where have i been....omg and it's almost christmas!!!!

here i am....  haven't written.. so much has happened!  all good!  my oldest, the 3 yr old, was accepted in Post Oak (Montessori) School.  great place.  so far i like what i see and hear...from the teachers to the school's headmaster... and now what i see my little girl... 

my two year old is doing well... growing, talking, asking, trying, climbing, playing, "reading," "writing," painting, cutting, riding trike, sliding, molding with play-dough....  we will begin the application process for her so that she may attend school with her "big" sister!

a bit pricey of a private school, but worth it... this means i need to increase my current earnings!!!! 

so why a private school?  why did we choose to go private?  me, public school teacher....  every now and then i get little reminders as to why i chose private school.  i tried to get into a well known public charter school, but we didn't get in...  what were we looking for.... this is how i began the school selection process journey..

1.  Begin with the end in mind.  (what is the end goal/s of the school/district?)
2.  Do the actions match the mission/goal/s?
3.  What colleges/universities were the students heading to?
4.  What % of the students were going on to college/university?
5.  What kinds of tests are given and how is the data used?
6.  Are the schools/districts open for visits and classroom observaions?
7.  How are the learning spaces set up? 
8.  As I observe the classroom and teachers what do I hear and see?  Discussion, project work, hands-on, art, music, one-on-one instruction, small group instruction, peer instruction, team/group work, student led instruction.....
9.  Was the teacher a facilitator?  A guide?  An instructor?
10.  How did the children look?  What were their expressions? 
11.  Was their evidence of open-ended learning?  Evidence of problem-solving? Evidence that children were curious of the material?