Required Reading

I cannot recommend strongly enough this new, powerful book by Ta-Nehisi Coates:

It is my hope that you have and will develop commitments to working to close the "opportunity gap". This requires that you have some social justice sensibilities and a disposition to embrace diversity in your work as practitioner. Strong empathy begins with knowledge of others' experience: you cannot feel what you do not know.  Any effective elementary teacher is disposed to not only see things from children's point of view, but to feel it. What children bring to school includes their cultural history, even though they cannot articulate it (can you articulate your own?). It is your professional and moral obligation know about school, society, history and your students' cultural inheritance.  I hope you can join Coates when he says:  "When the final tally comes up, I would like to say I was on the side of the people who were trying to not live in a world with subjugation."  As a teacher you have special opportunity to actually do things to be on that side of you commit yourself to being on that side.

Read an excerpt from the book here>>>

Check out this interview with the author:

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Pluto

PLC Question

Heather,

A good rule of thumb is to start with the district schedule. The SPED 801 instructor has traditionally allowed students to leave early on the few days there are PLCs. But one should always be respectful, not presumptuous or demanding,  and ask her if this is possible. Remember, UNL coursework always is the priority in the fall. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the dedicated time for being at the school site and PLCs are strongly encouraged when possible since they are opportunities to see collegiality in action.

SAS

Sent by Outlook for Android

On Sat, Jul 11, 2015 at 8:56 AM -0700, "Heather" <heatherrichey@hotmail.com> wrote:
Good morning Dr. Swidler, I have noticed that on the schedule I received from my CT the scheduled time for PLCs at Elliott is 1:50 PM on Tuesdays.  I notice that the time listed on the MAet calendar is 2:30 PM on Tuesdays.  In talking with other cohort members it seems as though they are also on early dismal schedules of 1:50 PM on Tuesdays.  With the difference in time I'm wondering how this will impact the cohort's Special Education course on Tuesday afternoons.   Kind regards, Heather Richeyheatherrichey@Hotmail.com

U...S...A!

I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe
     and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off
     work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the
     deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing
     as he stands,
The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the
     morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at
     work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young
     fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

Advising Meeting

Please sign up for an advising meeting this fall here.