PLC Session 2: The Daily 5, Chapters 3 & 4

Welcome back!

We gave everyone a bit of a breather last week instead of launching into more reading. There was a note of anxiety in the air so it seemed best to take a step back. Also, we have some folks joining in late and we welcome each of you!!! If you're just joining us and don't have the 2nd edition of The Daily 5 we have ordered them and will distribute them as soon as we get them in.

A comment was made that resonated with me..."I felt like I was in grad school, again," in reference to posting a blog response. Now, this was not meant as a complaint but instead as a colleague verbally reminding him/herself that the PLC should be fun and an opportunity for growth. I appreciate this kind of honesty - it is a reminder that we never really established any group agreements about how we would function as a virtual PLC. 

Jennifer and I plotted out dates for the study of The Daily 5 and CAFE. The purpose of the dates is that it allows for you to build in some personal accountability. We WANT everyone to engage so that we can learn an grow from each other - that's the strength of a PLC. I certainly appreciate when folks email me or stop me in the hall to check in a let me know that they plan to post but have had X, Y, or Z going on. I get it! We support you and are confident that everyone participates to their full ability. The blog format allows everyone to interact as time allows. Please know that some of the PLC involves in classroom support from Jennifer and me so we are going to try to stick to our PLC calendar as closely as we can. Just a heads up, I am in the process of adding each of you to the PLC Google Calendar. :o)

For November 17 - November 30, we are asking everyone to read chapters 3 and 4 from The Daily 5.

Chapter 3 discusses the 10 steps to teaching and learning independence. Even if you've implemented and/or read the 1st edition of Daily 5, chapter 3 is a good refresher on why The Sisters teach the procedures the way the do and what research the 10 steps comes from. 

Check out these links from The CAFE website:
Video on reason to build stamina  https://www.thedailycafe.com/articles/sisters-on-the-spotim-done
Downloadable Stamina Chart  https://www.thedailycafe.com/articles/building-stamina
10 Steps to Independence quick reference  https://www.thedailycafe.com/articles/10-steps-to-teaching-and-learning-independence

Chapter 4 dives into what is needed to begin Daily 5. Those who have not started implementing Daily 5, you are ok. Jennifer shared a story of a teacher she coached who implemented Daily 5 for the second half of a school year, beginning in February. That particular teacher continues to implement Daily 5. It's never too late to start.

This time around for your blog responses, I would like to encourage you to build off of each other's thoughts. There is no need to start a new response string unless your thought(s) are completely different than what you are reading. I'm trying to get in there to respond as well. 

Blog response:
For chapter 3, what appeals to you about the procedures laid out in the 10 steps? 
For those who are already implementing, what changes would you like to make mid-stream? What words of support do you have for those just beginning the journey?

In chapter 4, keep a record for yourself about materials you will need to begin Daily 5. When we return from Thanksgiving break, Jennifer and I will be asking folks about their needs so that we can go to the principals and share the needs at one time. 

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You may use your participation in the PLC as evidence of professional practice as defined byCharlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. This week's participation is evidence of 

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities -

• 4a: Reflecting on Teaching - Use in future teaching
• 4d: Participating in a Professional Community - Relationships with colleagues & Involvement in culture of professional inquiry
• 4e: Growing and Developing Professionally - Enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill

Implementation of the 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence could be observable evidence of Domain 2: The Classroom Environmnet -

• 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
• 2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
• 2c: Managing Classroom Procedures
• 2d: Managing Student Behavior
• 2e: Organizing Physical Space

PLC Session 1: The Daily 5, Chapters 1 & 2

Greetings PLC!!!

Now that fall parent/teacher/student conferences are over, we are ready to launch into Daily 5. Jennifer and I are beyond excited that we have so many fellow educators eager to be part of a learning community that focuses on literacy. Those that introduced themselves in the first blog post all shared the desire to implement Daily 5 in a way that is effective and meets the unique needs of students.

We honor the fact that each of you is teaching part or full time and that you have lives outside of your school. As such, we have tried to make the book study and Daily 5/CAFE implementation manageable. As a participant, we ask that you read (or re-read) the chapter for the week. As we progress in our PLC, there will be times that Jennifer and/or I may observe, provide feedback, model, and co-teach portions of Daily 5/CAFE. The goal is to provide support for you as you implement or refine your implementation of Daily 5.

For Monday, October 27th through Friday, November 7, we ask that you read chapters 1 & 2 of The Daily 5, Our Core Beliefs: The Foundations of the Daily 5.
For those of you with access to The Daily CAFE website, here are links from the website to deepen your understanding and reflection.
The Power of Choice  https://www.thedailycafe.com/articles/the-power-of-choice 
Brain and Body Breaks https://www.thedailycafe.com/articles/brain-and-body-breaks

Respond to the prompts in the comment section of the blog post. Feel free to start your own string or you may build upon another member's response. Remember that you need to log into your district Google account in order to post a comment. Please post comments by November 7, 2014.

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You may use your participation in the PLC as evidence of professional practice as defined by Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. This week's participation is evidence of 

Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities -

• 4a: Reflecting on Teaching - Use in future teaching
• 4d: Participating in a Professional Community - Relationships with colleagues & Involvement in culture of professional inquiry
• 4e: Growing and Developing Professionally - Enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill

Welcome to our professional learning community!!!

Jennifer Napoleon and I are excited to have an opportunity to learn and grow with you. 

This blog is our first step toward bringing teachers from the Lincoln County School District together to talk about sometime we are all passionate about: literacy. 

The focus for this Professional Learning Community is The Daily 5 (second edition) and The CAFE Book, both by "The Sisters", Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. We will also reference the website, http://www.thedailycafe.com/, for those with individual website memberships. 
 

We have developed a plan for the remainder of the school year that we believe will allow us to read (or reread) the books and begin implementing what we learn in a way that also honors the fact that we are teaching full time. At Oceanlake and Taft Elementary schools, part of the school improvement plan will include ongoing observations and support related to our readings. The link to the Google calendar will be posted on this blog soon so that you can see our proposed plan for reading and implementing Daily 5 and CAFE.

This blog is meant to be interactive. We will have regular posts that we ask encourage everyone to respond to - that's how we learn together and how we remain connected.

To begin, we ask everyone to reply to this post. Share with us your name, your school, your grade level, and why you've joined the PLC. You will need to log into your LCSD Google account to post. 

We look forward to learning with you.