Let's face it, whether you've been a teacher for ten years or for ten minutes, the beginning of the school year is stressful. There is so much that needs to be done before the students arrive and once they do, your to do list grows exponentially. As educators, we feel that beginning of the year crunch in August because in education, September is our "busy season".
As you move through your busy season this year, I'd like to suggest that instead of focusing on the big picture--testing, observations, standards--take a moment to think about all the little details that make your teaching and your classroom so special....
Greetings and Salutations
Each day your students arrive into your classroom from all walks of life, having had different mornings and different experiences with their family before arriving at your door. Take a moment to greet your students by name each day and personalize their arrival with a comment or a warm smile. This will instantly lighten their mood and connect them to you. Talk to them about a book you are reading or ask how the big game was last night. Something that let's them know you are interested in their life outside of your classroom.
Before your students leave, consider adding a wrap up to your day. Don't always focus on the homework and what is due the next time you see them. This they can tune out (and often do, as you already know). Engage them in the last 2-3 minutes about a hot topic. Ask them about some great new movie that you heard about. Have a discussion about if the local football team will win this Sunday. Talk about their opinions or their day.
Over time this will build a positive classroom culture, one that your students look forward to being a part of on a daily basis because they are active members of it. You, as their teacher, will understand more about their world and have a deeper connection to their life and their happenings. They will feel that its not all about school all the time in your room and that you care about them and their life.
Staking Their Claim
Allow your students to claim their space. Now, this doesn't mean , let them pick their seat because we all know how that can work out. Instead give your students the opportunity to contribute their ideas/vision to an area of your classroom during the year. Some ideas: decorate the door or bulletin board according to their design. Plan the room layout (from a list of options that you provide them). Name their group and create a poster for it. Create a class name or logo. These little details help your students feel like your classroom is their space, too (because it is, isn't it?).
Freedom of Choice
At the the beginning of the year, many of us provide our students with a list of required materials for our class. This list often includes tools that are meant to help them organize and keep track of the work they will be doing in your room. Well, what if this year, you allowed your students to choose this list? Instead of requiring them to to use a three-ring binder or a marble notebook, let each student pick which one works best for them. Now this can be a scary thought for some of us, but why not try it? If a student can't handle the freedom or is disorganized because of this choice, then we can step in and provide them with some guidelines and support. On the flip side, if they can handle it, you've just empowered them to learn something about their learning preferences and gave them choice in your room..
A Little Laughter
The school year is serious business and who would understand that better than you, but don't forget to take a moment to laugh with your students. Enjoy the silly moments and each other's company while you are learning. There is no rule that says that these things can't go hand-in-hand.
While sitting down to plan your next unit or the following week's lesson plans, take a moment to think about the details in your room. The details are what set you apart from all of the other teachers and educational experiences your students had before they got to you.
Remember, "it's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."
~John Wooden, UCLA head basketball coach~
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Monday, January 25, 2016
Totally Ten
If you are a classroom teacher, you already know how challenging differentiation can be! However, I hope you realize how important it is. I believe that the best way to begin with such an overwhelming concept is with baby steps! Learning a new way to differentiate can really change the way your students learn and increase their success in your class!
Totally 10 is an approach to differentiation that I stumbled upon a few years back when working with a co-teacher that thought that all students needed to complete the same assignments each day. While trying to avoid causing friction, but deeply believing that some students needs weren't being met by the one-size-fits-all curriculum, I set out on my search. I looked for ways to incorporate choice for all students so that in theory they were all provided with the same options. Totally 10 appealed to my co-teacher while meeting the needs of our diverse group of students. A true win-win.
Totally 10 Assignments
Totally 10 is a student choice format for differentiating projects, student work and/or assessment. Each task on the Totally 10 document provides your students with choice and a list of differentiated tasks. Each task is given a point value, ranging from 1-10, where the higher scores reflect a greater challenge and complexity or higher level thinking skills. Students must select either one project with a score of 10 or several that add up to a score of 10. The goal being that students need a score of ten from the Totally 10 handout, not as a grade. This means that some students will choose rigor to do fewer projects.
Totally 10 can also be used to design assessment. Here, a teacher will make a test with a question bank. Students choose which questions they will answer to reach their goal of 10. Using a Totally 10 for assessment adds choice to a practice that doesn't often offer options. In the end, they may be believe that they create the assessments in your classroom.
Some examples of Totally 10 can be found at the links below and their are many available for download by conducting a basic Google Search.
Totally 10 is an approach to differentiation that I stumbled upon a few years back when working with a co-teacher that thought that all students needed to complete the same assignments each day. While trying to avoid causing friction, but deeply believing that some students needs weren't being met by the one-size-fits-all curriculum, I set out on my search. I looked for ways to incorporate choice for all students so that in theory they were all provided with the same options. Totally 10 appealed to my co-teacher while meeting the needs of our diverse group of students. A true win-win.
Totally 10 Assignments
Totally 10 is a student choice format for differentiating projects, student work and/or assessment. Each task on the Totally 10 document provides your students with choice and a list of differentiated tasks. Each task is given a point value, ranging from 1-10, where the higher scores reflect a greater challenge and complexity or higher level thinking skills. Students must select either one project with a score of 10 or several that add up to a score of 10. The goal being that students need a score of ten from the Totally 10 handout, not as a grade. This means that some students will choose rigor to do fewer projects.
Totally 10 can also be used to design assessment. Here, a teacher will make a test with a question bank. Students choose which questions they will answer to reach their goal of 10. Using a Totally 10 for assessment adds choice to a practice that doesn't often offer options. In the end, they may be believe that they create the assessments in your classroom.
Some examples of Totally 10 can be found at the links below and their are many available for download by conducting a basic Google Search.
To learn even more, visit my Board on Pinterest Totally 10
Friday, March 6, 2015
Close Reading
What is Close Reading?
The Common Core
State Standards are encouraging teachers to engage their students in the task
of close reading, but many of us are not quite sure what that is.
–It is an interaction between the reader and the
text. (Douglas Fisher
“Close Reading the the Common Core State Standards” April 3, 2012)
–It is about making careful observations of text and then
interpretations of these observations. (Patricia Kain, Writing Center of Harvard University, 1998)
–It involves rereading; often rereading
short portioin of a text that helps a reader to carry new ideas to
the whole text. (Kylene Beers
and Robert Probst, Notice and Note, 2012)
Close
reading requires rereading a text three times for increased levels of
understanding. Each reading, during a
close read, has a new purpose and after completing it the reader has a new
depth of understanding. Typically a close read asks for three readings
of a selected text.
 |
| http://writenow21st.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-process-of-close-reading.html |
1st
Read: Get the Gist
During your
first read, readers are looking for basic understanding of what the text was
about—a main idea, a brief summary, asking questions about what was read.
2nd
Read: Dig a Little Deeper
The
second read is meant to increase and expand upon your students’ basic
understanding of the text. Before you
begin reading you should set the purpose for this read. The purpose can range from identifying the
author’s purpose to noticing text features.
Readers can be asked to notice how a character acts/feels or discuss the
words used by the author.
3rd
Read: Put it all Together
In the
third read, our goal is for reader to take their understanding of the text from
the first and second read and apply it to their existing knowledge to draw new
conclusions. You can ask readers
questions about text patters, similarities between this book and another book,
inferences and/or connections made.
Now that
you know what Close Reading is, how do you make it a successful experience for
your students?
First,
you should practice this strategy WHOLE group, several times. Use the same book for different purposes as
suggested in the Close Reading steps.
When you begin, pick books that you know well to increase your
experience with this new approach.
Next you
will want to take the time to plan your close reading lesson(s). You should think about how each level of
reading will be different. What will be
your focus?
To
increase your students’ success with this approach, you will want to provide
them with support. Use bookmarks, hang
anchor charts and provide organizers.
For resources, click here.
 |
| http://www.mshouser.com/teaching-tips/close-reading-anchor-chart |
Thursday, February 12, 2015
The ABCs of CoTeaching in the Secondary Setting
As a professor, I often hear my graduate students, all first year teachers, cry out in agony over their co-teaching partnerships. Their complaints range from having no voice in the classroom to never receiving a lesson plan.
Collaborative teaching in an inclusive model has been with us for several decades now, which makes me wonder why can't we get it right and if not right, then better?
When considering the issues discussed by my students, it occurred to me that maybe some co-teachers still don't know what is needed to make this relationship thrive.
Approaches to co-teaching--there are 6 of them according to Friend and Cook. Take a moment to review and try them out in your class room. Click here for more information.
Be an active participant in every class--just because there are two of you doesn't mean one gets a break. If one person is teaching, then the other should be working with students. (See the 6 teaching approaches above for suggestions about the roles of both teachers.)
Common planning time--this is a must! If your school doesn't provide you with common planning time, then consider looking into your schedule for time that can be dedicated to making your classroom work. You are together for a year, it is worth sacrificing some of your prep time to this endeavor.
Differentiate up and down--if you are teaching in the inclusion setting, you have students with varying needs. It is important that you address all needs, including your advanced students. Consider using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to guide you.
Expand your horizons--learn from your co-teacher and the content area you teach together. Encourage your co-teacher to learn about your work, too.
Flexibility--because there are two people and as many as 30 students involved, even the best planned lessons and units may change. Be flexible when this happens and create a plan together to get back on track.
Give you partner a chance. You are two different people with two different points of view. Hear each other out and give the other person an opportunity to share what they know. You are both certified in different areas; learn from each other.
Honesty--if this relationship is going to work, then you have to be honest with each other. In a constructive way, have regular discussions with your co-teacher about the happenings in your classroom. Sometimes all you have to do is speak up to prevent communication break down.
Insist on a common discipline system for the class-create a plan that you both agree to follow. This will prevent you having to assume the good cop, bad cop roles.
Join forces--recognize that two heads are better than one and two bodies cover more ground in a classroom. Work together as a team to divide the work load and reach the needs of all learners in the room.
Kindness--your co-teacher will be your partner for a full year so be kind. In these high stress situations, we sometimes forget to do this.
Lesson Plans- both parties need them so they can contribute to the classroom. This is nonnegotiable.
Modifications--the content, process and product of a lesson may need to be differentiated so all parties can learn. Be open to the idea that not all students should learn the exact same thing in the exact same way.
Names, as in two, on everything--both teachers' names need to appear, from notes home to report cards and the door sign.
Outline your thoughts, ideas and beliefs for your co-teacher at the beginning of the year with the S.H.A.R.E worksheet by Murawski and Dieker.
Patience--co-teaching is challenging, especially in the secondary setting. Have patience when things don't work out and be willing to return to the drawing board to make a new plan.
Question what you don't understand in the classroom. We encourage our students to ask questions, so let's take our own advice. If you are unsure about the content of a lesson, a policy in the room or an action by your co-teacher, ask about it.
Release the reigns--as teachers, we like to be in control of everything, however when you have a co-teacher this responsibility must be shared. It is not your classroom, it is a shared classroom.
Small group instruction should be the foundation of the co-teaching setting. Both teachers need to acknowledge that in the course of the day, students need time for remedial and enrichment small groups.
Take a step back--before you react to something that isn't going well, take a minute to think about it and look at the big picture. Avoid blaming your partner for shortcomings that are occurring in your shared room.
Unit planning--considering taking time once month to devise a big picture plan. This will ensure that both teachers know the direction of the next couple of weeks and can contribute to this vision.
Voice your Concerns--if something doesn't seem right to you, speak up. If you feel that your students needs aren't being met or you are moving too quickly through the content, share this with your co-teacher. Don't let your bad feeling fester; stop and talk about them with your co-teacher.
Work in progress--know that your relationship is a work in progress and as such it will need readjustments and time to grow.
Xtra Support--because working in a collaborative team is challenging, ask for support from your administration. Professional development about how to make this relationship work is available and beneficial, whether you are new to the setting or have been doing it for many years
Yearly review--if you are lucky enough to have a partner for more than one year, spend time at the end of the year discussing what worked and what needs to change. This will make you more powerful for round two.
Zero tolerance for failure--consider having a policy that provides your students with the opportunity to remedy their failures and missing work. To learn more about this idea, watch Rick Wormeli talk about redos and retakes as a policy.
When considering the issues discussed by my students, it occurred to me that maybe some co-teachers still don't know what is needed to make this relationship thrive.
Approaches to co-teaching--there are 6 of them according to Friend and Cook. Take a moment to review and try them out in your class room. Click here for more information.
Be an active participant in every class--just because there are two of you doesn't mean one gets a break. If one person is teaching, then the other should be working with students. (See the 6 teaching approaches above for suggestions about the roles of both teachers.)
Common planning time--this is a must! If your school doesn't provide you with common planning time, then consider looking into your schedule for time that can be dedicated to making your classroom work. You are together for a year, it is worth sacrificing some of your prep time to this endeavor.
Differentiate up and down--if you are teaching in the inclusion setting, you have students with varying needs. It is important that you address all needs, including your advanced students. Consider using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to guide you.
Expand your horizons--learn from your co-teacher and the content area you teach together. Encourage your co-teacher to learn about your work, too.
Flexibility--because there are two people and as many as 30 students involved, even the best planned lessons and units may change. Be flexible when this happens and create a plan together to get back on track.
Give you partner a chance. You are two different people with two different points of view. Hear each other out and give the other person an opportunity to share what they know. You are both certified in different areas; learn from each other.
Honesty--if this relationship is going to work, then you have to be honest with each other. In a constructive way, have regular discussions with your co-teacher about the happenings in your classroom. Sometimes all you have to do is speak up to prevent communication break down.
Insist on a common discipline system for the class-create a plan that you both agree to follow. This will prevent you having to assume the good cop, bad cop roles.
Join forces--recognize that two heads are better than one and two bodies cover more ground in a classroom. Work together as a team to divide the work load and reach the needs of all learners in the room.
Kindness--your co-teacher will be your partner for a full year so be kind. In these high stress situations, we sometimes forget to do this.
Lesson Plans- both parties need them so they can contribute to the classroom. This is nonnegotiable.
Modifications--the content, process and product of a lesson may need to be differentiated so all parties can learn. Be open to the idea that not all students should learn the exact same thing in the exact same way.
Names, as in two, on everything--both teachers' names need to appear, from notes home to report cards and the door sign.
Outline your thoughts, ideas and beliefs for your co-teacher at the beginning of the year with the S.H.A.R.E worksheet by Murawski and Dieker.
Patience--co-teaching is challenging, especially in the secondary setting. Have patience when things don't work out and be willing to return to the drawing board to make a new plan.
Question what you don't understand in the classroom. We encourage our students to ask questions, so let's take our own advice. If you are unsure about the content of a lesson, a policy in the room or an action by your co-teacher, ask about it.
Release the reigns--as teachers, we like to be in control of everything, however when you have a co-teacher this responsibility must be shared. It is not your classroom, it is a shared classroom.
Small group instruction should be the foundation of the co-teaching setting. Both teachers need to acknowledge that in the course of the day, students need time for remedial and enrichment small groups.
Take a step back--before you react to something that isn't going well, take a minute to think about it and look at the big picture. Avoid blaming your partner for shortcomings that are occurring in your shared room.
Unit planning--considering taking time once month to devise a big picture plan. This will ensure that both teachers know the direction of the next couple of weeks and can contribute to this vision.
Voice your Concerns--if something doesn't seem right to you, speak up. If you feel that your students needs aren't being met or you are moving too quickly through the content, share this with your co-teacher. Don't let your bad feeling fester; stop and talk about them with your co-teacher.
Work in progress--know that your relationship is a work in progress and as such it will need readjustments and time to grow.
Xtra Support--because working in a collaborative team is challenging, ask for support from your administration. Professional development about how to make this relationship work is available and beneficial, whether you are new to the setting or have been doing it for many years
Yearly review--if you are lucky enough to have a partner for more than one year, spend time at the end of the year discussing what worked and what needs to change. This will make you more powerful for round two.
Zero tolerance for failure--consider having a policy that provides your students with the opportunity to remedy their failures and missing work. To learn more about this idea, watch Rick Wormeli talk about redos and retakes as a policy.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Using UDL
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to instruction that gives all students access to the curriculum. It asks us to look at our students as individuals to understand what they need, what their strengths are and what motivates them. A common misconception about UDL is that this approach is only appropriate for students with disabilities. While students with disabilities benefit from the modifications made using the three principles of UDL, this approach is beneficial to everyone.
Universal Design for Learning uses three principles to make instruction accessible to all students in a classroom. These principles are: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression and Multiple Means of Engagement. These three principles were created because we have three networks in the brain that help us learn: Recognition Network, Strategic Network and Affective Network. To learn more about this, visit Cast.org by clicking here.
Multiple Means of Representation asks us to provide content in various ways to our student. This can be done by providing audio, video, visuals, manipulatives and handouts during class instruction. This principle not only includes how we deliver the content of a lesson but how we help students categorize this information. This is important when we are planning so that we can be sure to activate prior knowledge and link our lesson to a meaningful activity, asking students to apply what they learned.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression asks us to provide some choice and variety when students share what they know. Here, we should consider that some students do a great job expressing themselves in written form, while others prefer speech. Assistive technologies are especially very helpful here--using an tablet, cell phone or computer to complete/access an assignment. We should provide opportunities for students to set their learning goals here and monitor their own progress, as well.
Multiple Means of Engagement asks us to consider a students interests and strengths. Here we ask ourselves the question, "What motivates my students to learn?" We can provide options for students to focus on their individual interests by increasing choice in the classroom. We want to encourage their effort and interest in this principle by allowing students to collaborate and providing them with constructive feedback. Finally, to further engage our students with a task, it is important that we ask them to self reflect and assess their own product and learning. One suggestion is to provide a rubric for students to use for self scoring before you grade their assignment.
To learn more about Universal Design for Learning, check out the video by CAST below or visit Cast.org.
Universal Design for Learning uses three principles to make instruction accessible to all students in a classroom. These principles are: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression and Multiple Means of Engagement. These three principles were created because we have three networks in the brain that help us learn: Recognition Network, Strategic Network and Affective Network. To learn more about this, visit Cast.org by clicking here.
Multiple Means of Representation asks us to provide content in various ways to our student. This can be done by providing audio, video, visuals, manipulatives and handouts during class instruction. This principle not only includes how we deliver the content of a lesson but how we help students categorize this information. This is important when we are planning so that we can be sure to activate prior knowledge and link our lesson to a meaningful activity, asking students to apply what they learned.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression asks us to provide some choice and variety when students share what they know. Here, we should consider that some students do a great job expressing themselves in written form, while others prefer speech. Assistive technologies are especially very helpful here--using an tablet, cell phone or computer to complete/access an assignment. We should provide opportunities for students to set their learning goals here and monitor their own progress, as well.
Multiple Means of Engagement asks us to consider a students interests and strengths. Here we ask ourselves the question, "What motivates my students to learn?" We can provide options for students to focus on their individual interests by increasing choice in the classroom. We want to encourage their effort and interest in this principle by allowing students to collaborate and providing them with constructive feedback. Finally, to further engage our students with a task, it is important that we ask them to self reflect and assess their own product and learning. One suggestion is to provide a rubric for students to use for self scoring before you grade their assignment.
To learn more about Universal Design for Learning, check out the video by CAST below or visit Cast.org.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Power of a Student Conference
Conferring with your students on a regular basis is a must in the classroom, as it provides you with oh-so-many opportunities to address their individual needs. However, it tends to be one of those things that many of us avoid. Hopefully, after reading some more information about the "why" and "how" of a conference, you will be sold on its power.
The beauty of a conference is that everyone gets one! While the reason for the conference and the frequency of conference may be different, the best thing about a conference is it is for all students—struggling learners, advanced/gifted, English Language Learners, Special Education, etc. Some of your students may need to meet with you multiple times a week, while others will only need to meet with you once every few weeks.
References:
Why should I conference?
To begin, conferences
offer you an opportunity to provide individualized
instruction to the learners in your classroom. During this time, immediate
feedback, both
+/-, can be given during a private conversation. Conferring regularly with your students can prevent
future misunderstandings about an assignment or your expectations of how work should be completed. This translates into LESS
work for you later and as a teacher in today's climate, who wouldn't want that? In additional to all the benefits a conference offers the teacher, students also like them, as they provide
an opportunity for you to get to know them without everyone else being involved.
When should I conference and who should I meet with during my conference?
You can conference with your students during independent work time. Each conference takes between 5-20 minutes so you can meet with multiple students for various reasons each day. Many teachers have conferences for writing or reading reasons, but they are also appropriate (and needed) in math activities, too!
The beauty of a conference is that everyone gets one! While the reason for the conference and the frequency of conference may be different, the best thing about a conference is it is for all students—struggling learners, advanced/gifted, English Language Learners, Special Education, etc. Some of your students may need to meet with you multiple times a week, while others will only need to meet with you once every few weeks.
What do I teach during a conference?
There are many different types of conferences; each type lending you a moment or more to address a need or provide additional instruction to push a student further, instructionally.
- On-the-Spot Conferences/Discussion Conferences
- Visit briefly with students at their desks
- Monitor student’s work or check progress
- Pre-reading or Pre-writing Conference
- Plan for the reading/writing session
- Feedback Conference
- Use this instead of writing comments on a paper.
- Share a graded assignment with your feedback
- Use the rubric whenever possible
- Additional Lesson Conferences
- Individual--maybe small group
- Can be used as Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 interventions
- (Re)teach a procedure, strategy, or skill that is needed for this student (s)
- Revision/Editing Conference
- Revise Writing/Repair Comprehension
- Proofread writing/read with a grammar focus
- Focus on spelling, punctuation, grammar, mechanics within writing/reading
- Common Core State Standards Language Strand asks us to teach grammar now--this is a perfect spot!
- Assessment Conference
- Asssess a student
- Discuss growth
- Set goals
- Reflect on assessment/growth/goals
Treat your conference as a conversation. Be less formal than when you teach the class. Allow the back and forth of this conversation to lead your student to new understanding.
Consider using a structure to make your Conference Effective. These four steps will give you a way to cover all the material you have planned and have some consistency from one conference to the next.
1. Research
2. Compliment
3.Teach
4. Link (Next Steps)
A great blog to visit for more information about conferring with your students is Two Reflective Teachers. The image below if from their blog.
How do I keep track of the student I meet with and what was said?
There are many
forms/tools that you can use and modify to get your started. Pick
one that fits your style!
Things to consider:
-Do you want to use a clipboard? What about a binder?
If you've moved away from the paper ways of the past, consider using an app. Two to consider are Confer and Reading Note.
Still looking for more information?
Visit Pinterest. There are many great boards about holding a student conference that can give you tips and materials to use during your conference time.
You can view some great conferences in actions by visiting the links below.
Mrs. Noonan Writing Conference
Anderson, C.
(2005). Assessing Writers. Portsmouth:
Heinemann.
Anderson, C. (2000). How's it going?: A practical guide to conferring with student writers. Heinemann Educational Books.
Anderson, C. (2000). How's it going?: A practical guide to conferring with student writers. Heinemann Educational Books.
Calkins, L. M., Hartman,
A., & White, Z. (2003). The conferring
handbook. Firsthand Books.
http://tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.com/
http://tworeflectiveteachers.blogspot.com/
http://readingandwritingproject.org/
http://www.teachingchannel.org/
http://www.teachingchannel.org/
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