I am an early childhood special education teacher with a supervisor who loves to micromanage. Last year we were told to submit activities to be put into a book organized by theme...not many details were given. This year we were given the books a few days before school started and told that those activities were ALL that we could teach - NOTHING else! A few kind souls aligned the activities to some of our creative curriculum objectives, but lots of objectives are missing. How am I supposed to show progress for objectives that we are unable to teach?

What had happened was that very few teachers submitted activities. In a rush, many activities were pulled from Mailbox magazine in order to provide enough activities to last the 2-3 weeks we're teaching a theme. Mailbox provides some great activities, but ones that are not always appropriate for the majority of our ECSE classrooms. My classroom which was previously rich in literacy, is now lacking because if the book we want to read isn't mentioned in our guide, then we can NOT read it. My program also now lacks in social/emotional skills - the same ones NEEDED for success in kindergarten! The progress that my kiddos made last year with the Handwriting Without Tears program is gone because I'm not allowed to teach it unless a child has an IEP which specifically outlines it! My kiddos can not write their names! In fact, when asked how we are supposed to be teaching handwriting...we are told that as preschool teachers, we are to expose the kids, but not actually TEACH them these skills.

What are we doing? Lots of stupid worksheets that are not developmentally appropriate!!! I fear next year's backlash when I have parents and kindergarten teachers on my back because these kids have no established skills. Come to think of it, I may not be here next year to find out.

[ballmom42]

As teachers, we know what is best for our students. However, we are mandated to follow guidelines and programs, that may or may not work best for some students. Our creativity gets stifled by sticking to such rigid guidelines and schedules. You only have time to teach what they say, the way they say it, and there is no time left to enrich. We are rushing our kids through each year. Sometimes it is just too much, too fast. We are taking all of the fun out of school. It's like students have a full time job, with a 30 minute lunch break!

I hope I didn't hijack your post, but I think we are on the same wavelength!

This sounds like ITI, HET, or whatever they want to call it.

Your principal seems to be trying to adopt a school model without much training or understanding. This is what happens when people get drunk on trips to seminars.

Here you go - pay lip service to this assinine book and then close the door and teach your way. Your scores will be the best and then you will be justified.

[uoducks]

anonymously tip off the newspaper/entire parent community exactly what's happened. Once someone from the outside starts sniffing around and bringing things to light it's amazing how fast change can come.