The Flu Lesson Plan

Mrs Neu wrote this leasson plan for a sub when she was out with the flu . . . it's a sneak peak into how a day at Fairfield in her classroom might go.

“Lesson Plan for a Tuesday

First graders (15) come to the rug for general meeting…Give strips of lined paper for spelling test, all go to desks Write name on the first line, date, next line, spelling third line…Number to 20. Give the first twenty words on the attached word list. (Put up stamp books, no talking, no helping….When done, put tests in my white work box on cubbies. All jog around black top 3 times. Return to the rug.

Except for Matthew, Ethan, Adin, Antonia, Students my choose to do SRA kit stories(Kit is on top of white paper cube where the paper goes.) work in their Practice book, or math book. Assign parent to see that all are working, to read directions, etc.

You take four listed students(if extra parent, give Antonia for one on one.)
Do the assignments of the following page titled Special Four.

Work until 10:00 when students go to Library—be sure they have time for a snack after library and before joining the whole class.
K’s come in at 10:15 everyone visits K’s stay in room. Bell at 10:30 all come to the rug to get the job assignments (See attached.)
At 11:50 kindergarteners go to library——first graders must finish up work and then can have free time.
Gather all to run when Ks return from library. Depending on time you have, read a story, get ready for lunch. Find out where they are eating, squirt hands before they go, excuse one at a time at NOON.

12:45 Gather on the rug….share according to list in back of the room. Give jobs, send to desks. (see attached)
!:45 send to science.

Have come to desks at the end to be sure all are back….put up chairs, clean up. Read story if time. @:2:30 go home.”

Crying Over Standardized Tests

Mrs Neu was not a fan of standardized tests. This was especially true when it came to testing younger children whose brains may not be yet fully wired to make all the connections needed to succeed in taking what they'd been taught by a teacher and answering a standardized question on the test. 

She once wrote:

“A teacher cried today. She stepped out of her classroom where her third graders had their heads bent over the State’s standardized test and tried to compose herself. She saw me and shook her head. “I tried so hard, I did everything I could to prepare them” she said. “But they are just not making the connections, they are just not ready to do this. It’s cruel to keep on with it every day—seven and half-hours of testing in a week? I can’t stand it.” A new teacher? One of those withoutcredentials? No, one of the best teachers in the state. This teacher has years of experience and has advanced training in reading and math. She works long hours to meet the educational needs of her diverse group. She does everything possible to help herstudents learn.I guess she will have to be fired (if she doesn’t quit in despair) because her test scores will be down. Her students don’t have the development and maturity to pull together what they have been taught. They haven’t yet made the connections to learn what is needed to get high scores on the test. They will be failures even though they have made much progress.I cry too.”