Comments for From the Desk of Mr. Foteah

Comment on Tweeting from the Twitterverse, Blogging from the Blogosphere by Http://Www.Basketballwivesseason5.Com/

Http://Www.Basketballwivesseason5.Com/ — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:07:02 +0000

First of all I would like to say superb blog!
I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
I was interested to find out how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
I have had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting
my thoughts out. I truly do take pleasure in writing but it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually wasted simply just trying to figure out how to begin.
Any recommendations or hints? Thank you!

Comment on It’s Okay to Be Disgusted by Kathy

Kathy — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:26:30 +0000

I’m disgusted! You are absolutely right! I’ve had a similar experience with a Special Education student I worked with having to take the same standardized test as everyone else in his grade and age level. Why?

Comment on It’s Okay to Be Disgusted by Gail

Gail — Mon, 06 May 2013 23:55:11 +0000

What a bunch of jerks, this is really a horror story. Even though NY has alternate assessments for children who qualify, I remember the discussions about assessing the children with the most severe disabilities, children like Michael. Of course though the debate raged on, when I was working these children were subjected to the AA bs but standardized tests, outrageous!

Comment on Fraction Fun: Two Ways to Introduce Fractions by Math | Unit 7: Finding Fair Shares

Math | Unit 7: Finding Fair Shares — Wed, 01 May 2013 01:34:10 +0000

[...] From the Desk of Mr. Foteah: Fraction Fun [...]

Comment on A Question on Testing: What’s the Point? by lsurrett2

lsurrett2 — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:41:43 +0000

What the testing, legislators or lobbyists do not keep in mind when they throw together the policies for evaluating student knowledge is THE OTHER FACTORS. They do not consider hormones or brain development, they don’t fathom a student’s capacity (or diminishing capacity) for patience. For God’s sake, they must assume (pun intended) students are machines or sponges who get their 3 meals, have decent guardians, never experience bullying or drama or stress.

I’d love to recommend that everyone–teacher, administrator, legislator, lobbyist, etc.–read “Brave New World” and see the potential problems for considering our students to be the equivalent of obedient, disciplined, brain-washed automatons. It never works.

Comment on Come Together by Remainders: New scrutiny for collective “value-added” ratings | GothamSchools

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:25:43 +0000

[...] A teacher gives a final review to the inclusive play that he staged with his students. (Mr. Foteah) [...]

Comment on Come Together by Gail

Gail — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:28:50 +0000

Matthew, The students accomplished everything that you described and more. You gave them an opportunity to shine,and they did. Their proud and happy faces were .a reward to all of us who watched them perform. As always, you believe in your students and they know it. You build their self esteem and give them opportunities to succeed. I hope that your colleagues in the audience reach out to their colleagues who teach children with disabilites to collaborate and emulate what they witnessed today. Congratulations to you,and the other teachers and paraprofessionals who supported all the wonderful stars in the play.

As an aside, please keep blogging and sharing your ideas. Your followers want to hear what you have to say!

Comment on Differentiation: Not as Bad as You Think (Trust Me) by Rose

Rose — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 23:36:15 +0000

Is there any chance you have a copy of your lesson plan for this?!

Comment on A Math Tip Worth Trying by A Math Tip Worth Trying | From the Desk of Mr. Foteah | Mathematics in Secondary Schools | Scoop.it

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:57:06 +0000

[...] Charts like these help students talk and write about math. I seldom share practical tips on this blog, but I was introduced to something that I think can help a lot of people. A couple of weeks ago, a colleague shared that she … [...]

Comment on Don’t Fail Kids With First Impressions by Anne Kelly

Anne Kelly — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 02:50:55 +0000

I think this happens with everyone. I’m not a teacher, and I don’t work with kids. Supposedly I work with adults, but with everyone I meet, I quickly get an idea of their capability and how helpful they will be to our joined cause. Sadly, I don’t expect my judgement is very accurate, and so it’s important to keep an open mind and make an effort to recognize when the person actually does well.