Re: Looping

[jimjceleb@aol.com]

I came from a school which implemented looping across the board fro grades 7 and 8. With two teams at each grade level we were able to voercome a major possible objection in offering to switch a child's team after the first year. This was a wonderful experience. I think we only moved three students in the seven years I was there. Tioes withn the teams were extremely strong. Staff students and teachers really devleoiped close and strong relationships. September became a true teaching and learning month as opposed to review and rules. Almost every team assigned a summer project which provided the impetus for the beginning of the year. Usually these summer projects were social studies related. As to materials and sharing, we had no real issues. Most of the school materials were shared with no difficulty. Many of the supplementary materials were provided by the school. There were times that some of the privately owned materials were shared, but only if there was a strong relationship between the two teachers. The rooms did not change and everyone was satisfied that it added stability for kids to stay in the same areas. As to a new curriculum, this seemed to be a paper tiger that we exaggerated when looping was first proposed. There was a lot of support for those teaching new curriculums, but frankly most of the curricula were developed by teams of these teachers across grade levels. These teachers talked frequently and ironed out any problems. It worked alot smoother than we thought it would. After the original loop it got even strogner as confidence grew and fmailiarity with the curriculum grew. There tended to be more team planning of activities and integrated units became much more common because they knew each other well and they knew what to expect from the kdis and the parents.
One year on the last day of school I ended up in the eighth grade hallway. I was astounded to see the tears, hugs, and general sharing of grief as they parted with each other and their teaches. Yes, we were in a good situation, but in my thrity years I had never seen anything resembling this celebration where the teachers could not get the students to leave.
Change is always hard. Know there will lots of bumps, but keep the goal in sight and you will be happier.
Jim Johnston


-----Original Message-----
From: shighley@aol.com
To: middle-lit@interversity.org
Sent: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 2:05 pm
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] Looping


Cari:?
Our school plans to loop. The teachers with the most concerns appear to be the science and social studies teachers, who have to learn a totally different curriculum. For instance, a social studies teacher who taught US History in 8th grade for 30 years now has eastern hemisphere.?
?
Our teachers are staying in the same rooms, but the question has arisen about sharing materials. I know that I have purchased hundreds of dollars of materials with my own money, and just passing it on to someone else, or spending quite a bit more money on a different grade are not something I relish.?
?
With teacher effectiveness so important to student achievement, it's sometimes stressful to develop a totally new curriculum.?
?
Susie Highley?
?
?
-----Original Message-----?
From: Cari Spitz Ashford <minnashford@yahoo.com>?
To: middle-lit@interversity.org?
Sent: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 1:52 pm?
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] Looping?
?
?
I looped at a 7/8 middle school and LOVED IT. But also, the classes were?
combined 7th & 8th graders as well. So I had half new kids each year. It was?
great to have the 8th graders as models for the 7th graders. The curriculum?
involved an A & B year. I especially liked the looping because it was so great?
to see the growth that kids made. You knew what they learned the previous year,?
so you knew what to expect from them, and it really helped with building?
relationships and a solid team identity.?
?
Take Care,?
Cari Ashford?
Minnesota?
www.undomestic.blogspot.com?
?
?
----- Original Message ----?
From: Maribeth Padula <marib_5040@yahoo.com>?
To: middle-lit@interversity.org?
Sent: Monday, February 4, 2008 10:30:40 AM?
Subject: [middle-lit] Looping?
?
I teach 7th grade in a small, rural school. There is?
one teacher, per subject at each grade level in our?
6th-8th middle school. The administration has been?
throwing around the idea of looping at grades 7 and 8?
only, and most likely for just ELA and one other?
subject. Just wondering if anyone out there has any?
experience with looping? What do you see as positives?
and negatives? What grade levels do you loop with??
What subjects loop? What do the kids think of looping??
Do you switch classrooms every other year when you?
loop? Do you use the other teacher's materials when?
you switch to a new grade level and loop? Why did?
your district decide to loop? Any feedback (positive?
or negative) would be greatly appreciated. Thank?
you, Maribeth?
?
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