It Doesn't Add Up...But it May Soon

Okay, Here's My Deal...

I have taught for 18 years. I have almost every range of abilities in my charge over this time. The last few have been primarily with gifted ed kids and the advanced math kids. I am highly frustrated right now with my particular group of seventh graders who are taking the eighth grade math curriculum. So much so that in my planner the other day I wrote, "AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!" in giant letters. I have tried in as many different ways that I can think of to teach this particular concept and even today, the day before the test as we reviewed, they looked at me like I had lobsters coming out of my ears. So, I thought I would talk to my principal. I am glad I did because it reaffirmed to me that I am doing the best I can with what I have been given and it is hindering me professionally.

He told me that from his first year here that he has not liked my program--not me or my content or what I am trying to...he has nothing but wonderful things to say about those things--but it is the fact that how it operates now, as a pull-out program, is simply not working and is not as effective or affective as it could be. He said he has told the district TAG person that he has this wonderful teacher in a progam that runs hot and cold at best due to scheduling and facility contraints and just feels that a change is in order. So, we are starting to look at ways to revamp the whole deal.

Co-Teaching is most likely what will happen and I am all for that. I would be paired with several regualr ed teachers and would be in their classrooms serving not only the identified gifted kids (who would be cluster grouped) but all kids in the classroom by helping the other teacher tier, compact, differentiate the curriculum. I am ready for a change.