Week of February 19

Thursday Thoughts February 19

My son (the sophomore) is failing Chemistry.  This is a big deal because this is the first class that he has ever been in jeopardy of failing.  I am not in panic mode just yet because I believe that he will pull the grade up before the end of the semester (and because my college son has failed quite a bit more than Chemistry).  I can tell you that he is handling it much better than I thought.  He is seeking additional help after school and I see him studying a bit more than usual.  So I am using this opportunity to evaluate my parenting. Of course I want to rush in and fix this.... meet with the teacher, get a tutor, complain to an administrator (you know, the usual).   However, I have learned (the hard way) that failing is a part of learning.  Now don't get me wrong, I don't plan to let the boy fail this class but I will use this as a teachable moment.  Failure gives us a reason to keep trying, step things up and seek new ways to do things.  As elementary teachers, one of the best things we can do for children is provide an environment where students are presented with problems, given an opportunity to fail and then encouraged to try and try again until they meet with success.  



Staff Spotlight

This week I would like to shine the spotlight on Erin Amideo.  Erin is the Kindergarten Grade Chair and she really advocates for the teachers and students.  Erin does not hesitate to come to us with questions or concerns as it relates to the team.  Early in the year, Erin explained how tedious the SLO testing was for Kindergarten.  As a result, we worked together to come up with a solution that would make the best out of a tough situation.  There have been other things that she has championed  throughout the year and she works to find a resolution that everyone can accept.  Erin, thank you for what you are doing for students and staff.

4C's: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking Skills

Five Minute Reading Responses

By Genia Connellon February 14, 2013
www.Scholastic.com

Nearly every day, my students have independent time built into our reader’s workshop. During this time I am meeting with small groups and trying to work with at least two to three students individually. While I would love to conference or even converse with each student about their independent reading book, time just doesn’t allow for this on a daily basis. However, having them respond to their reading in writing provides a window into their thinking and understanding. A few weeks ago I shared my reading response forms and graphic organizers for independent reading, which are an integral part of my reading program. There are some days, however, when there is only time available for a short response. This week I’d like to share with you how I get my kids thinking about their reading and sharing their thoughts in five minutes or less.

Reading Response Blogs

My class uses Kidblog to share their thoughts and feelings about books. While my students love to “blog” in response to their own independent reading books, they especially enjoy commenting on our class read-alouds. I will often begin a thread by posing a question or comment of my own, and the students soon take over. Because read-alouds provide us with a common text and experience, students not only leave their own thoughts, but become fully immersed in the process, replying to the comments of others. My 3rd graders can hardly wait to see if anyone has commented on their posts, making this five-minute reading response one of the most engaging we do.
If you have wanted to try blogging with your class, Kidblog may be a good place to start. It is very easy to set up and the teacher gets to approve all comments before they are posted.

The images above show blog threads that my students have started along with a few of their responses to a question I posted about our current read-aloud book, Wayside School Is Falling Down. Within ten minutes, there were 54 comments posted by the class!

Third grade bloggers hard at work!

Reading Tweets

My 3rd graders are very aware of social media and love to partake in this classroom version. When we “tweet” about our reading, it needs to be a thought about their book stated in 30 words or less. I normally help guide them with prompts such as What are you thinking or wondering about your book right now? or How has one of the characters changed since you started reading? Many students also enjoy adding their own hashtags related to the title of the book or the theme of their tweet.

Reading Response Tic-Tac-Toe

For years I have used a tic-tac-toe board as a way to give students a choice with their weekly spelling/word study words, so I decided to apply the same concept to reading response. On days when students are doing a “shorty” response, as they call it, they can choose an open square on the tic-tac-toe board and respond to it on a page in their reading binder. Part of the fun is trying to achieve a tic-tac-toe, but students are actually answering prompts that are within, about, and beyond the text.

Click on the images above to download a customizable tic-tac-toe board and the reading response paper my students use to respond.

3, 2, 1 Response

This “countdown” response focuses on the basics. Using this half-page sheet, students provide information about their reading, touching on summarizing, sequencing, vocabulary skills, and the asking questions/wondering comprehension strategy we work on in reading. Click the image below to download the 3, 2, 1.

"At First I Thought . . . And Now I Think"

By this time of year, my 3rd graders are becoming much more sophisticated readers; they are beginning to recognize that characters and plots evolve as the story progresses. This At First I Thought . . . response allows them to share how their thinking about a character or story line has changed during reading. I’ve had students fill this response out without its even being assigned because they’ve had a sudden epiphany while reading that they want to put down in words.

Scholastic Resources for Quick Reading Responses

Scholastic is a treasure trove of reading response graphic organizers and reading response ideas. Visit Printables and Teacher Express to check out the huge variety of response helpers. Below you will find just a few that I like. Click on the image to download the free printable.

Assessing Reading Response

These short reading responses give me a snapshot of my students’ thoughts and comprehension on the days I can’t meet with them. When I respond to their writing, I think of it as a form of written conversation between us. Because of this, I only write positive comments about what they have done well or a great insight they have had, which hopefully motivates and engages them further. While reading their responses, I, of course, take note of misunderstandings students may have, or any redirection they may need, and I save those conversations for when we meet face to face.


Technology Tidbits

http://ngexplorer.cengage.com/ngyoungexplorer/- Great nonfiction resource for younger grades and ELL students

News & Notes

The district’s  Fulton Spring Teacher Fair will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 from 10:00am-2:00pm at the Georgia International Convention Center (GICC).  If you know of anyone interested in employment with Fulton County Schools please tell them to go ahead and complete the application and screening process.  At the Teacher Fair, they will be face to face with administrators from all Fulton Schools.