The Standards Based System

I haven’t blogged lately, for a variety of reasons, but the #1 being that I have been super busy. I have recently taken on two more students in Math. I did this because I can. As it turns out, I am better at teaching Math than one could ever have imagined, and it takes some of the load off of Jessie (the elementary school teacher). One student is in level 5, and the other is in level 6. The horrible part is: I have had zero training in the curriculum materials I am supposed to use, so there has been a huge learning curve, and a lot of trial and error.

The Lake and Peninsula School District uses the Standards Based System. I am responsible for planning, teaching, assessing, and based on assessment results; re-teach those students who do not master the content. A Standards Based Curriculum classroom is very different from traditional classrooms. Each student works, at his/her own pace, to meet each standard. For example, in Reading, I have an eighth-grader working in level 5, and a sixth-grader working in level 8. There are specific standards for each content area: Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The students also have to pass standards in the “soft subjects.” Those subjects are: Technology, Cultural Awareness, and Employability. The level required for graduation varies by subject. It is all very exhausting. At times, it may be overwhelming, but I am a fast learner, and am doing very well with the situation. (My state mentor told me all this in my formal review, and added that I have already figured out some things that bush teachers never figure out.)



My classroom is run basically little red school house style. I employ a repertoire of methods, use a huge variety of materials, and divide the class into groups for appropriate learning activities. Unfortunately, in Math this is impossible, so I teach four different levels. These days, I teach anywhere from two to seven students at a time [depending on the subject]. There are now only nine students in the entire Dena’ina School. We have had three leave since the beginning of the school year. One student left because her baby is perpetually sick, and it was better for her to live in Anchorage where there are doctors on call. Another student left for life in the Lower 48. And last, but certainly not least, I had a student whose parents decided “homeschooling is the best option for their child.”

On a more positive note, there is a ton of money in this district because the kids are predominantly Alaskan Native (We get money from the state, and from the Village Corporation), so I have a plethora of awesome teaching resources available for use.

The Standards Based System is really an ideal teaching and learning situation, I feel. I am definitely learning oodles professionally and personally. I will definitely come out of this school year being a much stronger and brighter person. Everything about my Alaskan Odyssey consistently amazing, and I am happy.