Middle School Transition: Reflection Entry 1
The middle school where I teach is 75 yards from the feeder elementary school. However, for some students, it may as well be 75 miles. The jump from elementary school to the big, bad middle school is a very tough transition for many.
Leaving the comfort of a school that has been your home for 5-6 influential years can be a daunting task. Most elementary teachers are very nurturing and mothering and the Elementary students have their own personal desk and cute little cubbies in the classroom where they can easily store all their wares. Welcome to middle school where you must move your body, your things and you confused mind to the next classroom every 50 minutes. Just try to stuff all your belongings into that very small locker that is over your head. By the way, did I tell you that the middle school locker has a lock on it that you must open every class period!?!
This is just the start of your welcoming committee to the middle school life. We can adjust to one teacher and their quirky personality, but to work with 6-7 different teachers every day!!! Just imagine how we, as adults, work with all the different administration personalities. Most adults and can adapt very quickly. Twelve-old youngsters cannot adjust so quickly. This amount of pressure can be quite daunting. An adjustment period needs to take place for these students, but unfortunately, this is not typically the case.
By the first two weeks of school, we have already introduced 6-7 new teachers, new lunch staff, new principals, new bus drivers and the biggest hurdle of all---a new start time (7:30 am) which is an hour earlier than they are used to. Did I mention that we have STAR testing in math and reading in the first two weeks of school? The STAR test is an online data collection tool that tests the students beginning at their previous level and then working them toward a score. The test compares them to other students.
Reflection Entry # 2
During August of 2016, two other teachers and I worked with a low achieving group of incoming 6th graders for one week. We assisted in the completion of their summer reading assignments, logged numerous hours on Sumdog, which is an online math tutorial that pits one student against another while working on math skills and we also participated in team building games at the end of each day. We shared lunch each day and got to know each other on a personal basis. It was a very rewarding week with some very neat kids.
At the conclusion of the week, we encouraged each of them to attend the after-school program that we were offering to keep up with school work and keep a teacher on their side if things were not going as planned. The attendance was not stellar, but some did take advantage of the offer.
The growth of the students has been a mixed bag. Of the 22 we worked with over the summer, only three are at risk of failing the 6th grade. I realize this is not the ideal situation, but we have work to do to improve. We have already plotted a program for the summer and following our spring break, we will reach out to the elementary feeder schools to begin the process all over again with a new batch of sixth graders.
Reflection Entry #3
We completed the STAR test for the spring reporting season and we saw significant growth with our “group” of students that we worked with. We saw an average growth of 74 points on the reading test and a growth of 58 points on math. This new data that was gathered on Friday, April 21st, is the newest data we have and varies from the data in my other reports. The STAR data typically improves as the year progresses and we are always comparing the proficiency growth percentage. This data compares students of similar ability and the growth over the school year. Our group had average growth of 35%. This is below the expected growth of 40% for our building, but it is growth.
How can we increase growth in not only this group, but the entire school? Many students find computer based tests difficult. Is there a way we can devise a plan for our “group” to work the STAR test on paper and then place answers in the computer? I hate to have my “group” do poorly on a data based test because they struggle with computer based testing.
Reflection Entry # 4
I met today with my administration regarding the bridge program for next year. We discussed the numbers of kids that we can afford to invite, who to invite and what classes we will offer to these students. My vice principal agreed to contact the feeder elementary schools to get the names of students that would benefit from such a program. My principal was on board with funding of three teachers for the week and even included lunch. We will meet again on Monday to discuss the calendar and choose the teachers that will help run the program. We hope to have at least 2 ELA teachers to help with the summer reading assignment and the written expression assignment. We also hope to have one additional math teacher to work on math skills and incorporate Sum Dog and even a new program we purchased, Study Island. This program will allow diagnostic testing and then we can set up a path for them to follow to guide their learning.
This is a very large undertaking and I am excited to continue this program and hopefully find success with the incoming group of sixth graders.
Reflection Entry # 5
After meeting with my bird group, which is group of teachers in the CTEPS program that have similar projects as mine, I made a few changes and added a few details to my blog. I shared some STAR reports so that everyone can see the progress or lack of progress. You will notice that some students have more data points than others. They are enrolled in an intervention class and they test on STAR every two weeks to track progress to determine future placement. I have these documents on my SMORE link page for your reading pleasure. https://www.smore.com/qqfab
Post Reflection Entry:
The CTEPS process has been a journey worth every heartbreak and smile along the way. The initial meeting in September introduced me to many teachers across this great public education format that hold the same beliefs as me----doing whatever possible to engage our students to make them the best they can be. Our journey has brought webinars, face to face meetings and most importantly--an in depth look at how we run our classrooms. I would not change anything about this journey and would encourage anyone who has a passion to improve their classroom to research becoming a part of the next CTEPS team. The unwavering support that you receive is incredible and the advantages to your classroom outweigh the time commitments.
Thanks to my team of teachers that gave me so much encouragement and words of wisdom!!
The middle school where I teach is 75 yards from the feeder elementary school. However, for some students, it may as well be 75 miles. The jump from elementary school to the big, bad middle school is a very tough transition for many.
Leaving the comfort of a school that has been your home for 5-6 influential years can be a daunting task. Most elementary teachers are very nurturing and mothering and the Elementary students have their own personal desk and cute little cubbies in the classroom where they can easily store all their wares. Welcome to middle school where you must move your body, your things and you confused mind to the next classroom every 50 minutes. Just try to stuff all your belongings into that very small locker that is over your head. By the way, did I tell you that the middle school locker has a lock on it that you must open every class period!?!
This is just the start of your welcoming committee to the middle school life. We can adjust to one teacher and their quirky personality, but to work with 6-7 different teachers every day!!! Just imagine how we, as adults, work with all the different administration personalities. Most adults and can adapt very quickly. Twelve-old youngsters cannot adjust so quickly. This amount of pressure can be quite daunting. An adjustment period needs to take place for these students, but unfortunately, this is not typically the case.
By the first two weeks of school, we have already introduced 6-7 new teachers, new lunch staff, new principals, new bus drivers and the biggest hurdle of all---a new start time (7:30 am) which is an hour earlier than they are used to. Did I mention that we have STAR testing in math and reading in the first two weeks of school? The STAR test is an online data collection tool that tests the students beginning at their previous level and then working them toward a score. The test compares them to other students.
Reflection Entry # 2
During August of 2016, two other teachers and I worked with a low achieving group of incoming 6th graders for one week. We assisted in the completion of their summer reading assignments, logged numerous hours on Sumdog, which is an online math tutorial that pits one student against another while working on math skills and we also participated in team building games at the end of each day. We shared lunch each day and got to know each other on a personal basis. It was a very rewarding week with some very neat kids.
At the conclusion of the week, we encouraged each of them to attend the after-school program that we were offering to keep up with school work and keep a teacher on their side if things were not going as planned. The attendance was not stellar, but some did take advantage of the offer.
The growth of the students has been a mixed bag. Of the 22 we worked with over the summer, only three are at risk of failing the 6th grade. I realize this is not the ideal situation, but we have work to do to improve. We have already plotted a program for the summer and following our spring break, we will reach out to the elementary feeder schools to begin the process all over again with a new batch of sixth graders.
Reflection Entry #3
We completed the STAR test for the spring reporting season and we saw significant growth with our “group” of students that we worked with. We saw an average growth of 74 points on the reading test and a growth of 58 points on math. This new data that was gathered on Friday, April 21st, is the newest data we have and varies from the data in my other reports. The STAR data typically improves as the year progresses and we are always comparing the proficiency growth percentage. This data compares students of similar ability and the growth over the school year. Our group had average growth of 35%. This is below the expected growth of 40% for our building, but it is growth.
How can we increase growth in not only this group, but the entire school? Many students find computer based tests difficult. Is there a way we can devise a plan for our “group” to work the STAR test on paper and then place answers in the computer? I hate to have my “group” do poorly on a data based test because they struggle with computer based testing.
Reflection Entry # 4
I met today with my administration regarding the bridge program for next year. We discussed the numbers of kids that we can afford to invite, who to invite and what classes we will offer to these students. My vice principal agreed to contact the feeder elementary schools to get the names of students that would benefit from such a program. My principal was on board with funding of three teachers for the week and even included lunch. We will meet again on Monday to discuss the calendar and choose the teachers that will help run the program. We hope to have at least 2 ELA teachers to help with the summer reading assignment and the written expression assignment. We also hope to have one additional math teacher to work on math skills and incorporate Sum Dog and even a new program we purchased, Study Island. This program will allow diagnostic testing and then we can set up a path for them to follow to guide their learning.
This is a very large undertaking and I am excited to continue this program and hopefully find success with the incoming group of sixth graders.
Reflection Entry # 5
After meeting with my bird group, which is group of teachers in the CTEPS program that have similar projects as mine, I made a few changes and added a few details to my blog. I shared some STAR reports so that everyone can see the progress or lack of progress. You will notice that some students have more data points than others. They are enrolled in an intervention class and they test on STAR every two weeks to track progress to determine future placement. I have these documents on my SMORE link page for your reading pleasure. https://www.smore.com/qqfab
Post Reflection Entry:
The CTEPS process has been a journey worth every heartbreak and smile along the way. The initial meeting in September introduced me to many teachers across this great public education format that hold the same beliefs as me----doing whatever possible to engage our students to make them the best they can be. Our journey has brought webinars, face to face meetings and most importantly--an in depth look at how we run our classrooms. I would not change anything about this journey and would encourage anyone who has a passion to improve their classroom to research becoming a part of the next CTEPS team. The unwavering support that you receive is incredible and the advantages to your classroom outweigh the time commitments.
Thanks to my team of teachers that gave me so much encouragement and words of wisdom!!
Pam Ollier is an 8th grade teacher in Boone County, Kentucky. She has taught in the Boone County School District for 27 years. Her first five years were spent at Kelly Elementary where she taught fifth and sixth grades. The past 22 years have been at Gray Middle School where she teaches Pre-Algebra. She resides in Union, KY with her husband, Dana, of 25 years and their three beautiful children. Kate, 23, is a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati. Thomas, 20 is a student at Northern Kentucky University and Michael, 17, an upcoming senior at Ryle High School.