As I sit writing this blog, I think about the Halloweens of my past. The best part of Halloween was figuring out what I was going to dress up as. Then my mom would figure out a way to make the costume as cheap as she could without making it look cheap. I think they were the best costumes ever. Not to mention most of the time I could re-wear part of it throughout the year. Some of the costumes I had were Strawberry Short Cake, clown, cheerleader, and a princess. My costumes were pretty easy. My brother's on the other hand, weren't so easy. I remember when Stars Wars were popular and my brother wanted to be Darth Vader so mom went and created his costume. It was a box that had to be taken off and put back on every time we got in and out of the car. Another year, he wanted to be a pack of Wrigley's Gum complete with foil hat. Again it was another box with the same issues as before. But the best costume he probably had was the school mascot. I am from Mitchell, SD and if you know anything about Mitchell, you know about the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is a building covered with pictures made with colored corn cobs. Think CORNY when you think of the school mascot. NO LITERALLY think CORNY, as our mascot was a corn cob. The name of our mascot was Cornelius, a girl, I guess. I didn't find that out until I was in high school but whatever. My mom still did a good job making it and I am sure my family had fun going trick or treating that year. As I grew out of the age of trick or treating and moved out on my own, I enjoyed passing out candy to the younger crowd. I don't get any trick or treaters out on the farm but that is ok because I do participate in the Spook Walk which is Charles City's event where the business owners and nonprofit groups are able to set up a booth based on a theme to pass out candy. Last year the theme was family game night, so I choose to do Candy Land. It was a lot of fun with a gingerbread house, lollipop Forest, Peppermint Forest, Princess Lolly, Mr. Mint, and Mrs. Gumdrop. Here is a picture from the event. This year the theme was family movie night. Here is Cars at the Drive In.
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As a tutor and substitute teacher, I have often wondered what happened to textbooks? Parents ask me as a tutor, how they are supposed to help their children with homework at home. I logically tell them to look in the textbook. But the response I have been getting lately is "There is no textbook."
"Why have we gotten rid of textbooks?" That leads me to ask the question, "Why have we gotten rid of textbooks?" and "Should we get rid of textbooks?" I am sure that there is logical reasons for not having a textbook in some courses, such as the material is outdated as soon as it is printed like in science and history textbooks. Ok I can understand that and with the internet you can find lots of information out there to teach from. But math really shouldn't change and neither should reading, should it? College Life Colleges still refer to textbooks a lot and therefore students need to be prepared to interact with the text book if they want to succeed in college. Curriculum is like a home cooked meal I like to compare curriculum to a meal. There are different parts to the meal just like there are different parts to the curriculum that is used in schools. I like to think that the textbook is considered the meat and potatoes part of the meal. Old Curriculums like a TV dinner ( almost everything's included) Think of it this way: the old basal readers that teachers used in my schools had everything in it such as phonics, spelling, comprehension, grammar, writing, and speaking. Some of the basals even had science, math, and social studies centers to go along with the theme of the week or unit of the month. Having a well rounded curriculum teaches how the subjects and skills correlate with each other. Each basal had a logical sequential way of presenting the information. There really wasn't a lot of thinking you had to put into it. This is great for brand new teachers who haven't the time to create their bag of tricks to use in the classroom. While it is a guide to keep a veteran teacher on track as they fill in with other activities that may work better than suggested. Switching curriculums I did a long term substitute job for 8 weeks. During this time, we the school changed curriculums from a discovery learning type of curriculum to a more explicit type of curriculum. It was interesting watching the students make the change. Those students who were struggling with reading, now had a basal to look at that was in their desk. Instead of wasting their time "looking" at books while goofing off, were now reading several stories in a row in their basal. Those students struggling in math were understanding the curriculum and enjoying what we were doing. This is the same with the math the math books as well that I have worked with. One math book that I have worked with as a substitute is Progress in Mathematics. This text uses detailed steps on how to complete each skill including prerequisite information (information that you must know prior to completing the skill) and mistakes that the students will make while giving hints on how to avoid this. It is aligned with the core and gives several review stops along the way to ensure mastery of each skill. Back to the meal Now, like I said, this is the meat and potatoes part of the meal. There are also the vegetable, fruit, milk, and dessert part of the meal which is added to the main part. Teaching is no different. Teachers present additional parts to the curriculum to supplement the main part or text book. This can be extra information that they have researched since it wasn't in the textbook, enrichment activities to support struggling or advanced learners, games, technology, etc. Alternative choices I have seen in some classrooms that use Edmodo where a teacher has scanned in a page from a book or workbook and then all the students are to access this sheet and complete the work. Then the student submits their answers to Edmodo for the teacher to check. This is supposed to cut down on the amount of paper that is used. It is also a good way for junior high and high school classrooms to deal with a substitute that might not be qualified to answer questions in the subject I.E. elementary teacher in a advanced trigonometry classroom. Multi-age classrooms I have also been in multiage classrooms where there is 2-3 grade levels of students in one classroom. These classrooms usually teach the same science or social studies topics to the whole class but math and language arts are separated according to ability levels. This type of classroom usually doesn't use textbooks. In this type of classroom, the teacher has flexible small groups divided based on test scores of reading or math level determined by the pretest of each unit. The teacher than meets with each group several times a week to teach guided mini lessons of needed skills and assigns several problems for students to complete independently and discuss later. The teacher also has to keep perfect records based on how/when students master skills. These checklists uses the state standards as a base for what to teach and when to teach each skill. Other classrooms of today Other classrooms that I have been in, still have textbooks but are not taken out of the classroom often. They are used as a resource but not something assigned to each student to keep track of and care of. So my question to you is "If we are phasing out textbooks, how are parents supposed to help their child with homework without a guide?" Anissa: To answer the question about how your tutoring has helped, we meet with you once a week on Tuesday nights via the web. Kate really looks forward to those times. She very much admires Miss Stena. She says that Stena is one of most nicest people that she (Kate) has ever met. She feels very accepted by Miss Stena. Miss Stena realized that in Kate's that she needs time to answer questions. A lot of times in school, teachers immediately ask for the answers from the kids. And it takes Kate a moment for her to come up with those files in her brain with a response.
Anissa: When she (Kate) is given the time, she is able to come up with those answers. We have found with Kate, a lot of repetition is key and common core curriculum doesn't always afford repetition. This time with Stena, working on the 6th grade, as well as going back and filling those foundational elements that Kate is missing or needs practice on has really helped. Miss Stena has also offered a lot of free resources for Kate that she is able to go in and watch videos and reinforce and just practice. Me: How are those free resources working out? Anissa: When we can fit them in, they work great. Sometimes after school is so busy that it doesn't fit in before it is time for bed. Me: It (resources) are for "at your own leisure time to use when you can or when you need to. She could also access these resources during study hall or free time if there is I Pad or computer available for her to work on. Anissa: I listen to a lot of podcasts on the road. I am currently listening to a podcast about some prisoners. The prison is really much into rehabilitation. They are using Khan Academy that allows for the prisoners to learn the skills necessary to be successful. Me: It is a nice free resource to use. Khan Academy works with the ADAM-7 by connecting the skills you need to work on from the test to the videos explaining how to solve each problem. Sal Khan, the creator of Khan Academy believes in the rule of 10. So if you can get 10 problems in a row correct than you have mastered the skill and are able to move on to the next level of skills. Before the Core Standards came we were required to complete 60 math problems, but Sal says this is a waste of time. Instead 10 problems in a row correct are all we need to show proficiency. Anissa: Kate was working with Khan Academy for two hours trying to get a concept, but she was struggling to get 10 in a row. She called me at the grocery store and wanted to stop with that skill. Me: When I put a video on Edmodo describing in detail on how to complete a skill, Kate can review as much as she needs until we meet again. At that time she can ask questions face to face or on Edmodo. I can reinforce or reteach as needed. Me: Is there anything else that you would like future clients or the public to know about me? Anissa: I think bringing Miss Stena on as a tutor really opened up a great deal of confidence for Katherine. By taking the time and going over and finding some success in some of this work that Stena has gone over. She (Kate) thinks she can do this in school. Before in school, Kate couldn't get as much individualized instruction as she can with Stena. Stena has specified just where Kate needs the most help and focuses on that. Kate is a kinesthetic learner and Stena encourages Kate to use note cards describing in detail each skill. These note cards can be used in class at school. Kate's grades have gone up dramatically, grade levels in fact. She is very engaged in class. She has been taken off of her 504 plan. She is no longer fidgety If you pay monthly, the price decreases by 50%. Which is great to meet online. Online feels just like in person tutoring. Yesterday I was able to interview a mom who is grateful for the services that I have provided for her daughter. Anissa Sanborn agreed to an interview with me. Anissa is an editor in Nashville, TN but her mom and some siblings live in Iowa just down the road from me. I thought I would take a few minutes to share that interview with you.
Me: How did you find out about me? Anissa: My daughter Kate stays with her grandparents up in Charles City for a month in the summer since we live in Tennessee. We have had problems with math in school since she was a little girl. Through the school year, we had tutoring (from Kate's math teacher). We did not want to lose the learning over the summer so my mother mentioned that she knew Stena Schmitt who does tutoring in Charles City. Me: How did you meet me? Anissa: I met you initially though a phone call while you had the introductory meeting with my mom Sandy and Kate on the family farm in Iowa. You laid out your goals for Kate and expectations and just talked about the initial screening that you would do. Me: What does an online session look like? Anissa: For us since we live 755 miles away, Stena set up a private room for us on Zoom.us. She created a one on one video chat where she works with Kate for an hour once a week. She uses interactive screens with Kate where she works on a lot of the skills that she needs to catch up (on), along with some of the homework that she needs to turn in for sixth grade. Me: Would you describe the screening and the testing that I did for Kate? Anissa: If I have it all straight, initially Stena did a screening (evaluation) called the ADAM- 7 which tested all of Kate's skills of where she was in math. It was a comprehensive exam that told exactly which skills she was strong in and which ones she needed help with or where she was behind the rest of her age group. (The ADAM-7 tests Common Core math skills from grades Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. The ADAM-7 is a great test that not only tests the skills in math but also the vocabulary that comes with each math skill.) Anissa: Do you want me to talk about the Irlen? Me: Yes. Go ahead Anissa: You had ask if you could test her for Irlen which is a light sensitivity. That screening took several hours, (1 1/2) I believe at the Charles City Library. Kate was tested with different overlays and different pictures to see what Kate could see and what she could not see. Me: The reason for the library is because the lighting is similar to what Kate would experience in school or other places that have fluorescent lighting. Each client that is screened for Irlen Syndrome is given a series of pictures to look at or tasks to complete depending on the age of the client. Me: How have things changed since I have been helping your child? Since Kate has been working with Miss Stena, she has really gotten excited about grasping some of the math concepts. After Stena diagnosed- is that the correct word? (Stena) confirmed that Kate had Irlen Syndrome, a light scotopic sensitivity, we did go to a diagnostician here in Nashville where we had Kate fitted with lenses that are specially filtered for her needs. (For Kate) The contrast of the black ink on the white paper caused a lot of headaches. Every person with Irlen has a different experience. With some people it is turned sideways, or the letters dance. With numbers, she was not able to line things up in columns very well to follow multi-step directions. Me: During part of the interview with Anissa, Kate came in with her colored glasses on and she described what is like now that she has colored glasses to filter out the spectrums of color that she doesn't need in order to be successful. Anissa to Kate: How is it different now that you have the lenses? Kate: Very different. It is not as orange as it is. Every time I take em off I'm like whoa. I don't feel as nervous anymore. I feel like I am getting better grades. Anissa: Kate's overlays were a purple and turquoise. The spectral filters are just a little bit different than the overlays. When put together it makes like a dark blue. Of course the spectral filters are just a little bit different as far as figuring out the color for the lenses. To Be Continued...... I will share the rest of the interview tomorrow night so stay tuned. :) The look on people's faces when I tell them that I tutor online is that of fear, confusion, amazement, interest but doubt, and the list can go on and on. But I tell you that there are many benefits of online tutoring.
Convenience I can work anywhere that has a very good internet connection and still tutor my students. Not only that but parents don't have to pick up their children from where ever they are and drop them off to see me. Then pick them up to go home. When I start a lesson I don't have to worry about taking a long time to get started because we have to get settled and then cut 10 minutes off of the lesson at the end because the students are watching the clock waiting for it to be over. Parents who are divorced don't have to worry about one parent not being able to drive to tutoring because it is done in their own home. Parents can email the homework to me so I can then create lessons around those skills. Weather I live in Iowa so the winters can get very dangerous. I don't have to worry about my students or myself driving in bad weather. We can be cozy warm and safe in our respective homes while on the internet. Enjoyment Children love to be on the computer, so online tutoring is a good thing for them. It gives them a chance to be on the computer and learn something new at the same time. I make it fun for them to learn. My lessons are 50 minutes long with a 10 minute brain break. This is a time when they can play constructive games. If the student is using an Ipad or computer, I am able to give the student control over my screen and then they can play a game. The student can also be relaxed because they don't have to worry about what the other people around them are thinking like they would if we were meeting at the library. For example, students have been able to act silly during the session and still get a lot of work completed for the session. Same as In Person Technology has changed to the point where tutoring online is no different than tutoring in person. I still get to see my student as they are working and ask them questions based on their answers or what I see them doing. For example if the student is supposed to be writing down notes on a note card and they are not, I ask why. They usually get started after that. Is this what your house looks like: your children come home and don't put their stuff away and do the chores that you have asked them to do? Are you an overwhelmed parent that doesn't know how to encourage your children to be responsible for their stuff and help take care of the household chores?
I have been asked several times from parents about how to teach their children to be responsible for things around the house and in life. At first I wasn't sure how to answer this question. Then I read a quote that said if we expect someone to do something, we must first teach them what being accountable looks like, feels like, sounds like, etc. I thought this was a very good statement. So how do we teach what accountable is? First let's discuss a few skills that parents might want their children to do. Parents usually want their children to be responsible with their own stuff, complete certain age appropriate chores, and interact appropriately with others inside and outside of the family. Chores When teaching your child about chores, make sure that you teach them what the end result should look like. You might also want to have a checklist of tasks that could help them remember how to complete the chore. You should have a checklist for every chore that you expect them to do. Pinterest is a good place to look for these checklists. If your child cannot read yet, make a picture schedule of tasks they can complete. Then show them each step. For example if you tell a child to clean up their room, it can be very overwhelming especially if the room is very messy. But if you tell them to put dirty clothes in the hamper, put toys in the toy box, put clean clothes in appropriately places, and organize books on the shelf; then your child will know exactly what to do and won't be so overwhelmed. Staying on Task Children are easily distracted when they are given a task to do especially if they don't like the task. An easy suggestion is to provide a timer and challenge them to do as much as they can in a certain amount of time. Then they know when the task going to end and they might feel better about completing it. Create a Reusable Schedule You could create a schedule of tasks that you want them to accomplish in the morning or even after school. You will have to teach them each step you expect several times and encourage their progress. Children need to have a caring approach at first in order to stay motivated to complete their tasks. Don't Nag or Prod If a child feels or learns that you are going to "nag" them, they won't progress as well as you want them too. You have to trust them to get things done. If you see that they are not making the progress you want, then you can ask them questions about why. Make sure you are not badgering them because this will stop any progress they could have made. Ensure your child that you are there only to help, not to judge. Then they can take responsibility for this on their own. Motivating Children Children love to interact and impress their parents. You can use this information to help you in motivating your children to do what you want them to do. Start a sticker chart with each child and every time they complete a task that is up to your expectations, then put a sticker on the chart. When the chart is filled to an agreeable amount, then the child earns a prize of some sort. These are decided on before you create the chart. These rewards should be mostly free things. You don't want to break the bank while teaching them responsibility. Interacting Appropriately with Others If you see your child interacting inappropriately with others, the first you have to do is find out why they are doing. However this may not be an easy task. Children might not want to talk about it to you. Instead of asking directly, you might have to start slow and talk to them about how things are going and gradually talk to them about why they are acting the way they are. Listen before you respond and respond by restating what they said to you to help you understand what they are talking about. You should also teach them early about how to treat other people with respect and dignity, so that they will then get treated with respect and dignity. I was challenged by Joanne Kaminski to post the ABCs of Gratefulness so here goes:
A is for Abilities. Without abilities, one can do nothing. B is for Blessings. I have many blessings that allow me to do what I love to do. C is for Caring. I love caring about other students' education. D is for Dee. Dee the dog loves to cheer me up when I am down. E is for Energy. Energy is needed to keep going when challenges get in the way. F is for Flowers. Flowers show the beauty there is in life. G is for gardens. Gardens give me good healthy food to eat. H is for health. I am thankful for my health and the chance to accomplish many different things. I is for indebted. I am indebted to those who support me. J is for the Journey I will take as I grow my business. K is for Kind. I am thankful for the kind clients that I have had so far. L is for Listening. I listen to my clients and create a program that is best for them. M is for my Mom. My mom supports me as an entrepreneur. N is for No. Sometimes when life tells us no, it opens a new door that is much better for us. O is for Opportunity. There are many opportunities that I haven't taken yet. P is for Prayer. Prayer gives me hope to keep going. Q is for quiet. When we are quiet, we can hear many wonderful things. R is for Reliable. I am grateful for those that are reliable and come to meetings on time. S is for sweets. I am grateful that I am allowed sweets once in a while. T is for Trying. Even though things don't always turn out, I can try something else. U is for Understanding. I am grateful for parents who understands what I do. V is for vegetable. I am able to eat many vegetables to increase my health. X is for Xerox machine. I can Xerox copies for students to take home. Y is for Youth. The youth keep me feeling young. Z is for Zoom I can tutor on Zoom to people far away. Symptoms of Irlen Syndrome
My head hurts. I have been reading the same sentences several times and I still don't understand what I am reading. Why am I so tired after doing homework or working on a computer all day? These are just a few of the questions or comments that I have received from people I have tested for Irlen Syndrome. First Finding Out I first found out about Irlen Syndrome when I was working at my first teaching job. We were using colored strips to highlight a line of reading so a student could focus. Then when I started working for Sylvan Learning Center I brought up Irlen Syndrome as a way to better help our students learn what we were teaching them. Becoming a Screener I realized the more I worked with students, the more they struggled to apply the strategies that I was giving them. So I decided to become an Irlen Screener myself. I went to Des Moines to be with the Irlen Diagnostician Bonnie Bartels. I was there with 5 other people in various occupations such as psychology, preschool teacher, college employee, and tutor. Two Trainees with Experience Two of the other students already had some experience with Irlen Syndrome. One had a daughter who was diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome and it seemed to help her with reading a lot. The other had a husband and children who diagnosed with Irlen Syndrome The husband was afraid to work outside of a job that made him work with his hands. Once he found out that his reading problem could be solved, he decided that he could teach at a technical college. Teaching is what he really wanted to do but didn't think he was smart enough to. During the Training During the training, Bonnie needed someone as an example to show what screening a client would be like. She picked me. Now I feel that I was a pretty good student getting As and Bs most of the time. I studied hard and worked hard to get where I am now. My Symptoms But as I was being screened, I felt tired, my eyes hurt and itched, my body wanted to escaped and run out of the room, and I was frustrated. I didn't even realize what was happening at the time until Bonnie told me and the rest of the class what I was doing and why. At one point, Bonnie asked me if I have ever gotten lost when driving. I said "All of the time. In fact I got lost coming here today. When I read the sign of the exit I was supposed to take I only saw part of it instead of the whole sign." (Later when I had a chance to look back at a time when I was no longer stressed, I noticed my mistake.) One of the questions that Bonnie asked me was do I see sparkles on the page. I thought this was strange because I have always seen sparkles on top of whatever I was looking at no matter what. I thought that it was normal to see those sparkles. After the Colored Overlays She put colored overlays which are clear pieces of plastic of certain colors. When she found the right colors for me (turquoise and purple), I was able to read twice as fast as I have ever done and I didn't trip over my words as I was reading aloud. It was weird, because I usually had to practice several times before I could do that. One of the other trainees also said that the pitch of my voice changed as I read. A pitch that sounded confident instead of hesitant. Second Day of Training The second day of the training, we were supposed to practice screening each other. We partnered up and I was screened again but in different lighting. This time I actually got a headache during the screening. I have gotten headaches before, but this felt like more of a stress headache. The funny thing is I didn't have to take Excedrin like I normally do. Instead the screener put a colored overlay over the paper, and my headache went away. Since the Training Since March I have screened 17 different people ranging in age from 5-68. These are students, farmers, college students, public service, editors, and many more. I have helped those with Parkinson's, Spinal Bifida, Thyroid issues, concussions, and the general public. I have helped families from grandparents to grandchildren and those in between. Just One of My Clients One of tasks that clients receive test peripheral sight. Before we started the screening, this client really didn't want to be there. I had one client that we picked the first color right away. Then we tried several colors on top of the first color and found that one pretty quickly. However, the third color took some more time to find. The client was struggling with parts of the picture disappearing on him. Each color that we tried would move the part that was missing. What Was Going Wrong I was trying to filter out the colors that the client did not need in order to make reading easier. With each new color it would filter out the wrong color of light. That is, until we found the right color. At this point the client was very excited because he could read a lot faster than he ever had. He was talking about other people that should get screened because they could benefit just as much as he would. My Goal Each time I screen someone I learn something new. My goal is too screen 1,000 people in the next year. The reason I want to screen a lot of people is because I want to help as many people as I can so they can be successful in life. The screenings are no more expensive than getting your eyes checked at an eye doctor. The first quarter of the school year is coming to a close if it hasn't already. This means that your children have settled into their new classrooms and have learned a few new skills.
Hi! My name is Stena Schmitt. I run Saints Training and Tutoring. I have been tutoring for several years now. I started when I was in college as part of my bachelors to becoming a teacher. During my teaching career, I also taught for Sylvan Learning Center. I learned a few things about why to hire a tutor during that time. Now I am a private tutor and wanted to share with you a few of those reasons. Two Main Reasons Reactive Parent The first one is obvious in that their child is struggling with reading and math and you want them to get in line with the rest of their peers. This is a reactive parent. This type of parent has just found out from a parent teacher conference that their child is struggling in one subject or another. In this instance, a parent is trying to help their child get back on track and stay that way. Today's Educational System With the way education is today, parents are overwhelmed with how skills are taught and feel that they can't connect on the same level. Homework Battle Station Another reason that this type of parent hires a tutor is because the parent and child battle every time they sit down to work on homework. An outside tutor can help with this because the tutor isn't as close to the situation as the parent is. Proactive Parent The second reason a parent hires a tutor for their child is because the parent wants the child to move to be ahead of the rest of their peers. This parent is a proactive parent. Competitive World A proactive parent understands that the world can and will be competitive and they want their child to have a competitive edge. In foreign countries, it is very common for parents to hire the best teachers to tutor their children after school whether the student needs it or not. That way if there is a topic that the child does struggle with the tutor will catch it right away and is able to attack the problem sooner rather than later. The longer it takes to solve an issue the harder it is to learn the correct way because bad habits start to form quickly. Proactive parents also hire tutors during school breaks to ensure that no knowledge is lost while the child is not in school. How do you choose what tutor to hire for your child? There should be a few ground rules before deciding.
There are many places that you can have your child tutored such as your house, library, classroom, coffee shop, park, tutor's house, and online. I will tell you the pros and cons of each place. Your Home At your house, the child and tutor must have a place to work. This is done on your time. The tutor comes to you. You might have to pay for mileage of the tutor for the drive to and from your house. You might feel that you have to clean your house for the tutor to feel comfortable. It might be a noisy place if you have other children in the home. Library The library has really good tables to work at and most of the time it is quiet. Sometimes the child sees their friends and might get distracted from what is going on around them. Classroom The classroom is already at the school where your child may attend and you just have to go pick him/her up at the end of the session. If you child's teacher is tutoring him/her, she might have limited time to work with your child. There might be a lot of interruptions from other teachers and students coming in. Coffee Shop The coffee shop also has tables, but it might be a little noisy. You have to drop them off and pick them up. Park The same with the park. At the park you have to worry about the weather. Tutor's House The tutor's house is a good place because the tutor has all of their materials ready to go. You would have to drop them off and pick them up. You might feel uncomfortable dropping the child off at someone's home. Online Tutoring For online tutoring, neither the child nor the tutor has to go anywhere. This can be done in the safety of your own home. There are many different online webinar type programs in which the tutor and student can see each other and interact just fine. Some online software allows for both parties to share their screen and have an online whiteboard to write out problems and notes. You need to have a good internet connection with an updated computer and webcam. There are many benefits to hiring a tutor for your child. I hope this helps you to decide. |
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