 |
| Yes, we're celebrating the last days of school! |
A Celebration in the Hallways
The Good Old Days
Remember the good old days - when we were growing up?
There was also a drug problem around, but it was a little different. Here's how:
 |
| How many ways were you "drugged" as a child? |
I never get tired of reading this post about "the good old days" when we were growing up. It always brings a chuckle and a knowing nod when it's shared. It reminds me that in earlier years, there was more focus on life skills and social development, and students were much more understanding of their social responsibilities. Now, teachers are beginning to take on the mantle of teaching students how to become caring and understanding individuals.
Text Rendering: A Teaching Strategy
 |
| Text rendering is a great strategy for analyzing text |
Here is another strategy that is useful in the classroom. This is a great strategy to use when you are trying to get students of varying abilities to read and respond to text, and also contribute to a whole class discussion. Let's learn about toolkit strategy#2: text rendering.
What Is Text Rendering?
It’s a strategy used
to read and analyze any type of reading passage.
How Does It Work?
1.
Students are asked to read a selected passage.
2.
They think about what they have read, and then highlight a meaningful word,
phrase and sentence. This strategy asks students to read, comprehend the text,
evaluate what they have read and then synthesize what they have read in order
to select the most meaningful bits.
3.
The teacher then asks each student to share out the sentence, then the selected phrase and lastly, the word that
they have chosen. The shared selections are read aloud without comments or
judgment. Repeated selections are allowed.
Students like this strategy because it is low stress, everyone participates and it doesn't spotlight students with low reading levels or ability. (Students who are problem readers will be able to just repeat a word/phrase/sentence that they've heard.) The power of this strategy is that it focuses attention on the key elements of the text.
How do you think that you can use this strategy in your classroom?
Queen Bee
Our Mission as Teachers
It's great to have a public reminder of why education is so important for our students. When I saw this embroidered piece on Pinterest, I knew that I had to share it with you, my readers:
Please note: this quote is from Frederick Douglass, who said, "It is better to build strong children that to repair broken men."
Enjoy,
It's Never too Late to Learn
Now that summer has arrived and school is winding down, we have more time to concentrate on honing our teaching skills. There are lots of opportunities around to gain information on strategies and techniques for the classroom.
Here are some sources for professional development:
- Check with the teacher's union - many local chapters of teachers' unions have summer programs available for teachers. Call the union office or check with the latest issue of the union newsletter to get information on these courses.
- Go to the professional development section of your school district's website. You will probably find a listing of some classes that you can take during the summer. The great thing about these is that they directly connect with your subject and grade content and standards base.
- Check out the local college or university offerings. These institutions frequently have several sessions of summer programs to pick from - find out their summer schedules and jump in! Many colleges and universities have discounts available for teachers, too.
- Online courses are sometimes available through colleges year round. Summer is a great time to orient yourself to online learning to see if it's a good fit for your particular learning style.
- Refresh yourself by rereading your copies of college texts or books that you've bought from the bookstore. This information can supplement your subject content and reinforce the skills that you may already have.
In short, summer is a great time to get a start on additional skills training, beginning a master's or doctorate program or just keeping your mind fresh and alive. Stretch those brain cells (just like we tell our students!)
Becoming an Accomplished Teacher
 |
| Accomplished teachers have a great impact on student performance! |
What is the purpose of accomplished teaching anyway? Quite simply, accomplished teaching is the type of teaching that is focused on excellence in the practice of teaching, and is teaching that results in student achievement. This definition is not easy to get across, especially if you have been teaching for a while. So, in order to break down the different elements of accomplished teaching and explain each element, I like to refer to the core propositions of the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. My experience with the National Board has shown me that to provide excellence in teaching, these key components (or propositions) are essential:
- Knowledge of your students:
- Knowledge of your subject content,
- Monitoring and assessing student performance,
- Reflecting on your practice,
- Being a member of a professional learning community.
I want to share information about how to use these core propositions in future blog entries. I think that that these conversations will help reinforce my thinking and understanding, and perhaps will help other teachers, too.
Please look out for a future blog that's dedicated to learning about getting to know students and how that knowledge is translated into your practice.
The Modern School Teacher
Teachers are expected to be so many things for their students nowadays - instructors, counselors, nurses, parents (in loco), and student advocates, just to name a few. Teachers are also expected to complete all of these jobs with grace, dignity and professionalism on a very modest salary. In honor of the profession, here's a little cartoon to celebrate the ending days of this school year:
 |
By permission- Bruce Plante / planteink.com |
Time for Teacher Self-Reflection
 |
| Self-reflection is a great way to identify your instructional strengths |
It's always a good idea to know how you're doing as a teacher. But who is better than you to be able to identify your growth? That's the beauty of self-reflection. However, many of us don't take to time to formally gauge our effectiveness. Here's a calendar for self-review that you may find helpful. Use a schedule that's offered below, or any type that you desire. The point is, you need to develop a systematic review of your practice:
Daily: create a basic table with 5 items and a space for each day (5 columns, 5 rows). Below you see a sample of a form that you can develop for yourself. If you put three copies on a form, you have a record that lasts for three weeks. Run off enough copies to last the year. Simply give yourself a check plus (equal to an "A" grade), check (equal to a "C" grade) or check minus (equal to an "F" grade) for your lessons, homework, transitions, classroom management, and parental contacts. You may want to add a column for comments as well! If you compare your reflections to your plans you will have a one-stop evaluation tool of what worked in class and what didn't work. This will provide a system to help you in future lesson planning and presentation.
 |
| This is a sample of a daily reflection checklist |
Weekly: use a copy of your school's informal quick visit form or draft one yourself. Nothing formal, simply create narrative sections for classroom environment, management, lesson, curriculum pacing and student engagement. Complete a short reflection (one or two sentences) in each section. It will give you a bird's eye view of your classroom. If your school has informal visit forms, compare the one you receive from your administrator with your own. That will help you identify your perceived and actual strengths and weaknesses.
 |
| This is a sample of a weekly reflection form |
Monthly: use your school's formal observation form
Complete the formal form used to evaluate your performance. It's better to evaluate your own practice before the administrator arrives. By doing this, you can begin to address problem areas and begin to upgrade your practice. If your problem areas persist, address them yourself by attending professional development sessions.
Annually: a more extensive evaluation form that measures details of your practice
It can be a two part review that includes your students' perspectives as well as your own perspective, or either one of your choosing.
Student evaluation
Many teachers have their students complete an evaluation form at the end of the year (or semester)
Sample:
http://www.rucharacter.org/file/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Teacher%20Evaluation%20by%20Students(1).pdf
Self reflection
Here is a very thorough self reflective survey (22 pages) that will measure just about every aspect of your teaching practice. It's a pdf file, so take a moment to print it off, and then complete it.
Sample:
http://www.incredibleyears.com/Resources/TCM_Self_Reflection_Inventory.pdf
Try to develop a binder during the summer that will hold copies of your reflections - you may even want to have them dated and ready to use once school begins again! The trick is to begin the reflective process, and be consistent. Also, once you begin a reflective practice, remember to address those areas where you need help and celebrate your successes!
Thoughtfully yours,
3-2-1: A Teaching Strategy
During your career as an educator you will develop loads of activities, ideas and tips that you use throughout your practice. Here is a great activity: The 3-2-1 strategy.
What is the 3-2-1 strategy?
One of the hallmarks of a great lesson or presentation is being able to finish it with an activity that brings all of the lesson elements together. You want your audience to remember the highlights of the lesson, and leave with information that can be used in the future. The 3-2-1 strategy is great to use because it summarizes key information in a clear and concise way. I've used it with students in class, and I've used it as an evaluation tool with adults as well. Your creativity will determine how you want to present this chart - as a listed version, as a chart or as a table. Younger students can use pictures instead of words.
How Does It Work?
Simply fill out a 3-2-1 form with
information that will summarize the learning. As the name implies, the form appears in descending order, with 3 items, then 2, then 1.
Here's an example of things you could include in a generic form:
- 3 Things You Found Out
- 2 Interesting Things
- 1 Question You Still Have
Use this strategy whenever you want to gauge learning or evaluate a process: as an exit ticket, a evaluation tool or as the introduction to a class discussion.
The labels for the 3-2-1 form are the things you ask, and they can change according to the audience:
- In professional development sessions:
- In art class:
- In literacy class:
- In math class:
- In science class:
3 states of matter; 2 types of chemical bonds; and 1 basic building block of matter
Have fun with this new tool!
Queen Bee
Perk Up Student Learning
 |
| Is it time to add a little novelty and stimulation to your classes? |
Are you trying your best to perk up your final
lessons and activities this year? I know how hard it is to encourage students to do
anything remotely academic when everything around them is screaming “school is
almost over.” Even school countdown calendars are posted around the school. How can you keep students’ attention when their minds have gone on vacation?
The secret is to inject novelty in
your lessons. Substantial research shows that novelty is a great way to attract, motivate and stimulate student thinking. Now is the time to try some of the fun
ideas and plans that you have held onto all year. The activities that engage
students’ creative modalities are a great draw for students. They might be
tiring of the standard lesson format, but something that adds artistic,
kinesthetic or interpersonal flavor is sure to “wake up” your students. And
fear not – you can use this creativity in content subject areas as well as
expressive subject areas.
Here are some cool ideas to add a spark to your teaching.
Why not have students:
- Demonstrate a scientific principle
- Develop a content-related game
- Role-play characters in a story/play
- Conduct a math review session.
- Participate in a debate based on current events
- Create posters that advocate both points of view on a social issue
- Develop a performance for younger students in the school
- Become reading buddies for younger students
- Identify a school-based problem (like littering or bullying) and then develop and promote a solution to the problem.
I found some additional great ideas
for end of the year activities by visiting these two websites:
http://scan-werecriticaltothinking.blogspot.com/2012/05/keep-on-teaching-great-eoy-activities.html
Remember - now is the time to have some fun in class!
Enjoy,
Using Games as a Skill Review
 |
| Games are a great way to imbed skills and increase student interest! |
Our students love games - let's give them games that have an imbedded skills review! It's a win-win when students can enjoy the novelty and pleasure of playing, and we can give them additional exposure to practicing skills.
When using games, you have a choice. You can use the format of traditional games (think Bingo or Monopoly) and change the spaces, cards, or numbers using information that you want to review. The benefit of this type of game is that most students already know how to play the games. However, you can also opt to create your own games using game boards that you can design yourself. Then you can create the rules for the game.
The Jefferson County school system in Tennessee has a website that contains a wealth of information about using both types of games. You can get pre-made bingo or wordo cards, powerpoint versions of Jeopardy, Password, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Wheel of Fortune, as well as Excel games - even the Twister game. If you prefer to design your own game, you can download and print off specially designed game boards that relate to your grade and subject:
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/vocab/wordo.html
Enjoy,
End of the Year Student Reflections
 |
| How reflective are your students? |
Here are some ideas that you can use during the closing days of the school year. I found that it's great to have students reflect on what they've done, and plan for how they can improve their learning:
- Have students grade their progress and learning for the year and prove why they should receive a specific grade.
- Give students the responsibility of trimming down their learning portfolios and creating a folder of their best work.
- Have students write a letter at the start of the year, predicting what they think they will learn. Then at year’s end, have students revisit their predictions and reflect on what happened.
- Have students write letters to next year’s class, advising them about what to expect.
- Let students create a time capsule that includes memorable moments from the school year.
These are a few ideas to get students thinking about their work. In my humble opinion, introspection is a great student activity, and if you can have students create a written record of that reflection - what a bonus!
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is a mother or who nurtures and supports the young -
I believe that mothers are the very first teachers!
With love,
I believe that mothers are the very first teachers!
 |
| Happy Mother's Day! |
With love,
Mother's Day Reminders
In honor of our moms and nuturers, here are some
tips to consider as we come towards the end of the school year:
Your friend,
D – document any specific student concerns or
challenges
O – other opinions count…listen to your
students’ voices
N – never give up on your hopes and dreams
‘
T – think of novel ways to instruct your
students
F – “flip the script,”letting students present
learned material
O – offer students opportunities for interactive
learning experiences
R – relish every small victory in the classroom
G – give yourself time every day for
self-reflection
E – enjoy exercise as a stress-reliever
T - take a walk during your lunch break – enjoy
the sunshine
M – make a commitment to offer quality
instruction
O – orchestrate your classroom like a musical
conductor
T - teach the TAG writing strategy
H – have your students write tips to incoming
students
E – enrich your instruction with film clips
(Discovery Education)
R – review IEPs at A Glance for your special
needs students
‘
S – save some energy for JUNE
D – do whatever you can to stimulate student
interest
A - analyze your instructional strengths and
weaknesses
Y – you should remember your mom – Mother’s Day
is here!
Your friend,
In Honor of Teachers
There are not too many jobs around that form the basis for all other jobs on the planet. However, in order to have any job, we must be taught how to do it. These people who teach us how to do it are being honored this week - our teachers. Now, our teachers can be the people who instructed us and educated us in front of a classroom and shared lessons about history, math, reading and science. However, our teachers were often much more than content specialists. Our teachers also gave us guidance when we needed to know how to get somewhere, somehow. Our teachers gave us support when we stumbled along the way, chastened us if we came up short and congratulated us when we achieved our goals. What about the persons who taught us about loyalty and friendship? These same teachers offered us life lessons when needed. And jokes, some of my teachers told the best and the corniest jokes! Wow. I don't remember all of my teachers, sadly some of them didn't leave an impression worth remembering. But those who I do remember will carry me forward, and have probably made me the educator that I am today. Thank you teachers, your efforts carry on.
Here is a video that I would like to share in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. It is from the Teaching Channel, an excellent source for teacher materials, resources and videos.
(Note: please stop the video as soon as the speaker is finished. Thanks)
Enjoy,
Thank You, Teachers
To
my friends,
Thank you for coming to work today. You could
have stayed home, you could have done something else or you could have gone
anywhere else. However, you came here, and our children will have a better
tomorrow because of your dedication today.
Several years ago when I was a teacher in the
classroom, I would often get to school really early in the morning. As I entered my
classroom, I would often see the building engineer- sweeping, dusting, cleaning
and preparing the hallways for the new day. I would say “Good Morning,” and he
would simply respond, “Good morning, and thanks for coming in today.” Those
simple words from an unassuming worker in our building kept me going more days
than I want to remember. That simple thank you for doing what I thought was my
job, became recognition for my dedication to this work. It was so gratifying to
be appreciated for doing so much for what I perceived was so little. When he told me “thank you” was when I
realized that my payment was not the chump change in my biweekly check – my
payment was the satisfaction of making a difference in the future of our planet
– one child at a time.
One of my friends, and one of your co-workers
reminded me of that recently. She told me that a little “thank you” would have meant
so much during those early teaching days. You know, those cold mornings when
you just wanted to turn over and go back to sleep, or when the long days and
the boorish students seemed to really weigh you down. Just a simple acknowledgement that you were trying to make a
difference, well, that would have made a difference. You know, that teacher was right, and although I can’t go
back to yesterday, I sure can say “Thank you” today.
Thank you for coming to school today, and every
day – and thanks for working so hard with our children and making such a
difference in their lives.
Your friend,
Your friend,
Success
Here's something to remember when you've had a hard day, and can't seem to see the benefits of your hard work:
URL: funstoo.blogspot.com/2012/01/success-its-not-always-what-you-see.html
Your friend,
Classroom Conversation Starters and Accountable Talk
Why are some students so quiet during classroom discussions?
Could it be because...
- They don’t have a clue about what to say
- They are intimidated about the process
- They don’t want to be judged by their peers
And then, with other students, it’s the exact opposite.
These students are surly, abrupt and abrasive. They intimidate their classmates, are judgmental in their comments and stifle discussions. Our fast paced and technology driven lifestyles have given our children very little practice in how to have rich and productive conversation. With texting and tweeting encouraging us to be curt and abrupt, it's a wonder that any of us can carry on an appropriate conversation anywhere - especially in the classroom.
There’s a way to help students with conversation skills, and for many students it's a matter of helping them learn how to communicate more effectively. This can be done by providing them with examples of appropriate conversation, role
playing, and practicing conversations.
This is not a unique idea that I thought up (although
I wish I had!) On one of my visits to support a teacher, I visited someone (Thanks, Katty F. from the Bronx!) who used this strategy in her classroom – a classroom of
active, urban 5th graders.
Her students who could be a rambunctious group during the day, were able
to have conversations that were fruitful, sincere and classroom appropriate.
Their reactions to each other were thoughtful, measured and polite. I was
puzzled, until I spoke with her. Katty told me about
accountable talk, a concept foreign to me (quite the veteran teacher). She then
showed me the posters on the wall that she used to remind her students about what to say,
when to say it and how to say it. To give a clearer idea of what accountable
talk is, here is a quote that I found on Mrs.Ballard’s homepage. It defines the basis of accountable talk: (http://asfms.net/sevenb/ballard_c/Template/accountabletalk.html)
"Whatever its form--whole class discussion,
small group work, peer or teacher conferences, interviews--talk should be
accountable to the learning community, to knowledge and standards
of evidence that are appropriate to the subject, and to generally accepted standards
of reasoning.”
I’m all for offering the students a posted “conversation
template.” This is simply a poster that includes sentence starters for amenable conversation. Each group of starters has a heading so that the starters
are used appropriately. The poster can be posted on the wall, or there can be individual mini-posters placed on each students' desk. Here is an
idea of what can be included in different posters and presented in the
classroom:
When We Ask Questions
in Class:
§
What did
you mean when you said__________?
§
Do you
think that___________?
§
I don’t
understand ______________?
§
Could you
please repeat that sentence/question?
When We Make Comments
in Class:
§
I agree
with what you said because________________
§
I
understand what you said, but I think that _______________
§
I respectfully
disagree because______________________
§
That’s a
great way to ____________________
§ That’s a
good idea because____________________
Queen Bee
What's teaching without homework?
Please share your creative ways to stimulate productive conversation in your classroom.
T This idea for using accountable talk is worth a try, and may help students create a language for learning that helps them contribute more in class and enhances your ability to foster discourse in your classroom.
Queen Bee
What's teaching without homework?
Please share your creative ways to stimulate productive conversation in your classroom.
Appreciation and Thanks
How about a little appreciation after a full week of work at school? 
from your friend,
|
Strategy Time: Having Great Classroom Discussions
You don't have to shy away from classroom discussions. In fact, organized discussions are a great way for students to use the information that they've learned and evaluate other opinions. It's also a good way for students to practice the use of persuasive arguments. However, discussion is a skill that has to be taught, and there are many different types of discussions that you can use in the classroom.
Consider these types of discussions, and think about how you can use them in your practice:
Open Discussions: (used when there is a question or topic for a large group discussion)
- the teacher serves as a moderator for the discussion, and models listening etiquette for the class
- students are given the topic ahead of time, and are allowed to prepare for the discussion
Guided Discussions: (used to give students an opportunity to explore a topic in greater depth)
- the discussion is started by the teacher who poses questions to the group
- answers and opinions are based on facts and proof
- during the discussion, the teacher fades as the leader and students address each other
Fishbowl Discussions: (used to explore ideas about a topic in a non-threatening environment)
- there are two circles of seated students-one inner circle and and outer circle around them
- the inner circle begins the discussion, as the the outer circle listens, then the groups switch places. Select vocal students for inner circle, so more reticent students can observe and get ideas.
General Rules about All Discussions:
1. There must be strict guidelines given about how to respond to each other.
2. All opinions must be valued and listened to.
3. Everyone is allowed to participate, but no one should be forced to participate
4. Have a way to identify the speaker "who has the floor"- some use a talking stick or an eraser.
Here's a video that shows how to use another form of discussion, the Socratic Seminar. This example of the Socratic Seminar consists of discussions in small groups followed by a debate.
(Note: Stop the video as soon as you see the ending credits - Thanks)
Have a great time using this strategy,
Share any experiences you've had with discussions in your classroom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)