education-consumers-989462S@lists.dundee.net ===================================================================== For less mail, click on the following link and choose 1) a daily digest, 2) a daily list of subjects, or 3) no mail (read postings on Web) http://lists.dundee.net/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=education-consumers For more help & info: http://www.lyris.com/help or