Do YOU Believe You Can?

Smart Juice... Disgusting! 

The concept of self-efficacy is defined as an individual's belief in his or her ability to succeed in any given situation or accomplish a given task (Bandura, 1977). So, what exactly does self-efficacy have to do with "Smart Juice?" 

It was only my second year teaching, and in my hands, I held the minds of 20 inquisitive third grade students. This particular class was terrific, to say the least. They always seemed to ask the right questions and were fully engaged in all lessons. However, a dark cloud loomed over them the entire year... the dreaded State Test! 

For my third graders, this would be the first year that they were being asked to take the test all on their own. As their teacher, I knew very well that they would outperform any exam. However, the big question remained; did THEY believe the same? 

Get Buy-In on I CAN Mindset

As a new teacher, I was now facing a problem. I knew very well that my students had what it took to tackle and take down the state test. But, how could I get them to believe in themselves? This task was easier said than done with third graders. I had read plenty of articles that stressed the importance of student self-efficacy and its relationship to student success. I knew that I had to get my students to buy in on an I CAN mindset.  So I did what any creative teacher would do, I cleverly resorted to a little Teacher Magic!


I shared with my third graders how I would selflessly empty my pockets and purchase some "Smart Juice" from the "Teacher Store" so they could have some the morning of the test, and consequently score well above all others thanks to our juice! (Insert sneaky laugh)


So, the morning of the test I did just that. I purchased white grape juice from our local supermarket, tore off the label, and served 20 miniature cups of "Smart Juice" to my apprehensive third graders. I even had little Adriana dramatically hold her nose as she sipped the juice down and shared with me, "I am only doing this for you teacher because this is disgusting!"


Fast forward to the end of the week-long testing window. I now sat with my students and had them share with me how they felt they did on the exam. My students shared that they were confident that they passed, eager to get their results, and this was all thanks to how smart they became after drinking the Smart Juice!
Then, contrary to what any seasoned magician would tell you, I revealed my bag of tricks to my innocent third graders. I shared with them how I had made the whole thing up. I shared that the reason they did well on this test, was not because of any concoction that they might have taken, but that they could attribute their success to themselves! THEY believed that they could, and so THEY DID! 


I was surprised as to what followed. My students were not upset with me for tricking them, they giggled and thought that their teacher was pretty clever to fool them the way she had. 


That summer I received student scores for what was known then as the STAR Test. When I opened the envelope, I can honestly say that I was not surprised. 19 of my 20 students scored Proficient or Advanced in the Language Arts portion, and 18 of the 20 scored the same in Mathematics. These kiddos believed in themselves, and the proof was right in front of me. 



Eights years later I had the pleasure of reuniting with Adriana, the little gal who thought the Smart Juice was disgusting. She was on the cheering squad for our local high school. We reminisced about that wonderful year, and she remembered that Smart Juice she once had. And even then, she still considered it a sneaky little trick... that worked. 

"The students who are most engaged are the ones who think they matter to their teacher." - Dr. Russell Quaglia

How Can I Do That?

According to the article by Natalie Kuhtmann Haskellere, Classroom Strategies to Improve Student Self-Efficacy and Learning Outcomes, she shares a few things we can do as teachers to increase student self-efficacy:

• As teachers, we can stimulate critical thinking and comprehension and thus increase student self-efficacy

• We must remember the value of positive reinforcement. Make sure that this reinforcement is more than a generic “Good Job, Jane!” Rather, make your comments and actions specific and tangible. 

• Also, keep in mind that our most important job as educators, is not to produce a generation of right answers; it is to produce a generation of confident, eloquent thinkers who can understand, effectively utilize, and enjoy their individual learning processes. 

and with this tidbit of advice... I sign off.

Climbing the mountain herself,

Yvonne Milian

Retrieved from: Kuhtmann Haskellere, N.(2018). Classroom Strategies to Improve Student Self-Efficacy and Learning Outcomes. Retrieved from: https://www.pearsoned.com/improve-self-efficacy-learning-outcomes/ 

  

No TEACHER Left Behind

Feeling discouraged?  Did the title of this blog intrigue you perhaps because you are feeling overwhelmed?  Then I want to acknowledge the following:

YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

I would like to briefly talk about the emotional side of teaching and its impact on us as humans.  We are not immune to the dreadful 3D's: discouragement, disillusionment, disappointment.

Just this week it hit me like a ton of bricks as I reflected on some test results: Why aren't they getting it?  What am I doing wrong?  Am I effective?  Am I the only one struggling with this?

Then I remembered the phases of first-year teachers:

However, I would say that the problem with this graphic is that it is labeled as "first-year teachers" when I feel it could apply to ANY teacher.  It assumes that we are not susceptible to negative feelings once we have a couple of years of teaching under our belt.  You can google tons of information regarding teacher burn-out and teachers leaving the field to disprove this notion.  Here is a copy of an article that appeared in this month's NEA Today magazine that discusses teacher stress:

Teacher Stress Article

So what can we do?  How do we avoid being felt "left behind"?  I brainstormed a list of things I try to do to get over my negativity.

1.  Acknowledge your feelings and emotions.  It is OK to feel the way you do!  Don't push aside your concerns or ignore them.

2.  Vent!  Seek a trusted colleague and just let it all out.  If YOU are the trusted friend, allow your colleague to talk and describe what is going on.

3.  Set boundaries.  Perhaps the problem is that you have a full plate of responsibilities.  Can you say "no" more often?  Recently, I learned about setting boundaries at a workshop.  The following videos really helped me set professional as well as personal boundaries with others.

4. Celebrate successes!  Focus on your students' achievements whether it be their overall behavior, reading gains, or whatever it may be.  A red dot on a white wall is just that....a red dot.  However, sometimes we ignore the entire wall which represents all the accomplishments your class has achieved and what YOU have done as their teacher.  Don't overlook it....celebrate it!

5.  MUSIC!!  Never forget the power that music has over our emotions.  When I described my disappointment earlier, the first thing I did when I got in my car was crank Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" to get rid of my negative mind space.  Never underestimate the power a good tune has over your emotions.  Last week, our Outreach Consultant taught a Red Ribbon Week lesson to my class and she ended it with the following video.  Thank you Ms. Merritt!  I couldn't get the tune out of my head!  It was so catchy, positive, and fun.  It changed my mindset immediately.  Here you go:

I hope you have an amazing year and thank you for reading this blog!  YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

Gus Macuil
Happy Writing!

Welcome to the World of Teaching! How Can I Take Your Order? (part 1)

Welcome to the World of Teaching! How Can I Take Your Order? (Part 1)

Teaching can be one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs in the world. Students make it worth it; however there's something that can make or break your happiness as a teacher: collaboration among parents.

Before starting my teaching career, I was a waitress at Chili's for 7 years. I often relate my experience as a waitress to collaboration with team members. There were customers that were easy to please. Those are the parents that you naturally work well with. However, there were customers who seemed impossible to please. As a naive waitress, I would often handle these 'customers' with the mentality "fight fire with fire". If they were going to be rude to me, that's the type of service they'll receive.  

Yeah... that mentality didn't get me far. Not only was I receiving horrible tips, I also felt terrible about myself. It was a lose-lose situation. I realized I needed to approach these 'customers' differently. At first it felt fake, but as I grew to understand the importance of being adaptable; I handled these situations as a challenge instead of a burden. My job was for them to buy what I was selling. 

Here are some tips to successful collaboration with parents :

1. Build a relationship:

It's easy to ignore a parent's email/or phone call or push parent's complaints to the side... Don't do it! That would be "fighting fire with fire". Keep them in the loop (ClassDojo,notes/phone calls home/ parent conferences). Have an open door policy. By keeping the lines of communication open, teachers can ease a parent's/student's anxiety about a transition and/or ensure that a child is always learning. 

2. Show you care:

Before and after any conversation I have with a parent, I always explain their child's strengths. I also make it clear that we are a team. Parents like to hear they are valued and supported.

3. Be adaptable:

Just like a marriage, be willing to make compromises!

4. Assume the best:

I used to assume that a "difficult parent's" sole purpose was to make my job miserable. They would complain or request more from the school and I would either tune them out completely or refuse to work with them. Just like serving, I received no "tip". I felt terrible and even worse my students were negatively effected. The best piece of advice, I have ever been given for successful collaboration is to assume people are doing the best they can. It allows me to have patience and love for all the people I work with. 

"All I know is that my life is better when I assume that people are doing their best. It keeps me out of judgement and lets me focus on what is, and not what should or could be."-Steve Alley

As a result of maintaining successful collaboration with parents, you'll receive huge "tips". Parents will trust you with IEP decisions, will praise you to the Principal, respect your choices, appreciate your work, and support you at home.

Please read my next blog, for tips for successful collaboration with colleagues.

For the Love of Teaching,

Kim Reza

Be Proud to Read Aloud!

Be Proud to Read Aloud!

Reading to children before they can read to themselves is a necessary tool to develop young readers.  When we read to our students, we should involve them by talking about the illustrations/photographs and asking them questions.  The most effective read-alouds are those where students are actively participating in making predictions and asking and answering questions, rather than passively listening.  An interactive read aloud not only benefits young children but children of all ages.  Read-alouds are essential because they serve so many academic functions.  They motivate, encourage, excite, build background, develop comprehension, assist children in making connections, and serve as a model of what a fluent reader sounds like.  Reading aloud to students opens their minds and helps them understand the world. It helps them develop listening and language skills and prepares them to understand the written word.  Even after children learn to read on their own, it's still important for them to be read to aloud. 

What should an interactive read-aloud look like? 

Why should teachers make reading aloud to their students a priority?  

"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read."
 -Marilyn Jager Adams

An interactive read aloud is a planned and purposeful read-aloud that you can incorporate into your weekly lessons.  This interactive read aloud should be planned to build fluency and comprehension while teaching a specific skill.  Students are engaged in the read-aloud process instead of passive.  An interactive read-aloud should provide students with:

• a model of fluent reading
• motivate students to want to read on their own
• provide and enhance background knowledge
• boost vocabulary knowledge
• improve recall and advanced comprehension skills
• promote critical thinking skills
• develop oral language and listening skills
• create a sense of classroom community through class discussion.

Where do I start? How do I create a weekly interactive read-aloud routine that will be successful in my classroom? 

First, CHOOSE...  
Choosing the right read aloud is the easiest task of all since we are provided some great read-alouds in the McGraw Hill ELA program.  In first grade, we are offered a Big Book read-aloud, Interactive read-aloud cards, Reading Writing Workshop Big Book, and supplemental read-alouds as a choice.  These are excellent choices because they align with the theme, vocabulary and comprehension skill for that week of instruction.  These selections are good matches for our student's oral language skills, written in a way that can engage critical thinking and are entertaining, high-quality literature that students enjoy interacting with.      

Next, PLAN...
Look at your students.  Look at your standards.  What do they need to learn? What are they struggling with? Where can you dive deeper?  This is when I pull out my trusty T.E.  Our teacher editions provide us with the comprehension skill and strategy focus for that week. For example- the skill is Key Details, and the strategy is Visualizing. This will help me plan my questioning and think-alouds for students.  I use the Modeling Think-Aloud poster to plan sentence stems I will use during my teacher think-alouds. I also look at the vocabulary, phonics, high-frequency words, grammar, and structural analysis concepts to emphasize or notice as I read aloud.  You have to open the book and decide where and when you'll ask a question or insert a think aloud for the most productive lesson.  Does a specific page really exemplify the skill you are trying to teach perfectly?  Are their some text-dependent questions you can ask? See any great discussion points? Write them down! I write down all my questions and think-alouds on sticky notes and stick them on the page that I will use them on.  

Then, READ....
Bring your students to the rug.  It is important to have them sit next to their shoulder partner.  My students know that they always travel to the carpet with their shoulder partner.  Then start your read-aloud.  Read with enthusiasm using gestures and voices.  Be sure to stop and briefly review vocabulary. I always make sure to have taught the vocabulary before the read aloud, this way it is a review when reintroduced in the read-aloud.  Make sure to stop and have students summarize, paraphrase, and act out scenes during and after reading.  Remember to use your sticky notes and ask your questions. Ask some more in-depth questions that pose no "right or wrong" answers and build off your student's responses.  Have students think, pair and share solutions with their shoulder partners before calling on students for their responses. This is a great way to start a meaningful discussion in your classroom.  Model appropriate think-aloud strategies both during and after reading. For example, help students visualize parts of the text that are full of descriptive words.  Incorporate student think-alouds and comprehension skills and strategies (rereading, predicting, etc..)when appropriate to aid in comprehension.  Always encourage partner sharing instead of independent response.  When we are discussing our read aloud, I provide my students with accountable talk sentence frames. I like the use of sentence stems as a friendly reminder of how we interact with one another academically in the classroom. I have included a photo below:

Last, PRODUCE
After reading, provide a closure activity-reviewing and analyzing vocabulary, finding the main idea and details and recording results onto a graphic organizer, having a class discussion or debate, or providing personal responses, a one-sentence prediction or summary in a writing. Example:

So are you ready to set the stage for interactive read-alouds in your classroom? I hope you are feeling inspired to take action.  I think you are going to be amazed at the improvements and gains your students will make with practicing these oral comprehension skills and strategies consistently in your classroom.  Good Luck! Please email me with any questions or if you'd like to see this in action.

  

                               Positively Teaching,                              

Randi Muehlen

Kagan-izing Eureka Math!

Do you ever feel like something is missing in the delivery of your Math instruction? Does it seem like you’re doing most of the talking, you’re exhausted, and yet the kids are unfocused, disengaged, and quite simply just “zoned out”? Successful math instruction needs to have two strong components: a highly effective curriculum, in conjunction with the implementation of effective cooperative learning structures/strategies.  Implementing cooperative learning structures throughout your daily Eureka Math lessons will help ensure that both you and your students will love math time! 

"We should not only use the brains we have but all that we can borrow.”-Woodrow Wilson

My kids look forward to and are excited about our Eureka Math lessons every day!  When Math time is approaching they'll start asking me "Are we going to do "Showdown" today Miss Brown? or "Rally Table?" Not only are they engaged through the use of all these Kagan structures, the power behind combining them into the Eureka Math routines really enhances the students' confidence in themselves, and their ability to rationalize and explain mathematical concepts and procedures within the Eureka curriculum, which supports their learning.  My students have learned to rely on each other and are able to successfully build on each other's ideas and learn from one another through the use of these cooperative learning structures.  My kiddos have grown to not only feel successful, but also to be successful in Math!

In this video, you can see my students participating in some of the Kagan structures described below (RallyCoach, Continuous Rally Table, Showdown, and QQT) during Eureka Math lessons.

Here's a brief description of some of the Kagan structures I use during my Eureka Math lessons, and how and when I implement each one:

Rally Coach
This structure is one where students work in pairs.They take turns where one is the "coach" and is showing/explaining to their partner exactly how they solved a problem step by step.  The other partner listens, praises and helps if necessary.  I implement this structure during many of the Fluency Practice activities in Eureka Math, as well as during some parts of the Problem Set and Student Debrief.

Continuous Rally Table
This is similar to Rally Robin, but this time they take turns sharing answers around their table again and again until all questions are answered, or when I say stop.  I implement this also during many of the Fluency Practice activities in Eureka math.  Often times during the "mental math" activities where it lists several problems it wants the students to solve.  I will have the students take out one whiteboard for the group and pass it around one person to the next, each person solving the next question on the board.  Sometimes I time them and we will see which group finishes first (they like this).  I then go over the answers and they check their team's answers and give each other praise, feedback, and team cheers.

Showdown
Each team has a "showdown captain" that I choose to start. I will display a question from the Fluency Practice on the board.  All students will solve on their whiteboards and flip them over to signal they're done.  Once the captain sees everyone at the table is done, he/she calls out "showdown" and then everyone flips their boards over and they praise/coach as needed. The student to the right of the captain will then become the new "showdown captain" for the next question. This is the basic structure of the Whiteboard Exchange component within Eureka Math, except that in this case it is student led rather than teacher led.  I walk around to observe and support where needed.

Quiz-Quiz-Trade
Students are each given one flashcard (I do either addition or multiplication at this point in the year).  They are then directed to stand up, hand up and pair up. Partner A holds up her flashcard and Partner B responds with the answer.  Partner A then either praises or coaches.  Then they reverse roles.  Once finished, both partners switch flash cards, thank each other, put their hand back up and find a new partner.  This process repeats until I tell them to stop.  I generally use QQT on the Eureka Lessons that don't have "Sprints." This allows for them to still practice facts quickly and accurately.

Here are my students participating in Rally Robin and Numbered Heads Together, as described below.

Rally Robin
I tell the kids this is like the "ping pong ball" strategy.  When the question is displayed, students in A/B partners take turns responding until the time is up.  This is meant for questions with multiple answers.  I often use this during the Eureka Math Fluency Practice as well, generally when they're asked to skip count, or determining factors of a given number, Mental Math activities, etc,. You can use with any question that elicits multiple responses.

Numbered Heads Together (variation of)
I will have students complete a section of the Problem Set (or often times just 1 multi-step word problem), and once done, each child goes around the table stating his/her answer to that question and also explaining the strategies they used, processes to solve, etc.  If everyone is correct, then they praise each other and move to the next question.  If there are different answers, then the group stops, reworks that problem together and discusses the right answer alongside the different methods/strategies they chose to solve it.  Often this structure is used for the Student Debrief section as well.  I find this particular process/structure to be very powerful as they students really do listen to each other, provide feedback to their peers, and coach one another in finding and correcting mistakes!

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net

Let's Do This!

                                         

Let me preface this post by saying that I love, love, love everything about the classroom and I have absolutely no desire to ever leave it. That being said, I'm wondering if I'm in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Sigh. I've recently become very reflective about the last fifty years or so. Last month, I wrote about math and whether or not I would have been a math person if my elementary school years had been more mathematically challenging, rigorous, and engaging. Now I find myself pondering a new question: Had I been given the opportunity, would I have fallen in love with science, technology, or engineering? (By the way, I jokingly blame Chris Catuara and his team of techie superheroes, Tamara Moyers, Mary-Elizabeth Quan, Jeff Quick, and Stacey Van Heerden) for putting on such an engaging STEM workshop last week.) 

A couple of days ago,  my granddaughter, Milla, went to Chuck E. Cheese for the very first time. When she walked in and looked around, she said "Wow!"in anticipation of the fun she was bound to have. I had a similar reaction when I entered Chris's STEM workshop. He and his team had transformed the room into a science, technology, engineering and math wonderland. "Wow!" I thought as I noticed a green screen, an engineering center with bridges assembled by students, a Google Expedition center with interactive masks, and Ozobots (little robotie things...lol). There were different centers that had been set up so we could rotate through them. I felt like a little kid again. Every time the timer went off to indicate it was time to switch, I (not so silently) whined, "Awww." Like a child, I didn't want to stop what I was doing. 

Mobile Maker Tech Tubs. Yep. These tubs are magical. The possibilities for student engagement is off the charts. These folks even went so far as to create lesson plans for each tub and align them to Wonders, Eureka Math, and the Next Generation Science Standards. Hats off to this group of experts for their hard work, professionalism, and encouragement. To find out more, go to the EdTech Website on Symbaloo. 

I'm all about leveling the educational playing field for students and removing barriers to success Funds are not a barrier because the district has already invested in these phenomenal tubs. Scheduling is not a barrier because you can sign up for a day and time that is convenient for you and your students. Knowledge of STEM is not a barrier because Chris, Tamara, Mary-Elizabeth, Jeff and Stacey are ready, able, and willing to help. We owe it to ourselves and our students to expose them to these resources. 

Let's Do This!

Lola Jollie

Dress For Success In A Math Classroom

Dress For Success In A Math Classroom

My 8th grade students did a one on one job interview last week as their final presentation for the project #MathInMyLife.  What a great experience for the students and me too!  Students were tasked with preparing for a job of their choice and to dress for success in order to make a great first impression.

I try to make connections to the real world in my math class with each unit of study and at the end the students do some type of presentation.  The project that students worked on was answering the essential question, "Is it better to use cash or credit card?"  In the project, the students had to decide on where they would like to work for their first job, research the job, find a job application for it, and decide on a work schedule for the week.  To try and make an even stronger connection to their future I decided that students would sit down with me and do a mock job interview.

What connections do you make with the curriculum and the real world?  How do you get students involved in preparing for their future?  What life skills do you teach your students that goes beyond your curriculum?

All of us do these three things throughout the year - wouldn't it be great to share what we do with our site colleagues and then with other site colleagues so that we can use what others are doing successfully in their classrooms.  

Here is what happened last week: 

Job interview day arrived - students showed up in dresses, button down shirts, dress pants, shirts with ties, and yes students showed up in jeans and a t-shirt.  During the class period, students would come to the back of the room and do their job interview - telling me what job they were applying for, why they would be a good fit for the company, and what special skills they bring to this job.  Students were then asked a question on the spot to see how they would respond to an impromptu question.  I had 100% participation and each student took it seriously enough to listen to suggestions for improvement afterwards.  What was so exciting was to see that students initiated a handshake to start, had some type of greeting, and worked on their eye contact during the interview.  I wish I could capture how students were excited to 'sell' themselves in a positive way.

To bring the project to a close, I had students write a thank you letter.  I believe that this is an important life skill - to show a small amount of gratitude for the time spent during an interview.

"Content without purpose is only trivia"

Steve Revington

My hope is that this experience will be valued by the students at some in their future - not necessarily now but an experience they can draw upon in the future. 

Continue creating those connection opportunities for your students,

Kevin Stott                                                                                          

De Anza Middle School                                                                      

Reading Buddies

When my daughter was in kindergarten (4 years ago), she would come home and recount with excitement her time spent with "Chloe".  Assuming Chloe was a fellow classmate of hers, I would inquire about what her and her friend did together.  This went on for a few weeks, and then one morning she woke up and was so excited that Chloe was coming to her class that day. After some probing questions, I finally learned that Chloe was my daughter's 5th grade Reading Buddy...which led to many, many more questions!

“Young people will always need mentors to guide and support them.” ― Lailah Gifty Akita

I loved this idea so much that I went to my good friend and 5th-grade colleague (the very next day!) and asked if he would like to buddy up with me.  He was game and we were set to start the next week.  I made a visit to the 5th grade class to tell them all about it.  There was mutual excitement between some of my former students and me.  I told them that my students really look up to them so it is important to model responsible and respectful behavior and study habits.  I brought some picture books over and they were tasked with choosing one and writing three comprehension questions to ask their buddy.  The 5th grade students were practicing asking leveled questions so this was a great practice activity for them as well. My colleague and I got together after school to pair our students up according to needs and personalities.  That very first day was filled with excitement and some nervousness.

The 5th graders come over to the kindergarten playground, they get with their buddy and find a nice spot to read.  By springtime, my students bring out their own books to read TO their buddy as well. Generally, the buddies stay buddied all year and a wonderful mentoring relationship forms.  We do this starting once a month, then twice a month halfway through the year, and each session lasts about 20 minutes.  All of the kindergarten classes at my school have reading buddies now!  My students look forward to seeing their reading buddy and feel very cool when we see them out on campus at other times waving to us. The 5th graders feel a sense of responsibility and importance.
At the end of the year, we invite our reading buddies to our dress rehearsal for our musical and we have a small celebration.  Each year, I am reminded what a great system we have in place for both sets of students. Is this something you could incorporate into your program?

Happy and Positive Teaching!

Erin Grebel

Seek to PLC

Seek to PLC           

On my last blog post, I talked about teachers needing each other for support in the journey, reigniting passion, and enhancing the teaching practice. It is one thing to be there for a smile, for coffee, or a doughnut to bring on the sweetness of the day, but another to be present in the partnership that has been established to ensure student success. Yes, we all love the sweet somethings throughout our day, but there is a greater sweetness that comes in working together. OMSD has done a great job at providing opportunities for teamwork through PLCs… so much so that it leaves my teaching partner and I wanting more time. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) are a great opportunity to come together as colleagues to collaborate. PLCs promote less isolation of teachers and produce collective responsibility for students’ success. When you realize you are in this together as a team, it lessens the burden of our daily teaching responsibilities. 

1. "None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." – Mother Teresa

As you analyze data, praise each other for what is working (my Partner Teacher and I will give each other a high-five or a fist bump) and smile knowing things are not perfect, but we are on the right track. There are so many factors that play into data results, so don’t be too hard on yourself, just remember you are in this to determine what your students have learned, what they still need to learn, and plan your instruction to ensure the learning is happening. You are coming together to hearten the journey and lead through your passion. I love how Katie Martin states it, “Become effective leaders… to create a shared vision… to embrace learning as a culture and allow their schools and classrooms to go open…”(If you have time, watch this Ted Talk and get inspired; “Teachers Create What They Experience” with Katie Martin)      https://youtu.be/rcDpDPwRxvU 

Let's cooperate, collaborate and listen...Yes, we all have different personalities and it can be difficult to come together to create a shared vision, but keep in mind we all have something to share and add to the mix. The contributions bring the vision full circle, to what we once saw… it is all about the kids, our kids, and building their curiosity to foster a love for learning that will lead them to accomplish their dreams.

Live, Love, Teach!

~Hilda Sanchez

Using Social Media to Benefit Teachers

If you are anything like me, then you have probably realized that teachers across the nation are taking to social media to share what is happening in classrooms.  I first started following a few teachers on Instagram about 2 years ago and quickly amassed a pretty long list of educators I now follow.  I also belong to several educational groups on Facebook.  It isn’t the platforms used to share ideas that matter, instead it is the connecting of ideas that is important.  The ability to see into someone else’s class has been so impactful on my own teaching.

Here are a few ways social media has helped me and can also benefit other teachers.

 Expand Your Personal Learning Network (PLN)

Good teachers are always looking for fresh ideas and best practices.  Collaboration with teachers across the globe brings new perspectives and insights beyond our own classroom walls.  We are all in this together, let’s use social media to promote a positive place to share ideas.

A Place to Find New Resources

It seems as though there is an endless supply of great ideas from innovative teachers out there.  Many teachers freely share their hard work with others or offer links to blogs or websites like Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) where you can purchase resources.

Professional Development at Your Leisure

While I am usually excited to attend a conference, the downside is the time away from my classroom and money spent on things like transportation to and from the conference and hotel rooms.  With social media, I don't' have to worry about writing sub plans, being out of town, or trying to learn as much as I can possibly cram in my brain during an all-day conference.  Instead, I am able to learn what I want and when I want.  I can watch videos,  try out new technologies, attend webinars via Facebook Live without having to leave my house and more importantly my classroom.

Content Specific Learning

Using hashtags or groups are two great ways to locate content specific ideas. While many of the teachers I follow teach different grade levels, it is awesome to find people are teaching the same grade and/or content as you.  Youtube channels are a great way to find content specific information.

Pinterest Worthy Classroom Decor Ideas

Having a Pinterest ready classroom certainly doesn't make you a great teacher, but it sure is fun to look at all those AMAZING classroom decor ideas.  I have found many great ideas for flexible seating, anchor charts, classroom themes, and so much more through social media posts.  

Showcase Student Work

Why not get in on all the fun.  Try using social media to showcase what is happening in your own class. Let's celebrate our students' successes. 

Is there a social media platform that you love to use for new ideas?  Do you have a favorite Insta Teacher you follow?  I would love to hear what you have found.  Maybe we even follow the same teachers.  Better yet, maybe we become those teachers.

Learning and teaching with grace,

Alina

Literature Circles and Writing

  “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the

time — or the tools – to write.  Simple as that.”  Stephen King’s words really spoke to me because reading and writing go hand in hand, and often times students believe they are two separate learning objectives. Moving into a literature unit with one of my classes, I still need to ensure writing skills are being activated and practiced constantly.  Throughout the duration of a novel, students will be practicing note-taking, writing constructed responses, summary writing, and finally an essay.   Since my last hiccup with essay writing, I decided students must strengthen their writing fluency and stamina by consistently giving smaller writing tasks, which transition into essays. The novel will serve as a mentor text, and expose students to great writing, and hopefully influence their own work.

 Over the past five years, I have modified my Literature Circles to fit each class, and to meet student needs.  I may have found a way to adapt the Literature Circle schedule to add in writing and responding to literature more often.  I looked over all of my reading literature standards and turned them into short response questions on a choice board, which ties together the two focuses.  Students are expected to keep all work in their Literature Notebooks for reference throughout the unit.  Here is my schedule for Literature Circles.

 

Collaborate: Students will work collaboratively on a Literature Station.  The activity is in a folder, and it explains different tasks the group must complete together. Students will focus on a skill such as theme, dialogue, inferencing, setting, figurative language and so on.  Here is an example of one of the tasks.

Focus and Connect: I will assign students three GATE icons to focus on for a portion of their reading, whether it be a chapter or a series of chapters. They will identify icon connections and discuss as a group.  I want to see how they have categorized key events, and if they are using the icons correctly.  If time allows we participate in whole group discussion of their findings.

Write:  Next steps are to write a constructed response using the Choice Board.  Here they can brainstorm what they want to write about, or if they are all going to write on different topics or the same one.  I want to give them choice. This allows students to decide on a topic they feel strongly about, but the student outcome that I need them to achieve is still the same.  

Discuss: This will be the day where they meet to discuss the writing.  They will be given sentences frames to help guide their conversations.  During the Lit Conversation, they will be asked to share their response, ask a follow-up question, agree with a response, and disagree with something.  I want students to feel comfortable, not only sharing their work, but also feel comfortable when someone does not agree with them.

 My hope is through Literature Circles kids will make connections to the reading and build upon their composition skills simultaneously.   My writing instruction journey continues...