Doing it Their Way

I am starting this blog to chronicle my adventures is teaching Kindergarten using "Math Their Way" and the Baratta-Lorton reading program affectionately known as "Dekodiphukan" (Decode If You Can) as well as the principles of Whole Brain Teaching. While WBT is an educational reform movement that seems to be growing all the time, the ideas and methodology pioneered by Mary and Bob Baratta-Lorton in the seventies and eighties are a bit lesser-known to today's teachers.

I have challenged myself to implement elements of both programs into my classroom this year.

Here's a quick rundown of my teaching history:

• I began teaching Kindergarten at a small private school in Northern California in 2001. I taught there for seven years but then decided I wanted to shake up my life (mid-30's, still single, yadda-yadda) so,
• I moved to Southern California and began teaching high school at a small, private school. I did this for four years (with a year off to get married and become a step-mom to 3 great kids - see, the move worked!) and then,
• I applied to and was hired to teach Kindergarten at a small, private school in Southern Cal. I just missed  the Kinders too much! 

So, I've had 11 years of experience in the classroom and many more years of foundational experiences since both of my parents were teachers.

However, as any good teacher worth his/her salt will tell you: we NEVER stop learning! We are always growing, improving, reevaluating and "tweaking". We want to find the style that works best for us, the methodologies that are developmentally appropriate and effective and the great ideas that stand the test of time. 

That's why I am so excited to be deliberately and purposefully working to incorporate the ideas and methods of WBT and Baratta-Lorton into my classroom this year. Over the next few weeks (and even after my school starts on the 20th) I plan to post descriptions of the programs and how I have been preparing my classroom to use them. Then, after school starts, I will post my experiences (both successes and failures) with implementing them in my classroom.

My overall goal is to make the challenging (and common-core based curriculum) accessible to my students and to help them to learn their way (not mine or the textbook company's). I truly believe that both of these programs will allow me to do that.

I invite you to join me on this journey!