posted by:
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Cheryl Pilatowski
on May 15, 2003
at 11:55AM
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subject:
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Finding Time
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The teachers are instructed in the different areas during the summer sessions (2 weeks long, 6 hours a day) in the different areas. Then for the first 4 years of the program, we had monthly meetings after school with the teachers where each topic was expanded. That is when the assignments were given and the teachers had a month to complete the new lesson using the 5-E, the strategy presented, and a reflective piece. This year, the support teacher staff was reduced to half and because of budget constraints in our district, the support teachers met one-on-one with the teachers who took the summer program to further develop the strategies, month by month. This was done on the classroom teacher’s planning time or before/after school, whichever was convenient for the teachers. At times, this was a study group, especially if it was after school.
In answer to your question about making time, most of the responses we have received in the evaluations of the program have stated having the support teacher so visible and available has actually forced them to make the time for science and shown them more ways to integrate the subjects. Also, science is one of our state mandated tests at the fourth and sixth grades, so we have to make the time.
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