Teachers innovate to find new ways to help students

Superintendent tours schools to hear and give some ideas

Friday, May 22, 2009

The fifth-grade teachers explained their unique approach to Superintendent Michael Martirano earlier this month. The superintendent visits each public school in the county once a year on what he calls an "authentic visit," to chat with teachers and school administrators and take a walking tour of the school.

This year, he set a goal to read to all of the county's kindergarten students, something he did with joy at Benjamin Banneker during his visit earlier this month.

The fifth-grade teachers' schedule allowed them to co-teach by splitting students into groups and working with different teachers throughout the day.

"They're all our kids," teacher Lisa Lewis said. They see each child in the fifth grade nearly every day and each teacher cares deeply if their students succeed, she said.

Finding time to fit in remediation can be difficult, but with creative thinking students are getting bits of extra help when needed, Principal Debra Bowling said.

One benefit of the Maryland School Assessment tests given to students in grades 3 through 8 in English and reading is it draws attention to struggling students, she said.

"You need to look if there's a group you are missing," even if overall school scores are good, she said.

By using a block planning for the school day schedule all teachers within a given grade have their planning period at the same time. This allows for extensive collaboration, the principal said.

The school system also built in several days within the school year known as articulation day, where school teachers can plan curriculum with teachers from other grades, "to understand where there are gaps of learning," Martirano said. "That's got to be a seamless transition from pre-K to 12," he told the school's administrative team.

That vertical articulation can break down anywhere without planning.

Being around books at an early age is extremely important, he said, reiterating a statement heard often by him and other educators. Before grade three children are learning to read; from third grade on they should be reading to learn, educators say.

"They're brutally honest," Martirano said of kindergartners. "They'll basically tell you anything that's on their mind. But they're very intelligent, as well."

Topics such as demographics and the all-important standardized test scores make up a large part of the meetings with the school staff during Martirano's visits.

"This is my opportunity with representatives from central office to come out and talk to you about what's going on in the school," Martirano said.

He stressed the importance of teaching children early on the importance of good attendance. Without it, he said, students can all too easily fall into a pattern that leads to them failing a grade later in secondary school and eventually dropping out.

Some elementary schools have attendance mentors, teachers or other school staff assigned on a one-to-one basis with students who have habitual attendance problems. They call or check in at the student's home if he or she does not show up.

jyeatman@somdnews.com