How will Wednesday early dismissals impact you?

As you have probably heard by now, Wake County Public Schools have decided to release students one hour early each Wednesday to provide teachers with time for collaboration during the school day.

For teachers, logistically, this could be a terrific help. It gives them the time to really focus and share ideas in professional learning teams during the school day. Teachers can share best practices, standardize departmental grading practices, develop new ideas, determine focus areas, etc.

The county knows that this time will be scrutinized by the public so they are emphasizing to all principals the importance of making sure ALL teachers utilize this time. Since teachers seem to have fewer and fewer work days and have less and less time to collaborate with colleagues, this helps solve that problem. Let's not forget the unused furlough time that must ONLY be used during non-school hours (unprotected work days).

But what is the price to the parents in the community? What about daycare issues? What about the extra hour kids have - will they utilize it productively or is it one more hour that kids are at risk?

I'm interested to see how this plays out and, of course, I'm interested to hear your opinion. Good luck to you all this school year!

What are your thoughts on Wake County Public Schools' student reassignment and diversity initiatives?

This seems to be the most touchy subject in the Wake County area these days. So I'm interested to hear what others think about it. It's difficult for me because I used to teach in a near 100% free and reduced lunch environment in Washington DC. I always thought, if we could just bring some of those kids to a school that had resources and also a diverse population (racially and socioeconomically), it could make a world of difference.

On the other hand, I don't know how I would feel if one of my daughters was assigned to a school miles away (especially if there is another school closer) simply because there is a need to achieve a pre-determined school demographic percentage.

I do believe there is a benefit to those in lower socioeconomic areas (and I wish there was a conclusive study one way or the other) but also believe that families impacted by diversity initiatives sometimes pay too high a price for this.

What are your thoughts? (I understand this is an emotionally charged issue for some....)

Planning ahead - Scheduling in High School

As most of you know, I teach at a high school (in addition to helping run Waketutors.com).
Just an observation, it seems as if there are a LOT of parents requesting schedule changes early in the school year and a LOT of parents and students who have been very disappointed in either the classes they got or the fact that can't switch into classes now.

This obviously is more important and relevant to high school than elementary or middle, but it got me thinking.

We plan our finances and budgets. We plan our schedules to the hour. We plan what we are going to wear from day to day. We plan our meals and our shopping lists. We are a society of planners and we constantly change and update those plans.

But, are we doing the same when thinking about the path our children are taking towards graduation? Interests change, expectations change, and most importantly, our children change. Do you have a long term plan in mind for graduation? And if so, do you constantly evaluate this plan? Have you talked to your school counselor recently to plan ahead instead of trying to fix a current problem?

If the answer is "no" to any of these questions, I think it may be important to add educational planning to our plethora of planning lists. Here are some important questions to ask:

1. What are our expectations after graduation? (Re-assess these expectations constantly)
2. Does our current schedule match those expectations?
3. Is our current schedule reasonable?
4. Is it challenging enough or too challenging?
5. If my student is going to college, have I truly looked at admissions requirements for the colleges I want to get into?
6. Does my class and extra-curricular schedule put me on track to be at the top end of the admissions profile of my desired schools?

This list of questions is in no way a comprehensive list. It is simply something that may help as you plan out an educational map.

Just a few thoughts that popped in my head as thought about the frustration I saw from parents and students this past week....it's a frustration that is understandable (especially when class sizes are so big and schedule changes aren't as accommodating as hoped and/or you have a challenging teacher) but sometimes that frustration can be avoided by planning ahead.

School Just Around The Corner - Where's the break?

Seems like only yesterday I was celebrating the last day of school and a much needed summer break (emphasis on the word "break").

Already, year-round schools have been in session a week, back-to-school sales litter the newspaper, and I've been going to school preparing for next year as co-department chair of the special programs department.

Where was the "break"? :-)

One of the reasons we started the tutoring service (http://www.waketutors.com) was to make supplemental educational support more convenient and affordable for parents. As I prepare for the upcoming school year, it amazes me just how much we ask of our children (in and out of school).

Teachers also must shoulder a huge load to make sure that they are prepared to provide quality instruction to every student that will enter their classroom. Here at my high school, 90 minutes of instruction is provided per period so if a teacher has a "bad day" or if a student is absent in mind, body, or spirit, one day, the consequences can be very high.

This preparation starts in the summer and throughout the school year.

For parents, students, and teachers alike, there never seems to be that "break" that everyone needs.....just a temporary lull in the eye of the storm.

Helpful Summer Tips To Keep Skills Sharp!

Summer is a time for fun--a time to take a break and slow down. It's also a time when children can lose valuable academic skills that they have built up throughout the school year. Duke University researchers conducted a review of studies that show that students' achievement score do indeed decline between spring and fall, and that this loss of skills is greater for math than it is in reading.

The good news is that there are steps that families can take to limit the loss of skills their children experience over the summer, while still having fun! You can also get help with this through the use of a teacher or tutor. Consider these ideas when thinking about how you'll encourage your child to learn this summer:

• Find teaching opportunities in everyday life. Reinforce math concepts by cooking with your child, building a birdhouse, or setting up a lemonade stand. Watch the news or read the newspaper together and discuss current events. Summer is a great time to encourage reading! Allow your child to find reading material that complements his interests: wildlife or sports magazines, mystery novels, comics and graphic novels are all great ways to foster a love of literacy. Develop writing skills by writing letters to family members or encouraging your child to keep a journal.
• Take educational field trips/vacations. Trying to plan a fun family get away? Consider adding an educational stop to your itinerary. Museums, aquariums, and zoos can be a fun and often inexpensive addition to a child's summer learning experience.
  Visit the library. Public libraries have all kinds of summer programs planned. In addition, many public school libraries are open for limited hours during the summer (check with your child's school).
• Take time to reinforce skills they've struggled with. Summer is a great time for reflection. Reflect on the past school year with your child and identify areas for improvement. Use the summer as an opportunity to build up those skills. Find a teacher or tutor in the area who can help you identify best ways to improve these areas over the summer.
• Take time to get ahead/Use a tutor to reinforce skills needed. Summer is also a great time to prepare for the upcoming school year. Find out what skills your child will need for the next school year. For instance, if your student is in North Carolina, check out this Parent Resources page for links to NC Standard Course of Study and objectives for specific subjects by grade level) and work on those skills. The best way to keep specific skills sharp is to find a tutor that you feel can consistently reinforce these skills. Most parents make the mistake of only pursuing a tutor when the student is already struggling during the school year. Finding a highly qualified tutor in preparation for the school year will ensure success for the upcoming year and beyond.
• Keep it fun! After all, it is summer. Your kids most likely don't want to sit and do worksheets or review flashcards any more than you do. They want to go swimming, ride their bikes, and play baseball--and they should! Physical activity is important for developing well-rounded kids. It contributes to their overall health as well as their ability to focus.

Setting your student up for educational success is a year long activity, not just something reserved for the ten months of the school year. However, learning over the summer does not have to be something that is stressful or laborious. Make learning a part of everyday life and relate it to the most enjoyable aspects of your child's life. Enlist the help of a tutor who can make learning fun in a one-on-one interactive environment. This ensures a consistent educational enrichment and prevents the loss of skills that were hard earned the previous school year.

Helpful Hints for Preparing for NC EOGs and EOCs

Helpful Hints for Preparing for EOGs and EOCs
As your student starts to prepare for his or her EOG or EOC, it's important to keep a few helpful tips in mind. There are also links to additional resources on our Parent Resources page on our site (http://www.waketutors.com/) .

1. Ask your teacher for any additional preparation materials. The county gives teachers a lot of resources. These can range from separate books, to access to computer programs, to website material. However, it is often difficult for teachers to give out or recommend resources to their entire class. Ask the teacher what he/she would recommend specifically for your child to prepare for the EOG or EOC.

2. Focus on areas of need. The department of public instruction offers MANY resources pretaining to EOGs and EOCs. At this point, you should go over all the topics that will be covered and determine areas of weakness. Use the sample material provided to go over that material each and every day!

3. Use a tutor for consistent support! Obviously, WakeTutors.com provides incredible tutors who can help prepare your student for upcoming tests and quizzes (including EOGs and EOCs). However, tutors are MOST effective if they can support your student on a consistent basis. One area of weakness can spread like a virus when learning curriculum as each topic builds upon a previous topic. For instance, if I am weak in multiplication, I would most likely be weak in division. If I'm weak in division, I would most likely struggle with fractions. The impact of one area of weakness can be catastrophic.

4. For math EOGs, make sure you are very familiar with the calculators you are permitted to use. Did you know that some of the calculators you use (like TI-81s and TI-83s) can actually be used to solve algebraic equations? Obviously, it's most important to understand the material but the calculators can be used to confirm your answers. The calculator is one of the most underused yet most valuable resources to use on a standardized test.

5. Plan early! If you can, make sure that you give your student plenty of time to review. Cramming an entire semester in a couple days or weeks will just create more anxiety, more panic, and most likely, confusion about the material. Your tutor can help you set a long term plan for success.

If you have any questions about upcoming EOGs or EOCs, please let us know if there is anything we can do to help, even if it is just for advice. Our tutors are incredible resources and can provide long and short term support to make life much easier for yourself and your student. We are here to help!

WakeTutors.com allows you to choose a carefully selected, pre-screened tutor right on our website. If you need a Raleigh tutor or need to find a tutor in Raleigh or it's surrounding area, please go to WakeTutors.com.

Welcome to the WakeTutors.com Community Blog!

I am truly excited about the ability to start the WakeTutors.com educational community. After taking a couple years off from teaching, I wanted to create a community of educators and parents that can share their experiences, concerns, and best practices for making Wake County public school students successful. This blog is intended for any independently contracted tutor of WakeTutors.com or parents in Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Durham, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Clayton, Knightdale, Holly Springs, Garner, or any other Triangle-area city.

This blog is not intended to discuss Waketutors.com business matters. Any comments or questions about business matters should be directed to that website (www.waketutors.com) or to me personally. However, as a parent, if there is something you want to discuss related to effective tutoring methods (i.e. something a tutor did in a tutoring session that was effective for your child), feel free to post that if you feel it will be helpful to parents and other tutors! A math tutor may post a creative method for teaching multiplication facts (which you can also post to articles on the website). Do you have information you want to provide about school assignments? Do you want to discuss possible ways to improve communication with your child's teacher? This is your forum! Feel free to post comments and feedback to what others say as well.

We do want to keep discussions on how to improve the educational experiences of the children in our community in a positive and supportive tone.

Thanks for being a part of our community!