Comments on: “I Made My Agreement With Mr. Ferlazzo And Kept It…” http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/17/i-made-my-agreement-with-mr-ferlazzo-and-kept-it/ ...For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:45:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sandra Adkins http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/17/i-made-my-agreement-with-mr-ferlazzo-and-kept-it/comment-page-1/#comment-6615 Sandra Adkins Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:29:17 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5815#comment-6615 Larry, I totally agree with you! I am an adult education teacher (teaching mostly younger GED students) and each student is unique. I have to develop a relationship with each to find out how to motive them to continue. One student in particular has some challenges to concentrating for long periods - so our agreement 20 minutes of dedicated work and a 5 minute break then repeat. He gets more work accomplished in a day this way. Keep up the good work! Sandra Larry,

I totally agree with you! I am an adult education teacher (teaching mostly younger GED students) and each student is unique. I have to develop a relationship with each to find out how to motive them to continue. One student in particular has some challenges to concentrating for long periods – so our agreement 20 minutes of dedicated work and a 5 minute break then repeat. He gets more work accomplished in a day this way.

Keep up the good work!
Sandra

]]> By: Roselink http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/17/i-made-my-agreement-with-mr-ferlazzo-and-kept-it/comment-page-1/#comment-6598 Roselink Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:28:27 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5815#comment-6598 Wow, dear Larry, this is IT! I agree completely with the way you dealt with the issue. In Spain teachers are told that it is very important to start working from students level and capacities, to set clear and achievable goals, evaluation criteria, and the like. Unfortunately very few do it as a common teaching practice and that's a shame. As for the merit pay issue, it's been discussed here too. I'm sick of teachers who just comment on their students poor achievements "they won't study, they don't pay attention, they misbehave, they don't focus, etc". I'm not the one to reply (that's left for the educational authorities) but if I could I would say: "What have you done to change that misbehaviour or lack of attention, or whatever? Have you tried anything different? Have you looked into the students' personal and academic records? Have you talked to the school counselor? Have you even thought about it?" I think that you are doing some really wonderful work with your sts in Sacramento and they know, sure they do. Congrats. Wow, dear Larry, this is IT! I agree completely with the way you dealt with the issue. In Spain teachers are told that it is very important to start working from students level and capacities, to set clear and achievable goals, evaluation criteria, and the like. Unfortunately very few do it as a common teaching practice and that’s a shame.
As for the merit pay issue, it’s been discussed here too. I’m sick of teachers who just comment on their students poor achievements “they won’t study, they don’t pay attention, they misbehave, they don’t focus, etc”.
I’m not the one to reply (that’s left for the educational authorities) but if I could I would say: “What have you done to change that misbehaviour or lack of attention, or whatever? Have you tried anything different? Have you looked into the students’ personal and academic records? Have you talked to the school counselor? Have you even thought about it?”
I think that you are doing some really wonderful work with your sts in Sacramento and they know, sure they do.
Congrats.

]]> By: Mitchell Jorgensen http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/10/17/i-made-my-agreement-with-mr-ferlazzo-and-kept-it/comment-page-1/#comment-6592 Mitchell Jorgensen Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:18:47 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=5815#comment-6592 The key to this whole post is in the phrase: "(including the fact I had developed a solid relationship with him)" I find it ironic that you consider this parenthetical. It seems that all the real successes I had as a teacher and have know as a teacher trainer stem from forming real relationships with people. It sounds so trite, but is so true that people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care. These kind of 'deals' and the individual attention are what make the individuals in our classes successful. So, how do we give merit pay for that? The key to this whole post is in the phrase: “(including the fact I had developed a solid relationship with him)” I find it ironic that you consider this parenthetical. It seems that all the real successes I had as a teacher and have know as a teacher trainer stem from forming real relationships with people. It sounds so trite, but is so true that people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

These kind of ‘deals’ and the individual attention are what make the individuals in our classes successful. So, how do we give merit pay for that?

]]>