Professional Development – I’m one lucky teacher!

Have you read Debbie Diller’s Math Work Stations?  I bought it back in the fall thinking I would be able to sit down and somehow magically absorb its contents and implement its ideas without any need for outside expertise.

I was wrong!  Almost as soon as I started I became overwhelmed – I LOVE the idea of doing guided math.  But I can’t wrap my head around all of it…and I’m not good at implementing something until I have a very good understanding of what its about…


But next week there is a Debbie Diller conference that I get to attend!  I know you are all very jealous of me right now!  And I don’t want to brag, but I am lucky to be a bilingual teacher in my district.  We do have to deal with teaching in 2 languages (which is mostly great), but we get so much professional development! 
I get to go with my “new” teammate from next year too!  We need all the help we can get when it comes to developing classroom routines and instructional practices that inherently meet kids at their level – bilingual 1/2 next year!!!


So a couple of questions.  Have you read this book?  What do you think?  Have you had any successes implementing its structures into your classroom?  Any advice?  Things to be on the look out for?  Questions I should make sure to ask next week? 


I’ll be sure to share what I learn next week with you all.  I’m sure this summer I’ll be creating math stations like a loca!


There was a linky book study over the summer and you can find the first one here:


http://www.mrswillskindergarten.com/2011/06/math-work-stations-blog-party-chapter-1.html

• I’m going to check this out before next week!

Ok, that’s it for exciting news for the day.  Except for a quick reminder to sign up for my giveaway – you’ll win an amazing read aloud The Three Little Tamales and a ton of activities to go with it!  Click the link below to go directly to that post and sign up.

Cheers,
Mrs. Castro


P.S. - I just found out I get to go to another conference over the summer by Linda Hoyt - so lucky, I know!  AND, I have been tagged by a couple of bloggers and will answer their questions soon!