Looping

The makeup of a class is so important. Classroom management and engagement have so much to do with how students respond to school daily, but the makeup of the class needs to be there. I saw it last year with the combination of students I had. Sometimes, they don't mix properly. One of the main reasons for looping with students is to be able to have more progress and acheivement from the students. In 'The Looping Handbook', Daniel Burke states, 'research on school efectiveness has consistently suggested that long-term teacher/student relationships improve both student performance and job satisfaction for teachers.'. When you don't have to worry about the first six weeks of school and routines and procedures (as much as with a brand new group of students), you can get to learning almost immediately. After the year began, room 304 was at 23 students. The maximum roster size in Rhode Island is 26 students. A few weeks of the school year went by and we quickly realiz...

I love a good bargain and I love films. Once my first love, I always enjoyed viewing new films. I had gotten a membership to Showcase Cinema's Film Club and it entitled me to two tickets for two films every month. When I went looking for films to go see in North Attleboro or Providence (two closest locations in which I didn't have to go over a broken bridge), I noticed a documentary film premiering in Providence called 'Secret Mall Apartment'. When I looked up information about the film, it stated, 'In 2003, eight Rhode Islanders created a secret apartment inside a busy mall and lived there for four years, filming everything along the way. Far more than a prank, the secret apartment became a deeply meaningful place for all involved.' Having lived in New England (mostly Rhode Island) since 1996, I remember hearing about this story and just had to go to see it. I clicked on two tickets for one of the opening night showings, in said mall (Providence Place) with a Q...