Have you ever sat in your classroom reading through your students reading responses and thought how can we lift the level of work they are doing?  As we sit with our team, a ton of questions start swirling through our heads:

• Are there traces of our mini lessons in the written responses?
• Have we scaffolded the students too much or too little?
• What can we do to teach these students more effectively?
• How do we know if our students are approaching, meeting or exceeding grade level expectations?
• How can we get students to be reflective on their own work?

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A few days ago, a friend and colleague asked a question about using audio books in his reader’s workshop.  It was a question that made me stop and think leading to a great conversation.  In the past, I might have given a quick answer, but I’ve learned the power in slowing down and being curious.  As the three of us talked, questions led to more questions.

What is the reader doing?

What does the reader need?

What is our purpose?

What do we do as readers? (more…)

Thinking About Assessment. What can we learn about our readers and writers from HRSIW and Writing Vocabulary?

During a recent kindergarten PLC meeting, our group began to discuss the purpose of assessment.  Teachers divided into four teams to consider what two assessments tell us about our early literacy learners.  Looking at our Hearing Recording Sounds in Words assessment AND Writing Vocabulary, we began to chart what these assessments could tell us about our writers AND our readers.

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Five years ago, I joined Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life March Challenge. I committed to writing a Slice of Life story every day in the month of March and published it on my blog.  It was such a rewarding experience that the following year, not only did I participate, but so did my students.  There are so many benefits to participating, that I cannot imagine not being part of it.  Since then, more and more classrooms from my building have joined the Slice of Life March challenge.  It’s become something that students and teachers look forward to every spring.

What is a Slice of Life story? (more…)

This time of year is tough for some teachers and students. We are just about half way between winter break and spring break. The weather has become bitter cold. Mid-year assessments are due. It can all become overbearing and mundane. I’ve even heard this time of year called the “February Funk.” It sounds like this is the perfect time of year to reignite a love of reading into our classrooms. That is where March Book Madness comes in.

March Book Madness

March Book Madness is a bracket-style tournament where books compete against each other just like the NCAA March Madness tournament. Students read two books and vote for their favorite.  Whichever book gets the most points wins, and the book moves into the next round.   (more…)

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I learn and how our students learn.  I know that when I go away from a conversation or meeting with all of the things students aren’t able to do in my mind, I’m feeling down and unmotivated.  I began to think about that in relation to our students.  When we constantly focus on what they aren’t able to do or things they have done “wrong”, then they most likely feel the same way.  I knew I had to consciously shift my own thinking, because my feelings were a direct result of my mindset.  I realized that when we as teachers focus on a deficit model of teaching and learning, we are not only doing a disservice to our students, but also to ourselves.  I know I need to take ownership of my thinking and choices at any given moment, and look forward instead of looking back.  

And I choose to focus on the joy of learning. (more…)

I recently shared a video clip (check in at 5:00 to see the 2 minute clip) with the staff at my school by Matt Glover.  In it, he shares an story about his twelve year-old son heading out to the dance floor at a family wedding.  His son had no idea how to dance, so he stood in the middle of the floor, stiff as a board, not knowing what to do.  Matt’s wife came to the rescue and gave him little hints…”First”, she told him, “dancers bend their knees up and down.  Next, they sway back and forth.”  She told him little by little, what to do next until he was out there dancing away.  Matt goes on to explain that what his wife did was honor the approximations of their son.  She met him where he was as a dancer, and nudged him one step at a time to help him learn how to dance.  She could have given him all the steps at once, but she knew that would overwhelm him.

How many times do we sit down with our young writers and see a mountain of work that needs to be done? (more…)