So this week was interesting...my kids were both energetic and lethargic at the same time. Sometimes I have a hard time getting them (I have 3 kids) to focus and stop chatting with one another. Usually one or two of them will be trying to focus and the third one will latch onto something the others have said, in turn prompting them to respond until I snap them to attention or they taper off. Lauren suggested making rules with them and having them self-inforce them, which sounds good. Any other ideas for management you guys have?
I've also started doing my capstone research with them and I have to do a considerable amount of prompting with my girl to get her to just open the book. She may get better with it as we go through the story, so I shall have to see. Another thing I notice is that at times they don't take the work we do seriously. Typically, when I prompt for a paragraph, I get one or two short sentences or sloppy work. Does anyone else notice this type of behavior? I think a large contributor is the fact that they likely don't see this as 'school' and they don't need to work as hard. So that was my week. It was tiring.
I'm not sure if you have a routine for the day, but providing a structured routine promotes management if you build in time during the session for talking. For older kids I have seen this work better than a reward system, but that isn't true in all cases.
I agree. You need clear routines and clear expectations. Let them know what you want and how you expect them to behave, and honestly if they don't listen you can talk to the parents about it. Also, you could do some sort of positive behavior rewards system, usually food works :)
As far as the sloppiness and prompting, sometimes that is just kids. But be sure your directions are clear and they understand what you want them to do. I have a hard time in my own classes when I assume they (my students) understand the directions and in reality they don't. And when they don't completely understand what to do, they usually go off task more, or don't fully complete the work. When I thoroughly explain something, I usually get better results.
I had a great time with my student once again. We made alot of gains today with our reading and writing. I tried an article with her and made her make annotations as we read each paragraph. This really helped her to slow down reading aloud and also impacted her writing piece that went along with it.
Once we began the novel, she picked up her speed and started getting lost in the words.
We worked a little more on her poem,which she is enjoying. We also built in time to get to know each other better. I really feel like she is beginning to feel more comfortable with me. This is encouraging for her. I already am noticing her reading more fluently because she is taking her time.
This week was a great week with Hannah, I was really trying to find a genre or books that would be of interest to her. I also was considering Skeleton Creek for my student, Hannah and before bringing in the novel I found a short story that went along with the mystery genre to see how she if it was of any interest to her. I also wanted to discuss using the text, Skeleton Creek with her before using it. She was really excited when I was talking with her about the book, so I am really looking forward to next week and revolving our guided reading around this novel for the next few weeks. It really is awesome to see a child's perspective change about something they thought they did not like, in Hannah's case reading. For word study she really enjoyed solving Hink Pink words to help expand her vocabulary. For writing I also had her write a narrative to get a better perspective of her abilities. Next week, I plan to bring in poetry for her to "dissect" and go through the literary analysis terms (imagery, metaphor, theme, etc.) with her as a model for things to consider to add to her own poems.
So this week went really well. The young lady I am working with is looking forward to reading the Hunger Games which is really exciting for me (especially because I love it so much). I am looking for some non-fiction to do with her also but I'd like it to tie into the Hunger Games. Any suggestions?? Would a non-fiction piece about reality television be good?
At any rate I am still enjoying working with my student, I feel less rushed and more in control this semester. That could be in part because I am only working with one student and my personal life has switched from chaotic to calm :) Happy February Break to all my teacher friends out there. I know I'm excited!!!
I can't think of anything non-fiction off the top of my head, but maybe try to find a newspaper article that deals with survival? There are some crazy stories out there. Or maybe an excerpt from Elie Weisel's Night? Surviving Nazi camps was pretty intense too. Or even show her a clip from a show, like Survivor or Lost, or any movie where a character has to battle to survive.
Kit I like your idea of showing a clip! I also think getting a non-fiction piece about reality television would be a good idea, it would allow her to make personal connections to the novel!
Week three was the craziest week so far. My third student (that missed the first two weeks) showed up so I had to assess him, pretty much the whole time! It was hard trying to working with him and keep my other two students focused. Lucky for me all three students are around the same reading and writing level so that will allow me to work as a whole group with my students. I was going to start a novel with my students but next week two will be on vacation and I feel it will be hard for me to start a novel with only a few sessions left. All of my students seem to get along and I am excited for the rest of the semester with them.
I don't understand why the parent(s) thought that was accepted to not bring their child the first two weeks! I understand your craziness because I wasn't notified that one of my student wasn't going to be there that week. If you feel comfortable, I would give the parents your cell number and/or email so they can let you know if there are any changes. Maybe that will help if it ever happens again. I know I will be saying something to my parents to prevent any issues. There is already so much to do, we need as little surprises as possible!
I still felt hectic this week because I was finishing assessments. On top of it, one student did not show up and I wanted to find out more information. At this point, I have to work with the materials I have for each student.
It looks like within my three students, I will have two guided reading groups. Not ideal, but honestly, isn't that a real classroom? I worry that I find this stressful and one day I will have six to seven times more!
For that one student who is significantly below the others, how do I make sure he feels part of the group? The goal for each group in word study, guided reading and writing are immensely different. Any suggestions?
Hi Mary, Do your students have any needs in common - comprehension, fluency, etc.? If so, that is something to do whole group. You can also teach a strategy whole group, then have the students apply it in their guided reading groups at their own levels. Writing topics can be the same (poetry).
This week went pretty smoothly for me. My student works very slowly and thoughtfully, and I'm finding that she is VERY literal! I've been trying to pay close attention to the areas she may need help improving, and it seems the more I look, the more I find that she needs help with. I've gone back to the basics (long vs. short vowels) with word study, as I found that she could not correctly differentiate between the two. I'm also beginning to work with her on poetry. The first time through, she was excited to write a poem, but had trouble getting her ideas out. Any suggestions for that?
Mary - in response to your question... last practicum, I had three students who worked at significantly different levels. It was a challenge, to say the least, to ensure that all their needs were being met for each section of study. One way I found that helped one of my students feel part of the group was to allow that student to share their background knowledge. I tried to find books he could connect to, and found that during discussion (while he may have struggled with the text) he could provide connections and still be an active member in the group. Hope that helps!
Overall I had a very productive third week. I was able to complete all the assessments I needed to get done. I also started reading Skeleton Creek with my students. For the most part they all seem to love it so far. My one student was very hesitant to read this book because she usually does not enjoy reading mystery novels. I was happy to see that after reading just the first few chapters of Skelton Creek, she was very engaged and was asking thoughtful questions throughout her reading. I even found her reading ahead at one point! I was happy to see this! I already know that I will have to juggle my instruction with my group of students because they read at different paces, and have a variety of comprehension needs. I feel as though I got a lot done this week but not everything I had planned. I was shocked to see how time got away from me! I am going to need to keep a better eye on the clock in the upcoming weeks.
This week went well. I really tried to stick to my agenda. I designated one of my students to be a time keeper, which helped. However, we got a late start, and then one of my students, who I thought was absent, showed up an hour late. We were actually transitioning into a new task at the time, so it didn’t throw me off too much. I am bringing some cool books that I know the kids will be interested in, so if they should finish a task before the rest, they can browse.
For guided reading, I introduced our book with a Scholastic four-part reading activity that includes passages and an interactive map that provides additional information on the Underground Railroad. The students answered comprehension questions about the reading and interactive map and wrote about their reading. They really enjoyed the first part of this activity and it goes along nicely with the book I am using.
These kids are great! They are very respectful, kind, and helpful! They are not afraid to ask questions, provide input, and ask for clarification.
I really love my students! They work very hard for me and are very focused to take something away each night to become better readers and writers! To better take notes for myself and keep student work for the girls, I have made binders for each of them. In each binder are sections for word study, activities, writing pieces...I have one section labeled running reading records. I am going to change the name to best fit the idea- Since we target a strategy to take away each night, I thought that each girl could place a post it note on the back of the divider with the date and the reading strategy that they took away. This way each girl can go back and review in their binder their own growth...Maybe as a group we could have a discussion about what they are struggling with and want to learn more about...?
Rachel - I really like your idea of having your students identify and discuss the strategies they are learning. I think that's a great way to have them really think about and take ownership of their learning. I might modify that idea and try it out with my fourth grade student!
This week went well. I feel as if I'm getting a better idea of how to do word study with my student. I've tried to keep each activity I do similar in format, so she is not distracted by different formats, but rather learning the new skill or spelling pattern.
One thing I've done this semester (which I wish I did last semester!!), is organize a notebook for my student. I modified the suggestions of our guest speakers, about how to add tabs to a journal to separate the different types of writing the student will be doing. Not only do I think it keeps me more orgainzed, but my student has said she likes that everything is all in the same place. I have a section for word study, one for instructional writing (which has also been used for reading response), and one for free writing. Last semester, I felt that my students were all over the place in their notebooks, sometimes not even practicing good handwriting by using the lines provided. I think it would have benefitted them if I had provided more structure for how their notebooks needed to be organized.
While it doesn't have to do with my teaching process, I just thought I'd share...last week my student said, out of the blue, "I want to tell you something. I want to go to St. John Fisher and become a teacher when I grow up...you know, if I don't become an actress." I think it's reminders like that, and reminders of the role models we become that help make all the stress of planning and doing corrections worth it! Ok, corny sounding, I know, but I think as teachers we can all appreciate that on some level!
So this week was interesting...my kids were both energetic and lethargic at the same time. Sometimes I have a hard time getting them (I have 3 kids) to focus and stop chatting with one another. Usually one or two of them will be trying to focus and the third one will latch onto something the others have said, in turn prompting them to respond until I snap them to attention or they taper off. Lauren suggested making rules with them and having them self-inforce them, which sounds good. Any other ideas for management you guys have?
ReplyDeleteI've also started doing my capstone research with them and I have to do a considerable amount of prompting with my girl to get her to just open the book. She may get better with it as we go through the story, so I shall have to see. Another thing I notice is that at times they don't take the work we do seriously. Typically, when I prompt for a paragraph, I get one or two short sentences or sloppy work. Does anyone else notice this type of behavior? I think a large contributor is the fact that they likely don't see this as 'school' and they don't need to work as hard. So that was my week. It was tiring.
I'm not sure if you have a routine for the day, but providing a structured routine promotes management if you build in time during the session for talking. For older kids I have seen this work better than a reward system, but that isn't true in all cases.
DeleteI agree. You need clear routines and clear expectations. Let them know what you want and how you expect them to behave, and honestly if they don't listen you can talk to the parents about it. Also, you could do some sort of positive behavior rewards system, usually food works :)
DeleteAs far as the sloppiness and prompting, sometimes that is just kids. But be sure your directions are clear and they understand what you want them to do. I have a hard time in my own classes when I assume they (my students) understand the directions and in reality they don't. And when they don't completely understand what to do, they usually go off task more, or don't fully complete the work. When I thoroughly explain something, I usually get better results.
Good suggestions, Katie and Jessica.
DeleteI had a great time with my student once again. We made alot of gains today with our reading and writing. I tried an article with her and made her make annotations as we read each paragraph. This really helped her to slow down reading aloud and also impacted her writing piece that went along with it.
ReplyDeleteOnce we began the novel, she picked up her speed and started getting lost in the words.
We worked a little more on her poem,which she is enjoying. We also built in time to get to know each other better. I really feel like she is beginning to feel more comfortable with me. This is encouraging for her. I already am noticing her reading more fluently because she is taking her time.
Thanks for the website for checking articles!
DeleteThis week was a great week with Hannah, I was really trying to find a genre or books that would be of interest to her. I also was considering Skeleton Creek for my student, Hannah and before bringing in the novel I found a short story that went along with the mystery genre to see how she if it was of any interest to her. I also wanted to discuss using the text, Skeleton Creek with her before using it. She was really excited when I was talking with her about the book, so I am really looking forward to next week and revolving our guided reading around this novel for the next few weeks. It really is awesome to see a child's perspective change about something they thought they did not like, in Hannah's case reading.
ReplyDeleteFor word study she really enjoyed solving Hink Pink words to help expand her vocabulary. For writing I also had her write a narrative to get a better perspective of her abilities. Next week, I plan to bring in poetry for her to "dissect" and go through the literary analysis terms (imagery, metaphor, theme, etc.) with her as a model for things to consider to add to her own poems.
So this week went really well. The young lady I am working with is looking forward to reading the Hunger Games which is really exciting for me (especially because I love it so much). I am looking for some non-fiction to do with her also but I'd like it to tie into the Hunger Games. Any suggestions?? Would a non-fiction piece about reality television be good?
ReplyDeleteAt any rate I am still enjoying working with my student, I feel less rushed and more in control this semester. That could be in part because I am only working with one student and my personal life has switched from chaotic to calm :)
Happy February Break to all my teacher friends out there. I know I'm excited!!!
I can't think of anything non-fiction off the top of my head, but maybe try to find a newspaper article that deals with survival? There are some crazy stories out there. Or maybe an excerpt from Elie Weisel's Night? Surviving Nazi camps was pretty intense too. Or even show her a clip from a show, like Survivor or Lost, or any movie where a character has to battle to survive.
DeleteKit I like your idea of showing a clip! I also think getting a non-fiction piece about reality television would be a good idea, it would allow her to make personal connections to the novel!
DeleteWeek three was the craziest week so far. My third student (that missed the first two weeks) showed up so I had to assess him, pretty much the whole time! It was hard trying to working with him and keep my other two students focused. Lucky for me all three students are around the same reading and writing level so that will allow me to work as a whole group with my students. I was going to start a novel with my students but next week two will be on vacation and I feel it will be hard for me to start a novel with only a few sessions left. All of my students seem to get along and I am excited for the rest of the semester with them.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why the parent(s) thought that was accepted to not bring their child the first two weeks! I understand your craziness because I wasn't notified that one of my student wasn't going to be there that week. If you feel comfortable, I would give the parents your cell number and/or email so they can let you know if there are any changes. Maybe that will help if it ever happens again. I know I will be saying something to my parents to prevent any issues. There is already so much to do, we need as little surprises as possible!
DeleteI still felt hectic this week because I was finishing assessments. On top of it, one student did not show up and I wanted to find out more information. At this point, I have to work with the materials I have for each student.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like within my three students, I will have two guided reading groups. Not ideal, but honestly, isn't that a real classroom? I worry that I find this stressful and one day I will have six to seven times more!
For that one student who is significantly below the others, how do I make sure he feels part of the group? The goal for each group in word study, guided reading and writing are immensely different. Any suggestions?
Hi Mary,
DeleteDo your students have any needs in common - comprehension, fluency, etc.? If so, that is something to do whole group. You can also teach a strategy whole group, then have the students apply it in their guided reading groups at their own levels. Writing topics can be the same (poetry).
This week went pretty smoothly for me. My student works very slowly and thoughtfully, and I'm finding that she is VERY literal! I've been trying to pay close attention to the areas she may need help improving, and it seems the more I look, the more I find that she needs help with. I've gone back to the basics (long vs. short vowels) with word study, as I found that she could not correctly differentiate between the two. I'm also beginning to work with her on poetry. The first time through, she was excited to write a poem, but had trouble getting her ideas out. Any suggestions for that?
ReplyDeleteMary - in response to your question... last practicum, I had three students who worked at significantly different levels. It was a challenge, to say the least, to ensure that all their needs were being met for each section of study. One way I found that helped one of my students feel part of the group was to allow that student to share their background knowledge. I tried to find books he could connect to, and found that during discussion (while he may have struggled with the text) he could provide connections and still be an active member in the group. Hope that helps!
Overall I had a very productive third week. I was able to complete all the assessments I needed to get done. I also started reading Skeleton Creek with my students. For the most part they all seem to love it so far. My one student was very hesitant to read this book because she usually does not enjoy reading mystery novels. I was happy to see that after reading just the first few chapters of Skelton Creek, she was very engaged and was asking thoughtful questions throughout her reading. I even found her reading ahead at one point! I was happy to see this! I already know that I will have to juggle my instruction with my group of students because they read at different paces, and have a variety of comprehension needs. I feel as though I got a lot done this week but not everything I had planned. I was shocked to see how time got away from me! I am going to need to keep a better eye on the clock in the upcoming weeks.
ReplyDeleteThis week went well. I really tried to stick to my agenda. I designated one of my students to be a time keeper, which helped. However, we got a late start, and then one of my students, who I thought was absent, showed up an hour late. We were actually transitioning into a new task at the time, so it didn’t throw me off too much. I am bringing some cool books that I know the kids will be interested in, so if they should finish a task before the rest, they can browse.
ReplyDeleteFor guided reading, I introduced our book with a Scholastic four-part reading activity that includes passages and an interactive map that provides additional information on the Underground Railroad. The students answered comprehension questions about the reading and interactive map and wrote about their reading. They really enjoyed the first part of this activity and it goes along nicely with the book I am using.
These kids are great! They are very respectful, kind, and helpful! They are not afraid to ask questions, provide input, and ask for clarification.
Sounds as if it's going well, Leslie. I can't wait to see what you're doing. I'm glad you're enjoying your students.
DeleteI really love my students! They work very hard for me and are very focused to take something away each night to become better readers and writers!
ReplyDeleteTo better take notes for myself and keep student work for the girls, I have made binders for each of them. In each binder are sections for word study, activities, writing pieces...I have one section labeled running reading records. I am going to change the name to best fit the idea- Since we target a strategy to take away each night, I thought that each girl could place a post it note on the back of the divider with the date and the reading strategy that they took away. This way each girl can go back and review in their binder their own growth...Maybe as a group we could have a discussion about what they are struggling with and want to learn more about...?
Rachel - I really like your idea of having your students identify and discuss the strategies they are learning. I think that's a great way to have them really think about and take ownership of their learning. I might modify that idea and try it out with my fourth grade student!
DeleteThis week went well. I feel as if I'm getting a better idea of how to do word study with my student. I've tried to keep each activity I do similar in format, so she is not distracted by different formats, but rather learning the new skill or spelling pattern.
One thing I've done this semester (which I wish I did last semester!!), is organize a notebook for my student. I modified the suggestions of our guest speakers, about how to add tabs to a journal to separate the different types of writing the student will be doing. Not only do I think it keeps me more orgainzed, but my student has said she likes that everything is all in the same place. I have a section for word study, one for instructional writing (which has also been used for reading response), and one for free writing. Last semester, I felt that my students were all over the place in their notebooks, sometimes not even practicing good handwriting by using the lines provided. I think it would have benefitted them if I had provided more structure for how their notebooks needed to be organized.
While it doesn't have to do with my teaching process, I just thought I'd share...last week my student said, out of the blue, "I want to tell you something. I want to go to St. John Fisher and become a teacher when I grow up...you know, if I don't become an actress." I think it's reminders like that, and reminders of the role models we become that help make all the stress of planning and doing corrections worth it! Ok, corny sounding, I know, but I think as teachers we can all appreciate that on some level!