Good idea, I have made the following Wiki items. I put them under Tools Of The Trade because there wasn't really a good section. Feel free to move them or create a new "Teaching Letterboxing" section.

13. Letterboxing 101 class outline
14. Letterboxing 101 outline answers & tips
15. Letterboxing 101 Logistics
16. Letterboxing 101 in school sample clues
17. Letterboxing 101 Take Home Handout
18. Letterboxing 201 handout
19. Letterboxing 101 Exchange DIY instructions

I should probably post this on another board, but I'm not sure which one.

I've been teaching 3rd grade for 16 years and have just been offered the gifted and talented position. I am trying to weigh my pros and cons and wanted to know if anyone else has made the a change like this.
I can see both sides, would love to be away from 'teaching to the test' etc., and would love to try something new; but budget cuts always loom on the horizon. The position could be cut and then I may get moved to a grade that is not as fun as my current one.
I love the classroom community, but I also have never been so burnt out from the way things are being taught nowadays.....
Any thoughts would be appreciated as I make my list. Thanks

I have a similar situation. I've been teaching in the same district for 12 years. I have taught from 5th to 8th grade, with most of my time spent at the 5/6 level. I have moved schools 4 times, rooms 9 times and will move my room again this summer since the building I teach in is due to be remodeled. I started this year teaching 6th grade and then moved to teaching 7th grade science 6 weeks into the year. I've been asked to seriously consider moving to a position teaching science in our district's college preperatory program. (6th-8th grades with students who are strongly expected to have an academic focus.) I also have pros and cons to weigh such as class size, technology that would be available to me, program expectations of students' and parents' roles, the fact that I'd have to teach at least 5 different lessons each day as opposed to preparing one for all of my classes, moving buildings to one that may not be as convenient as the one I'm in now (my kids' daycare is next door). So much to consider. I've asked for a day to go over and just shadow the teacher who is due to retire just to see what a day is like over there...perhaps that is possibility for you?

I taught GT for 3 years -- 4th grade, then looped to 5th with them -- all self-contained. Then I did GT testing & teaching in mixed-grade classrooms for another year. Teaching GT in a district or school where admin. doesn't get it isn't any better than regular ed., in my opinion. Frankly, if they don't get it for regular ed kids, you have a 50/50 chance: they don't care what you do and you can do whatever you want (best-case scenario!), or they don't care what you do, but you don't have the autonomy or program set-up to do it right. And gt kids are every bit as challenging as the other end. Done properly, it's still exhausting, so you should do it only if you really like those kinds of kids. I could offer you my experiences, but I'd like to gear it toward what you'd actually be doing. The pros depend entirely on the way your program is run. Is it a pull-out? Is it one-hour weekly at several different schools? Do they come out? Do you go in? Are you self-contained? What ratio of gt kids will you have? How much flexibility do you have with the curriculum? How much support do you have for differentiating for them in the way that they require?

Is it a pull-out? Is it one-hour weekly at several different schools? Do they come out? Do you go in? Are you self-contained? What ratio of gt kids will you have? How much flexibility do you have with the curriculum? How much support do you have for differentiating for them in the way that they require?

The position will be running the Monarch program and then enrichment programs for reading, math and writing for grades 3-5 all in my building. Groups are generally 10 or less kids at a time, in the g&t room. I would have total flexibility. :) The other piece is new and will be to be a technology enrichment person who would work with the grade level teachers to research and develop pieces to integrate into the curriculum. I don't think they are 100% sure how that will work, but we are getting a new computer lab that will be available for research and projects, so they are seeing this position presenting to a class and then the classroom teacher being able to go forward with it. We have a computer teacher who does keyboarding, etc....she is supposed to do projects with the kids, but she is lacking in that area.
This position used to monitor the online state testing which would have been a big negative for me, but that will be changing for next year, someone else is doing it.
There are other changes happening in my building over the next few years because we have a very small size class coming up that will require shifting each year, this year we have 9 3rd grade class, next year we'll have 8 and then possible 6 or 7 the following year. I've already gone through the moving 4 times in 5 years when this happened before, not looking forward to doing it again.
This is a tough decision....

So that's a gt pullout program (That's the Monarch program, I assume) (lesson plans in 3 subjects times 3 grade levels, what, once a week?), plus GT in-class enrichment (lesson plans in 3 subjects times 3 grade levels? designing a curriculum? modifying the current curriculum?), plus training teachers on integrating technology into their classrooms times how many grade levels?) If the enrichment stuff were done well, you'd be modifying everything the teachers were doing for the gt kids, or providing them with an alternative curriculum, as well as doing projects with them during your pull-out.

So, um, it sounds like they're giving you two jobs with one salary, to be blunt, including parts of the computer teacher's job she isn't doing. From what I've seen in the 4 districts in which I've been, very little, if any, attention was paid to what the GT kids were doing and even less to classroom "enrichment." I'm guessing you'll be spending the bulk of your time on one or the other.

I'm completely biased pro-GT, but I bet your administrators are going to be far more interested in how their new lab is doing. At the risk of sounding all therapist-y, I know you don't want to move classrooms, but does the idea of working w/ computers & GT kids appeal to you at all? The kids really deserve an advocate, much like other special ed. kids. The IT stuff will garner more positive attention career-wise.

And if you do all 3 of them really well? Well, that will make moving look like a cakewalk!

I'm not good with change, but this is a change I think sounds good. In the summer, I run a camp for G&T kids, so I am familiar with the kids and their needs, and I love doing it. Both of my kids have done the monarch program and gotten so much out of it. The freedom this position would allow is exciting too. They don't really know what they want for the technology piece, so I could create that.
As for lesson plans, right now I teach reading, language arts, math, social studies and science. For reading/la and math, I have to plan for 3-4 groupings; social studies and science I have to differentiate for all types of learners. So each day I have ten plans running, not very different.
I think I know what I want to do, it's exciting and a bit scary all at once.

Well, that sounds like fun. The reason I asked so many questions is that districts are sooooo different in the way they do GT that there are some programs I wouldn't teach for, and I think that matters in the day-to-day. I'd rather be in regular ed. than a crappy GT program.

So, what was it, then? Just leaving the classroom? Here's what I missed: being a part of the regular ed. team and doing what everyone else was doing -- sometimes being on the fringe is lonely as no one really shares your mission; my classroom library and watching kids learn to love reading; having the same kids all day and having the time to do large, integrated projects. Here's what I didn't miss: PITA parents, GRADING! and a boring curriculum. So worth it! You know you'll never be bored.

Here's what I didn't miss: PITA parents

LOL, some of our teachers would tell you that it is the parents of the GT kids that are the biggest PITAs!

That's true! But there's fewer of them!

Yeah, but if you only teach GT, won't you have even more of those parents? Just something to keep in mind, depending on how much parents get under your skin.

Not the kind who call you a "white bitch" and can't help their kids with their 2-digit multiplication homework. Pick your poison. In all fairness, they aren't any worse or better than other PITA parents. Just different. Sorta like their kids.

Not the kind who call you a "white bitch"

Lovely. This is kind of like the problems my husband has in his school. What I don't get is why parents seem to think we're out to get their kids. Seems like I could make MUCH more money doing something else if I didn't really enjoy spending my time with little ones!

Exactly! I chalk it up to poverty. The kind of behavior that's disruptive in the classroom (interuppting, blurting, "entertaining" commentary, fighting to save face, etc.) are viewed quite differently in the poverty culture where I worked. Being funny is highly valued, the best stories are participatory, non-linear and episodic (did I just make up that word?) character vignettes, with frequent "input" from the audience, being funny is a desired character trait, everybody talks at once and fighting is a survival skill. Hence, the middle class rules that guide our expectations as teachers are perceived as hoity-toity at best, and racist at worst. Honestly, dealing with them is not my strong suit.

This happened to me this year! I had less than 48 hours to make a decision. I had been in the classroom 19 years. I made the jump and haven't looked back. I thought I'd miss having "my own kids," but I don't. I feel like they are all mine. It has also put me in the role of coach, as our district's gifted program is a full co-teaching program. We plan together, we teach together. There is small group, but absolutely no pull out. I take no grades, and do no report cards. No sub plans!!! (love that!) It's not all cushy, though. I am responsible for all gifted applications that come through my building and coordinate for the testing specialists when they are in the building.

As for job security, I am lucky to be in the district I am in. They pride themselves as being a leader in the nation for gifted services. Every school has at least one full time GRT. It has been that way for over 15 years. We have a bunch getting ready to retire, so I'm not worried about my job. Heck, I can always go back to the classroom if need be. In my district, my teaching seniority didn't change with the job change. :)

All I can say is...you are very fortunate! Too many districts give lip service to GT services, even more just completely do not understand or foster it. Your situation does sound ideal.

Any ideas for making summer school fun? I will have 9 third graders for 5 weeks. I need to make it as fun and motivating as possible. My focus will be reading, writing, and math.

Have them make treasure maps, read and write the clues ,measure for drawing the map, math problems to solve clues, a little time outside finding the treasure :) They can each make a map and have the other kids solve them.

Great idea! Maybe there are some letterboxes around that can be used as examples ;)
When I ran summer school one year our 3rd graders learned about Egypt and created their own hieroglyphs and used clay for their own mummies.
Math....hmmm..not sure what 3rd graders learn in math so couldn't help you there. Good luck! Sounds like fun!

I have 7th and 8th graders for math-- we are doing lots of game types. They aren't credit recovery, so I have a little more leeway. They are trying to get an elective back.

Tomorrow I have the most important interview of my life. This is my absolute dream job, and if I don't land this one, after 5 years of subbing, I will settle back, quit applying and accept my path as a rockstar substitute teacher.

So tomorrow, at 1:15 pm PST, please send 7th Grade Language Arts vibes out into the universe for me. :)

Go in - wow them - await the positive news :)

Best of Luck! I teach 7th grade science and love the age group...not everyone does...so if it your dream job, I hope you get it--7th graders need people who love what they do!! :)

I did my best. :) I won't know anything til the end of this week or the middle of next. Ugh.

Can't be a coincidence that right about the time the Common Core breaks the scene is the last post here in the Faculty Room...

Are you all as crazy busy as I've been?

I'm not faculty but we are thankful for common core.
Her teachers this year are saying "we put the common sense in common core". Lol. Cute.

My daughter hates it with her kids. Her son is already past the level of reading that they will let him read and I guess the math is so impossible I heard they have to have special classes to teach the parents how to re-learn math they already know how to do.

Not a teacher, but we moved to Pearson math this year, and it is not fun. Too much thinking/too many ideas/close enoughs, and not enough working on knowing simple facts, it's hard to understand new terms and teachers got it the Friday before school started. I feel for you all! We have been struggling through it, because they haven't taught them multiplication facts and drilling those, because it's not in the book and they don't have time to do extra. So we have to get flash cards and work on them with them at home, which is perfectly fine, but it is simply because the book doesn't work on it. It's like they expect you to know it. Or even better, just know enough to get you by. Don't know what 6x8 is? It's okay just add 6x4 to 6x4. Ummm, no. You need to know what 6x8 is.
We do not like common core math. It is not common sense.

D-:
In any case. I do want to thank all of the teachers because there was a whole lot of a shift that happened. So...thanks! :)

Don't know what 6x8 is? It's okay just add 6x4 to 6x4. Ummm, no. You need to know what 6x8 is.

I had to go back and do 6x2 + 6x2 + 6x2 + 6x2 = 48
It is the only way my brain was ever able to work. Same with reading. I could spell. But, put more than three sentences in a row and it was hopeless.
I learned as an adult by reading scripture one verse at a time. Writing it down, dissecting it, and writing down an explanation without using any of the words that were already in the verse. That's kind of the same concept of some of my kid's work. I hate that the consensus is unyoked. For some of us it's finally something that makes sense. :-/