No Subject

[Lorna Joy McCloud <lmccloud@PEN.K12.VA.US>]

Newsgroups: va-pen.mailing-list.lm_net
Path: lmccloud
From: lmccloud@pen.k12.va.us (Lorna Joy McCloud)
Subject: Elem:Flexible questions
Message-ID: <DD2DqH.2nCw@pen.k12.va.us>
Date: Wed, 9 Aug 1995 22:13:29 GMT
Organization: Virginia's Public Education Network

I just took over a school a year and a half ago where Flexible
scheduling was JUST installed before I came.

Well, thinking about next year, I would like some ammo to use
when teachers go to the principal or me (often to the principal
"behind my back") with complaints such as the following:

After a lot of thought, I "gave in" on having a scheduled story
time and book checkout for kdg until the last 6 weeks of the
year.  It worked beautifully, and they seemed to use the
library more responsibly than the 1st graders who hadn't had
that training.  We made a big thing of them going flexible
"like first graders" at the end of the year last year.

1.  I just can't let any students out (my teaching is too
miportant, etc) any old time.  I need a scheduled time to bring
them in for book check out.  (5th grade--teacher teaches the
"old" way--not in cooperative groups)

2.  A teacher who lets her kids come during "center time"
complained "How am I supposed to keep track of who goes and who
doesn't?  Some kids go every day, and others would never choose
to go if I didn't "make" them!"  (1-2 grades)

3.  Where do we find time to come and "plan" with you?  (I
usually plan on the fly during their lunch times, but would
really like to do more.  Admittedly, a few teachers are slowly
but surely coming around and seeing that I can help them.  (I
am fighting the axiom of "what do YOU do all day in that nice,
quiet library!", along with complaints when it is very noisy
and busy in there!

One big thing that I have learned--

YOU CAN'T WIN THEM ALL!

If you have any great ideas, please send them to me personally.

Thanks!