Finding Roots and Implementing Change

Submitted by Heidi Condrey (not verified) on January 25, 2008 - 07:22.

I found this topic to be very inspirational and I can relate with my current situation. I am the education manager for a pre-k program. We are under constant pressures (despite the age ranges we serve) to produce high assessment scores and have our students ready for kindergarten. Consequently, for the last few years our classrooms have become very structured and very academic focused.
Over the summer, I read a book by Michael Gramling entitled, Positive Guidance: Making a Place for Everyone. This book changed me and showed me the way to educate our students in the most developmentally appropriate manner.
We know have classrooms that are very student oriented. The students choose the activities and materials they will work with. The teachers work with individual children when the children are ready. The teachers are the facilitators of learning. Somewhat like the gardener and the plants. Gramlings declarations prompted me to revisit what the students needs are, how they learn, and how effective a classroom could be.

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