Meaning First and Plan with the End in Mind
Many of you remember “New Math!” New Math drove my dad nuts! Why change the way math is taught when “Old Math” was just fine?? 2+2 still = 4, so why the paradigm shift?? Dad went to his grave resistant to the big change and thinking that Mrs. Mayer must’ve been a communist incognito!
Well, I didn’t intend to drive the parents of my students nuts, but I think that sometimes change can create chaos! So, lots of peanut butter was made this past year! I spent a lot of time smoothing out the nutty parents as I attempted to lay the ground work for my Future Readers and Writers of America club.
None of my children came to me concentrating on pictures first. They absolutely stiffened when I covered the text in our big books. They wanted to read the words~~~rather, they wanted to sound out the words and call it reading. After all, isn't that "school reading?" Well, challenging doesn’t even come close to the word used to describe the chore of teaching the children and reteaching the parents to think about meaning first, not sounding out first. One of my main “Ends In Mind” was to guide the children to constantly think while reading or being read to~~~to listen to be sure the text made sense, sounded right. We worked on various strategies to attack unfamiliar words. The last strategy to be used was to sound the word out. The children created a list of things to do to figure out unfamiliar words. First, look at the picture!!!!! Next, bump the unfamiliar word and keep reading the sentence. Go back and reread the sentence asking what would make sense in the space. Does that word fit? Does it look right? Eureka!
It took a little while, but eventually the parents bought into “New Reading!”
Riley said it best when I asked her how in the world she was able to read a book she was proud to have just read to me.
“Well, I wooked at the pitures first. Then, I finked and finked. Then, I just read it!!”
My children left me at the end of the year knowing in their bones and bodies that reading is meaning, and readers think while they are reading!
What a Celebration!!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Put Schoolwide Coaching into Practice : Chapter 7
While reading this chapter I began to fully understand and appreciate the job and responsibilities of not only a Literacy Coach but of the job of the teachers within a school as part of an ongoing always progressing literacy team. Now that our Literacy Coach is being cut:(( due to the budget), it will become essential to as Regie did, to coach each other and build the trust needed to progress and grow in literacy. I know it is important to be open and trusting to positive and negative feedback/ suggestions from colleagues. This sometimes can be extremely hard for me ( I am a softy), especially if that trust and/ or respect is lacking and how the feedback is worded. I definitely agree with Regie by starting with the positive, then ask the teacher what she thinks she could have done differently and go from there. This is much more conducive and welcoming in my opinion. I also like the idea of taking the time to self reflect and self evaluate. A lot of times, I feel so rushed that I sometimes don't do this after every lesson but is something I would like to improve upon.
I think that the Looking at Your Teaching chart will be extremely helpful for me to use to evaluate my personal teaching, to build my confidence and help me to better reflect, so that I can make the appropriate adjustments where needed. In the end I like what Regie says, " While a school-wide coaching partnership is a challenge to implement,the payoff is huge: increased collaboration, more effective teaching, higher student achievement. These benefits help lessen the pressure of being observed and remind teachers and administrators of the larger purpose: celebrating successes, getting new ideas, refining teaching and assessing and keeping a focus on students." I am looking forward to all of this, the increase in my confidence and the success of my students and school:)!
I think that the Looking at Your Teaching chart will be extremely helpful for me to use to evaluate my personal teaching, to build my confidence and help me to better reflect, so that I can make the appropriate adjustments where needed. In the end I like what Regie says, " While a school-wide coaching partnership is a challenge to implement,the payoff is huge: increased collaboration, more effective teaching, higher student achievement. These benefits help lessen the pressure of being observed and remind teachers and administrators of the larger purpose: celebrating successes, getting new ideas, refining teaching and assessing and keeping a focus on students." I am looking forward to all of this, the increase in my confidence and the success of my students and school:)!
Teach Responsively and Provide Feedback
This section of Chapter 5 really spoke to me because it reminded me of my Responsive Classroom training. If we are to create a safe environment where students feel comfortable taking risks, then we have to use responsive teaching. When students are able to have a deep and thoughtful conversation during the lesson, the teacher can use that information to plan for future teaching or make changes to the lesson while it is going on in order to clarify misconceptions. Our challenge then is to not get lazy and resort back to the "telling teaching" because we are so pressed to cover standards. We have to be okay with not getting to everything that we planned in our lesson because the conversation ran long. I liked Regie's list of requirements for responsive teaching and was challenged to remember that I should not repeat what students have said in order to show respect for what they have said and also to encourage students to listen to one another.
Another part of teaching that often gets put on the back burner during the standards covering frenzy is feedback, and I am guilty of this. Too often I give the praise or advice responses instead of providing them with constructive information that they can use to improve their quality of work. So again, I will be challenging myself to use more effective feedback in an effort to make them accountable for evaluating their own learning and work so they become self motivated, independent learners.
Did any of you feel the same way?
Another part of teaching that often gets put on the back burner during the standards covering frenzy is feedback, and I am guilty of this. Too often I give the praise or advice responses instead of providing them with constructive information that they can use to improve their quality of work. So again, I will be challenging myself to use more effective feedback in an effort to make them accountable for evaluating their own learning and work so they become self motivated, independent learners.
Did any of you feel the same way?
Just Some Thoughts After Reading A Little
First of all, I do not like posting my picture!
I love the passion that Regie still has for literacy and children even after 40 + years of being in the field. I know, in the most passionate way, that all of my children are capable of greatness in the areas of reading and writing. I struggle with the element of time. I have searched and can’t find two extra seconds to rub together during the school day. Therefore, I must learn to make the absolute most or even more than the most out of the precious time I have. As I reflect on the year just completed, I ache for the children for whom I feel I have short changed. I see the faces of the little K-5ers that needed more support than I gave them. I definitely need support in this area of my development.
Another struggle that I face each day is in writing. When working with emergent writers, I find that many are capable of putting their thoughts down onto paper in a way that I can decipher their thoughts. However, often times when the author of a piece attempts to read his writing, he is unable to read his own piece. In discussing this dilemma with other professionals, they, too, have had the same experience. Is this a “normal” developmental stage for emergent writers? How do I help that child/ren be able to cross that bridge more effectively?
In reading the passage about “doing more writing for valued audiences and purposes,” I had a thought. Kindergarten children seem to love writing because it is novel and “a thing” that grownups do. Therefore, writing is so very cool to the five/six year old child! I have worked with a few kindergarten children who are reluctant writers. I am thinking of one child in particular, that I shared with our Reading Interventionist this past year, who just shuts down. His primary language is English. He does exhibit a strong control of the language and of vocabulary. He knows how “stories” work. He just shuts down. He is very artistic and does a beautiful job drawing his stories, and he has demonstrated that he is ready to begin putting words to his pictures. He has control of letter/sound match and is able, with assistance, to sound-blend words. Some thoughts that I have on how to encourage all writers, but especially the reluctant writers, is to have Pen Pals…..I know….this is not a new idea at all. However, for a tiny little K-5er, to write to and receive replies from various people in the school, such as administration, custodians, cafeteria folks, teachers that a child knows via siblings, just might give these reluctant writers a reason to compose.
I love the passion that Regie still has for literacy and children even after 40 + years of being in the field. I know, in the most passionate way, that all of my children are capable of greatness in the areas of reading and writing. I struggle with the element of time. I have searched and can’t find two extra seconds to rub together during the school day. Therefore, I must learn to make the absolute most or even more than the most out of the precious time I have. As I reflect on the year just completed, I ache for the children for whom I feel I have short changed. I see the faces of the little K-5ers that needed more support than I gave them. I definitely need support in this area of my development.
Another struggle that I face each day is in writing. When working with emergent writers, I find that many are capable of putting their thoughts down onto paper in a way that I can decipher their thoughts. However, often times when the author of a piece attempts to read his writing, he is unable to read his own piece. In discussing this dilemma with other professionals, they, too, have had the same experience. Is this a “normal” developmental stage for emergent writers? How do I help that child/ren be able to cross that bridge more effectively?
In reading the passage about “doing more writing for valued audiences and purposes,” I had a thought. Kindergarten children seem to love writing because it is novel and “a thing” that grownups do. Therefore, writing is so very cool to the five/six year old child! I have worked with a few kindergarten children who are reluctant writers. I am thinking of one child in particular, that I shared with our Reading Interventionist this past year, who just shuts down. His primary language is English. He does exhibit a strong control of the language and of vocabulary. He knows how “stories” work. He just shuts down. He is very artistic and does a beautiful job drawing his stories, and he has demonstrated that he is ready to begin putting words to his pictures. He has control of letter/sound match and is able, with assistance, to sound-blend words. Some thoughts that I have on how to encourage all writers, but especially the reluctant writers, is to have Pen Pals…..I know….this is not a new idea at all. However, for a tiny little K-5er, to write to and receive replies from various people in the school, such as administration, custodians, cafeteria folks, teachers that a child knows via siblings, just might give these reluctant writers a reason to compose.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Student Dependency?
As I was reading this section of Chapter 6 I continued to question myself as an educator- How can I do a better job of teaching students to be more accountable for their own learning? Students need to be taught how to evaluate themselves as learners. This is a skill that for some is easy- some students are naturals at this skill. They have a critical eye, they have the ability to see the big picture- the end result. There are those students who really need more guided practice- I love when Regie talked about "hand holding". It is not necessarily a bad thing- some students require much more "guided practice". How can we expect students to do this "on their own" if they are not confident in their own abilities. They gain confidence by lots of practice.
Teach For Independent, Self Directed Learners
Teach For Independent,
Self-Directed Learners
I love what the little third grader said after a Regis residence. “My brain hurts from all the thinking because I never think, but now I’m getting smarter.” Later she even said that her brain felt bigger, and that she had knowledge in her head and that she felt great. Wow! She was a struggling reader too.
We need to quit fixing up all the writing for them. If you teach children to monitor and evaluate their own work and direct their revision process right from the start, they can shock you with what they are capable of. We want our students to be independent problem solvers directing their own learning and setting their own goals. We can't do it for them!
When reading this chapter, I was very interested in what Regis said about using scaffolded conversations. They are so powerful. I love how she did the thinking out loud while helping a student pick out a writing topic, also offering help developing the topic. I, too, like to jot or capture students’ ideas by putting them on sticky notes and attaching them to their paper. This paper trail will remind them that their ideas are important, and later it will encourage or remind the learner what to do. This record of their thinking will give them the courage to work independently.
I really enjoyed reading the part about teaching students to self-monitor and self evaluate. I love the part when Regis talked about even young readers can check their own work if we teach them how and provide the necessary support and expectations. I hope for all teachers to believe this. If we tell them what we expect and hold them to it, usually it will happen. I like the fact that Regis will not accept a paper at all that has not had the basic editing completed. She just hands it back to them. All students can do the basics of editing.
Preparing for testing is so important. Testing is a genre in itself and needs to be treated that way. As a third grade team, this year, we also rewrote the third grade writing rubric. We came up with great demonstrations to put in our frontloading lessons and let small groups practice with writing samples by noticing, talking, sharing, rereading, and explaining their thinking. We were so excited when our students finally took the writing test, because we felt they were much better prepared. A lot of frontloading, guided practice, group practice, celebrations and major hand holding are some of the ways we helped prepare our students for state testing.
Self-Directed Learners
I love what the little third grader said after a Regis residence. “My brain hurts from all the thinking because I never think, but now I’m getting smarter.” Later she even said that her brain felt bigger, and that she had knowledge in her head and that she felt great. Wow! She was a struggling reader too.
We need to quit fixing up all the writing for them. If you teach children to monitor and evaluate their own work and direct their revision process right from the start, they can shock you with what they are capable of. We want our students to be independent problem solvers directing their own learning and setting their own goals. We can't do it for them!
When reading this chapter, I was very interested in what Regis said about using scaffolded conversations. They are so powerful. I love how she did the thinking out loud while helping a student pick out a writing topic, also offering help developing the topic. I, too, like to jot or capture students’ ideas by putting them on sticky notes and attaching them to their paper. This paper trail will remind them that their ideas are important, and later it will encourage or remind the learner what to do. This record of their thinking will give them the courage to work independently.
I really enjoyed reading the part about teaching students to self-monitor and self evaluate. I love the part when Regis talked about even young readers can check their own work if we teach them how and provide the necessary support and expectations. I hope for all teachers to believe this. If we tell them what we expect and hold them to it, usually it will happen. I like the fact that Regis will not accept a paper at all that has not had the basic editing completed. She just hands it back to them. All students can do the basics of editing.
Preparing for testing is so important. Testing is a genre in itself and needs to be treated that way. As a third grade team, this year, we also rewrote the third grade writing rubric. We came up with great demonstrations to put in our frontloading lessons and let small groups practice with writing samples by noticing, talking, sharing, rereading, and explaining their thinking. We were so excited when our students finally took the writing test, because we felt they were much better prepared. A lot of frontloading, guided practice, group practice, celebrations and major hand holding are some of the ways we helped prepare our students for state testing.
Embed Assessment in All Teaching
Embed Assessment in All Teaching
I agree that embedding assessment is a challenge. Having no script can be a little scary. I do feel though it is very important. We do have to really pay attention to the learners in front of us to be able to move them forward. We have to listen, observe, notice, rethink, and be risk takers. We need to remember we are the professionals, and we have to trust our decisions.
If we do not feel comfortable about thinking on our feet, valuable instruction time will not be lost.
I enjoyed the part of chapter 5 that discussed teaching responsively. I especially think that all teachers need to be reminded to validate all student responses. It is so easy to try to do the talking for the child, because you usually feel rushed to “cover” the material. I think rephrasing student responses to nudge them to think more deeply is so smart.
Skillful questioning is so important across the curricular areas. I think it helps me to actually post the deeper level questions in my plan book or even in my classroom to remind me to use them. I actually try to have examples of higher level questioning in my textbooks, near my conferencing table, and when I’m at my computer as a constant reminder. It is so easy to fall back into the surface level questioning, I need a constant reminder.
Feedback is crucial! I have found that taking pictures with my camera of children doing something well is a powerful tool. Sometimes I show the entire class what the child accomplished, and often I have the picture up on the SmartBoard or projector as the students enter class. This idea really works well in Writer's Workshop during editing and revising. Seeing what is done well, and correctly in print, creates a very powerful picture. This also shows the students and the rest of the class that their work is validated.
Another part of chapter 5 that intrigued me was the part about grouping students. I agree with what Regis said about grouping. I know that students do learn so much from each other. I also agree that we should continue to use small guided groups that are flexible. I learned while reading this part, that I need to do a better job of assessing what students accomplished within that small group. I need to have a better system to remember how well each student actually comprehended what we were learning. I think having a few questions to answer at the end of a lesson is one good way to check for understanding.
I really enjoyed this chapter, and I plan to rely on the Ongoing Assessment Framework to guide me in helping students check for understanding before, during, and after instruction.
I agree that embedding assessment is a challenge. Having no script can be a little scary. I do feel though it is very important. We do have to really pay attention to the learners in front of us to be able to move them forward. We have to listen, observe, notice, rethink, and be risk takers. We need to remember we are the professionals, and we have to trust our decisions.
If we do not feel comfortable about thinking on our feet, valuable instruction time will not be lost.
I enjoyed the part of chapter 5 that discussed teaching responsively. I especially think that all teachers need to be reminded to validate all student responses. It is so easy to try to do the talking for the child, because you usually feel rushed to “cover” the material. I think rephrasing student responses to nudge them to think more deeply is so smart.
Skillful questioning is so important across the curricular areas. I think it helps me to actually post the deeper level questions in my plan book or even in my classroom to remind me to use them. I actually try to have examples of higher level questioning in my textbooks, near my conferencing table, and when I’m at my computer as a constant reminder. It is so easy to fall back into the surface level questioning, I need a constant reminder.
Feedback is crucial! I have found that taking pictures with my camera of children doing something well is a powerful tool. Sometimes I show the entire class what the child accomplished, and often I have the picture up on the SmartBoard or projector as the students enter class. This idea really works well in Writer's Workshop during editing and revising. Seeing what is done well, and correctly in print, creates a very powerful picture. This also shows the students and the rest of the class that their work is validated.
Another part of chapter 5 that intrigued me was the part about grouping students. I agree with what Regis said about grouping. I know that students do learn so much from each other. I also agree that we should continue to use small guided groups that are flexible. I learned while reading this part, that I need to do a better job of assessing what students accomplished within that small group. I need to have a better system to remember how well each student actually comprehended what we were learning. I think having a few questions to answer at the end of a lesson is one good way to check for understanding.
I really enjoyed this chapter, and I plan to rely on the Ongoing Assessment Framework to guide me in helping students check for understanding before, during, and after instruction.
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