What's next? #SOLC21

 

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Our pandemic plans are going well with the 6th graders in my reading intervention groups.  We focus on a skill and choose a variety of texts and tools that will help them practice the skills.

Since it's my first year delivering middle school reading interventions, I have to admit, I'm struggling at times with the 8th graders.

Don't get me wrong - they are a great group of students.  We've built rapport and mostly do the assignments I provide.  They really like the collection of spooky stories book I bought each of them so they could have their own text to read.

As we approach 4th quarter, I'm trying to figure out what's next.  I see two of the students in person every other day, and then work with three others remotely on the opposite days.  When I shared my thinking about "what's next" today, I mentioned that I'd like to do more writing.  

"Yes," said S.  "We are always on our Chromebooks."

I mentioned this writing challenge and said I was working to write every day on whatever I choose.  I wondered out loud if that sounded interesting to them.

I got a couple of shrugs, but that won't discourage me.  As we walked back to class I replied, "We will figure something out."

That's what we will do.  We will figure out (together) what's next.

A Clean Desk #SOLC19

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When the student opened her desk, I winced as I looked inside.

"That desk has roaches," her classmate stated.

"No, it doesn't," replied the owner of the desk.

Since the bell rang, I asked the student if I could help with her desk.  

"You worked hard for me today," I told her.  "So I would like to help you."

I offered to stack her notebooks and books, and then place all the papers in a folder.

She said I could.

I started the deep dig into her desk.  I placed books and notebooks to the side.  I moved past paper, after paper, after paper, finding assignments and newsletters from long ago. 

I think about how discouraged she must be each time she opens her desk.  It got away from her.  

I find her folders and place important notes and classroom coupons and math charts inside.

Her classroom teacher helps me decide what papers should stay or go.

Books get returned.  Pencils sharpened.  The desk is wiped clean inside and out.

I didn't do this chore for praise.  I don't intend to berate the desk's owner tomorrow.

I just wanted to help this child have a chance to succeed tomorrow, with a clean desk.

Working to keep routines #SOL19

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We have had our share of crazy winter weather in 2019.  I expected snow days, but we've had three (unprecedented) late start days to deal with ice storms.  This is four-day week may turn into a three-days-and-a-late-start.  There's a full moon tonight.  State testing is scheduled for mid-March. 
Some Most All teachers are stressed.

I know I can't wave a magic wand (I used to have one!) and make my developing readers have amazing stamina, instant book love and grade-level text understanding.  I do think I can help my readers improve, day by day, by keeping our routines in place:

• Checking in with each other (What's new?  How are you feeling?  I like your new shoes/shirt/haircut.)
• Previewing vocabulary, text and photos (What do you notice? What questions do you have?)
• Reading (Read that part to me.  Read these sections to yourself.)
• Thinking & Discussion (What are you thinking?  What evidence can you find?)
• Writing (Summarize your learning.  What was the theme?)
• Wrap up (Choose a stopping point. Plan for tomorrow.)

We try to follow our routine every day, even if some steps are short.  I work to ask deeper questions during our discussions, but I try to push my students to lead the talks.  Some days are better than others.

I hope spring will be here soon.  I know I'm not alone.  This winter has been a roller coaster!

"We get to PICK a book?" #SOL18

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I made a point to order books from Scholastic this fall, collecting as many bonus points as I could.
I was on a mission.  A mission to get books in the hands of our 4th and 5th grade intervention students.  Books they got to choose!

My colleague, Elisa, and I handed the students book order forms back in November.  We set some rules:  less than $10, must contain a book.  The conversations with our students went something like this:
"Can I pick the origami book if it comes with paper?"
"This book has a necklace.  Is that ok?"
"Do we get to keep the book?"
"Should we bring you money?"

We let the students know that we would get an email from the company when the books got shipped.  For every school day in December, I fielded questions about "the books."
I thought the kiddos would explode from excitement.

TODAY our 4th and 5th grade intervention students (40 kids!) received their books.  There were lots of smiles and "thank you's."  Kids shared their books with each other.  They understood that they shouldn't brag to their classmates. 

It was a good day!  Now I have to make a plan to get books to 2nd and 3rd graders!

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Prior knowledge...activated! #SOLC17

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Write every day in March.
Write about the small moments
that fill your heart.
Two Writing Teachers

It was easy to get back into my small group reading routine today.  

Nearly all of my students came 

bursting into my little room, eager to get back to 

reading 

writing 

30 minutes out of their classroom to talk my ear off (otherwise known as "reading intervention").

My 5th graders were pretty chilled out due to the time change.  Our next text in the LLI red intervention kit was Six Snakes That Share Our World.

Little did I know that I have a huge snake fan in my small group, G.

G has not had the easiest time transitioning from English to Spanish, especially because our district's bilingual program currently ends after second grade.  G has great ideas, but decoding gets in his way.  He is soft-spoken and very curious.  I had no idea how a text about snakes would light up this kiddo's brain.

G started the conversation about snakes (pythons versus boas, what they eat, how they move).  Then J and C even chimed in with more facts.  We previewed the pages, and C noticed a map that noted there are no snakes found in Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Antarctica or New Zealand.  The facts and questions and discussion was happening so quickly, I could barely keep up.

"I think Kakapos (the New Zealand bird we read about last week) are not threatened by snakes, based on this map," stated C.

WHAT?  

I looked at K, the only girl.  Even she had lots of questions for the snake crew.

"Did you hear him?" I asked her.  "I need to drop the mic!"

"Here, Mrs. Rayner," K handed me a pencil and smiled. "You can do a pencil drop!"

Here's to my students showing their genious.  Even after a week of PARCC testing.  Even after losing an hour of sleep this weekend.  Even if it took a book about snakes (ewwwww).

The Reading Nest #SOL16

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Be brave :)

It's April.  We have less than 30 days of school (yes, we will finish in MAY!)

and my little "birds" are flap, flap, flapping their "reading wings."

I, the sweet, smiling enabler, take on a new persona every spring.

My little birds are not very happy with me.

I become the mama robin

who has sat on the eggs in my nest

keeping them warm and safe from predators.

My little birds are chirp, chirp, chirping

hungry for more words,

longer books 

("Can I have a chapter book, please?")

Their reading wings are the strongest they have been all year.

They really don't want to try to fly.

They are too scared, but

I begin to nudge them closer to the edge of the nest.

When they look at me with big, worried eyes, 

waiting for me to help them with a tricky word,

I pause, I count in my head, I prompt them,

"You try."

They can usually get the word, but I'll whisper help if they need it.

Some of my brood are stronger than others.  

They teeter on the edge of the nest,

encouraging their fellow "feathered" friends

to join them in a trial "flight" with a book.

These birds are ready for short flights on their own.

They refuse to wait for an introduction to the text - 

they jump right in and begin reading on their own,

usually leaving the safety of the table for a comfy spot on the floor

where they exclaim,

"I can read it by myself!"

Some birds need a bigger push towards the edge.  

These are the birds that I will welcome

back to the nest in August.

These are the birds that need more meals

of strategies, easier texts and positive reading experiences.

I will always be back at the nest

where the little ones can find me

amid a variety of juicy texts.

From McHenry County

Twitter, slicing, paperwork... OH MY #SOL16 3/31

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Most people like to be busy, we like to be involved, and some of us thrive in the chaos!

Some of us think we thrive in chaos, but really, we are simply surviving.

I'm #NEW (only 50-some days left of that hashtag!) to my school and district.  I've taken on a few too many initiatives this month.  Then I added slicing and a twitter class.  Yup - rolling in the deep chaos.  I slipped and missed a bus request.  I apologized profusely, but it's still a slip.

In two weeks, we will have a schoolwide literacy night.  I have shared some of my vision with the staff, and they are completely on board.  Now I just need to convince the linear thinkers to help me make a project plan.... then we will be all set!

In the midst of all this busy-business, I had a pretty productive day at school.  One of our fave subs covered for my colleague.  He ran a few reading groups, and I had some precious time one-on-one with some first graders with high needs.  I could not be more at peace to see the steps and jumps of progress they are making.  

I tried to focus on doing one thing well today.  It worked with lots of support and a good system of piles.  Hahahahaha - you can always count on me for a decorated desk. 

My usual decorated desk.  On this day, a student REALLY needed me to bring a book.
 He used sticky notes to help me remember!

Intervention progress (week 4)

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Last month, I wrote a slice about the new intervention I was beginning with a group of 4th and 5th graders.  I thank you, readers, for your votes of confidence and support!  I thought I'd write a little update.

We are currently entering week four of the intervention.  I was told (by teachers who implemented this program last year) that the first six weeks would be the tough and I should expect to be tired and frustrated.  Even the consultant who trained us in the program agreed.

They were both correct that I would be tired.  I've started wearing my sneakers every afternoon.  I stand for most of the 2.5 hours, and I'm seriously out of shape.  I've started walking or using my elliptical every day I can to help with this. I'm also sitting down and giving the kids a few stretch breaks.  It's helping all of us to regain energy and focus.
I plan to continue my fashion faux pas for the remainder of the year, and I plan to buy new sneakers soon!

I'm doing my best to keep a smile on my face and implement the intervention with fidelity.  It's hard not to go off on tangents, but I've managed to keep my focus on the materials in front of me.

I have a few students who need lots of redirection and reminders about good behavior.  Thankfully, our school social worker stops in every day to give my neediest student a physical break.  She has helped me implement a focus ticket program that's going well.  The students may need a few fillings after eating all the Jolly Ranchers they are consuming as rewards, but I'm not going to worry about that yet.

The best thing about the new program is that my students look forward to the afternoons.  I am planning to survey them about why they like coming to my little classroom.  They are now a group of 10, since we added a young lady who just arrived from Mexico.  She is learning the routine of the program and is happy to soak it all in with translation help from others.  We are working on building a community of learners, and we've made some growth there (we're far from full-out acceptance, but we'll keep working!).

I'll never forget one lesson where the students watched a video of a girl singing "Clementine."  We were to learn to speak with purpose and recite the song as a poem.  To my surprise, they launched into song.  Then they kept singing in the hall as they returned to their homerooms for afternoon dismissal.  I couldn't help but laugh as I heard one soft-spoken 5th grade boy sing the loudest.

Kids are full of surprises.  I'm pleasantly surprised with how well (overall) my afternoons are going.