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)
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.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
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
My favorite parts of the 10 steps are the modeling of both good and bad behaviors. I love how this gives students on opportunity to see and understand the desired behaviors in a fun and engaging manner. I especially enjoy how after the students model the incorrect way, they then “fix” the problem and model the desired behavior.
ReplyDeleteI like this one too. The one piece that I added, was to model incorrect behaviors in partner read myself with a student. They thought this was great to see a teacher doing the wrong thing and they then had the chance to "correct" my behavior!
DeleteIn the 10 steps I feel like I may want to take a step back and go through the process of placing students around the room. Some of my students are great at choosing a spot where they work well, but others really struggle with wanting to be next to someone who will keep them off task. I know that these 10 steps aren't a one time teaching, they need to be revisited, especially after any breaks.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I was just thinking about the arrangement of my students within the classroom and some of the concerns I have with some students who want to stay close to those other students who easily distract them. On Monday, I will be discussing some changes with the students and continue building upon and improving the procedures as we go along.
DeleteI liked several things about the 10 steps. I haven't really implemented Daily 5 in my classroom, but I have done some of the things suggested in this chapter (like made an expectations anchor chart). I really like that the language used on their behavior chart is purposefully positive (say that ten times fast). I wish I had done a better job of having my students model the desired behaviors when I made the chart. I also like the stamina chart, it's a great visual to display student growth. I know I have many students who would be very motivated by the idea of increasing their minutes on the chart and would support other students in working toward doing the same. Something I still need to work on is "staying out of the way". I find that I continue to have students coming up to me when I'm trying to work with groups. I need to be better at taking my students' cues that they are at the end of their stamina so we can regroup and check-in (another thing I'm very fond of, I usually use a fist to five to check-in on comprehension, but I like the idea of using it as a tool for reflection and goal setting).
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful opportunity to really connect with my students this week during individual conferences. We looked at their recent STAR data and created goals for each student. I have already started using this information to create small group instruction for the next two weeks, in order to meet the needs of all my students. They really enjoyed their time with me and got excited to discuss strengths and areas for improvement as well. My students have also improved with their independence while I am working with small groups or individual students. I got a wonderful graphic organizer from another teacher that has really helped to keep my students responsible for their own learning. They are monitoring their choices, as well as, critiquing their effort on each choice throughout the CORE time. I am excited to be seeing great things happening within the classroom!!
ReplyDeleteThe thing about the 10-steps of Independence that I like is that it is consistent across all grade levels. The behaviors are expected from Kindergarten all the way through high school if a teacher wanted to implement them. I also really enjoy that it teaches students to hear, see, and feel what is expected rather than just hear what is not expected. I really liked the passage where the authors mentioned how students tune in to the last thing the hear in a sentence or phrase ("don't talk while you read" become "talk when you read"). It allows students to take responsibility for their learning.
ReplyDeleteIn my rush to prepare for the school year, I somehow did not tune in to the passage where it talks about the importance of staying out of the way and not even moving around the classroom. I got the part about not correcting their behaviors and not making eye contact, but just missed the importance of staying out of their way while they work. I have now found as I am implementing a bit of a reset on the Daily 5 after starting this PLC that my students' success has become tethered to me walking around the classroom. Last week we were able to consistently make it 20-25 minutes of Read to Self (even on that first Monday back to school), but yesterday I began individual conferences with students to discuss Good Fit Books and set CAFE Goals, and my students could only make it 10-15 minutes consistently (once we made it to 21 minutes). This will have to be something that I am going to have to emphasize for the remainder of school before break.
As for chapter 4...
DeleteI have already gathered chimes and book boxes. I have created I-charts and designated a gathering place. What I am focusing on collecting now is Books. As a new teacher, I came in whith very few books, and a lot of them were outdated, in poor condition, poorly written, or overly commercialized. I am not trying to collect more books form a variety of levels. One genre that I need to increase is my non-fiction books, which currently only make up about 1/4 of my books, when I would rather it be closer to 1/2.
Also, I do not feel that my classroom space allows for the variety of seating options that they suggest in the chapter. I have 1 beanbag and 4 cushions to sit on, but other than that, I have tables or the floor. I would like some help brainstorming some ideas for how I can offer a variety fo spots for students to sit.