Mrs. R's Challenging Perspective

Right now, I use technology in my classroom as a information source, a communication tool, and production tool. It benefits my gifted students because I have a "must complete portion" - these are for everyone. I also have an "extras" portion - these are extra videos to watch or games to play that are content based and intended to be for my gifted and talented students, who will finish the "must complete" portion quickly. It keeps my gifted students engaged and on topic, while getting to experience some different experience. Sometimes, I will have my other students ask if they can watch the videos or play the games at home, which I encourage because I want them to be excited about learning. I know that I could make this more challenging for my gifted and talented students, and I plan on continuing to work towards that. I want to be better about using Technology as a Interactive Learning Tool. A lot of these things came about over the past 12 years while I ...

I recently read a blog - https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/grecian-urn-lesson/. It described how sometimes our beautiful projects and assignments can be a "Grecian Urn." We can sometimes find ourselves focusing some much on the "thing" or product that the students are creating, that we forget to focus on what we are wanting them to learn from it. I think this blog is a very effective tool to remind us to look at the big picture of a project. What is goal the product? How is this helping them learn? What are we wanting it to show us that they have learned? After reading this blog, it had me re-evaluate, tweak, and add to a project that was given to me to use in my 3rd/4th grade IMA class! Now when I am planning, I say to myself, "is this a Grecian Urn?" when deciding what and how to access my students. Projects can produce beautiful work...but was it worth the time and effort that went in to it? Did they learn the standards that we were addressing?...or did t...

We've been learning about different types of teaching strategies, assessments, and products in the EDU592 class that I'm taking right now. This has really gotten me thinking...here are some of my random trains of thought. Bare with me, my train likes to jump from track to track, lol. Unfortunately in the district that I teach in, some of our assessments (tests) are created at a district level and we are required to use them. However, we don't neccessarily have to put them all in the gradebook. While I see the importance of seeing where each student is in their mastering of concepts, this can really inhibit teachers creativity in create authentic types of assessment. I have begun to think on my own teaching and what that will look like next year, as I venture back into the classroom fulltime. I think I am going focus on my personal teaching strategies this coming year, while I get my footing in the 1st grade standards and such, before building in different types of asses...

Well, I have some exciting news to share!...I've accepted a 1st grade teaching position at Bethel Elementary School! I am so incredibly excited to be going back into my OWN classroom, full-time! It's been a while. With that being said, I'm now faced with a new delema in my current EDU592 class: do I look at things from the IMA class that I am currently working in or do I look at things from my future 1st grade class? hmmm. Well, one thing I do know for sure is that my previous EDU 591 course and this current course have definitely given me a lot to think about, in terms of how I want to structure my classroom next year. I think that I actually have it easier than some of my current classmates. I haven't taught 1st grade before, so I'm not have to "do things differently than I have before," in that regard. I can really use my gifted and talented lense to look through as I begin to make my future 1st grade plans! I think I took these classes at the exact per...

In my class this week, we had the question posed: "How can you better meet the needs of your GT students, especially those from low-income and minority backgrounds?" This is so hard! We can't control what happens once they leave the school building, but we can control what we do and how we reach them. Here's my response...what's yours? "Students with low-income and minority backgrounds often have some gaps in their learning, at no fault of their own. "For students who come from backgrounds of poverty, the role of individuals who take a special interest is central to helping them keep their dream of a better life alive. Sometimes it is a family member, but many times it is also an educator who sees a spark and encourages its ignition." (VanTassel-Baska & Little, 2017, pg 52-53) With this being said, our role as the teacher is even more important for these students! We need to see that "spark" and try to find ways to help them light it ...

My name is Mrs. Rutherford (the kids call me Mrs. R) and I am certified in Middle School Math & Science, Elementary Education, and Early Childhood Education. My perspective is a little challenging right now because I do not currently have my own class of students. So let me explain... I taught 6th grade math and science for 4 years at Beck Academy Middle School before deciding to stay home full-time with my own 2 children (which was 12 years ago.) During my time at Beck, I actually taught the "G&T half team" for 3 of those 4 years, without any actual background or training in gifted and talented education. Over the past 12 years, I've been very busy and haven't really stayed out of the classroom completely. I taught both 3K and 4K at a private preschool, each for a year. Then I began my long-term sub journey, where I've now taught 4th grade, kindergarten (twice), 3rd grade, RTI, Special Education, and I will begin in multiage (combined 3rd & 4th gra...