I teach 2nd grade in a general education room. I try to provide acceleration for kids that have high ability because we have no g/t program. I try and move them at a faster pace, but it is difficult.
In my room I have five students testing in the 90% percentile for math. I also have five students in the bottom 10% percentile for math, and then 20 kids falling at different levels in the middle. Out of the 30 kids, two speak no English.
The higher students need my time as much as the lower students. However, these days most of my time is spent doing assessments. I'm also putting out fires with parents who could care less. The parents on this board are actually involved with their children, so it's hard to explain how the other side of the coin behaves.
I just want to say please don't blame the teacher for all the woes of our country's STEM areas. Teachers work in a fixed system that is ruled and governed by people who have no education experience.
