Start where you are

I know I'm no longer employed by the district, but an old habit of communicating with you all is a hard one to break...please forgive me!  Holly will soon take over and she is fabulous.  She is knowledgeable and willing to jump in with you. 

There's a new book titled: Start Where You Are, But Don’t Stay There.  It's premise is working with students whose background may not be yours...how to relate and nurture these students and thus work on closing the achievement gap.  I'm not here to tell you to buy the book, but to ask you to think about this title as a mantra for when you return to school and face a different grade level or challenge.  If you stay where you are, you will not be effective,  but where you are is the place to start.  Think about resources - people, publications, Internet, etc. that you can tap into that will help you move forward.  Let the challenges you face this year energize you and make you a more effective teacher. 

I look forward to visiting you sometime this fall and seeing what wonderful things you are doing in your classrooms with your students.

Kathy

P.S. No job yet... :(  still hoping, though!

Summer

Happy Summer Everyone! 
I will be turning this blog over to Holly this summer.  I hope you stop by often to catch up on articles, videos, and news about Centerfield.  I wish you all the best as you return in the fall - keep in touch!

Kathy

Searching for Level VI | SuperConsciousness Magazine

As we think to next year's classroom environment - especially as many of you change grade levels, I hope you take the time to read this article....

Searching for Level VI SuperConsciousness Magazine

Learning to Read - series on YouTube

For those of you moving to primary, here's a series of lessons on how kids learn to read.  I know many of you are concerned that you've worked with intermediate so long, that you need a refresher on how to teach kids to read.  This series may be of interest to you.

Part 1     http://youtu.be/CiICT2ElwnI
Part 2     http://youtu.be/jrd7-HEderk
Part 3     http://youtu.be/hRxvfkOav04
Part 4     http://youtu.be/jjI4eI_tiyg

Jennifer Jacobson Quote

You've heard me say it before, but it bares repeating; publishing is not copying work over! (That's simply copying work over.) Publishing is the experience of having your work received by an authentic audience.


I love this quote from Jennifer Jacobson.  Reflect about when you have had kids just copy a piece to put in their showcase folder and called that publishing, and when you have given kids the opportunity to share their writing with others in a public setting to an authentic audience.  Sharing our work to an authentic audience builds a writer's sence of worth and pride and encourages them to return to the writing process. 
 
I think we are all guilty of both, myself included.  The important thing is where do we go from here and how will this quote define our teaching of writing next year. Hmmmm.....

Dead Poets Society

It's the first day of Spring Break.  I'm furiously trying to clean my house and while cleaning I turned on the TV and a classic was playing: The Dead Poet's Society.  Once again I am transfixed.  I want to be a John Keating kind of teacher; I want my students to be thinkers and wonderers of words and their power.  If you have never seen this movie, please put it on your list.  If you have, watch it once again.  It is powerful.  Here's a clip - watch to the end, the last comments speak to the kind of teachers we are growing in Oldham County... Let me know what you think.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Spring Break.  If you are in Louisville, hold onto your hats, it's windy!

Common Core Standards Wordle

Here is the link to our Common Core Standards Wordle...

http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/3339949/Common_Core_Standards_CE_at_OC

Misconceptions

This video illustrates in a humorous way, why we must analyze student work in mathematics to catch misconceptions.  Enjoy!

Just a little light humor for today's PD

Letter to a Teacher

Mr. Upchurch's Message, Feb. 2011

Here is the link to Mr. Upchurch's message to us regarding implementation of the new Common Core Standards and the work being done in the district to ensure high standards,student success, and teacher preparedness. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SonZUdpfU_o

The teacher and the surgeon

Here is the video from Tuesday's Meeting.  Come back to it often for inspiration and motivation!

Wonderopolis

I added a new web site to our list. It is Wonderopolis.org.  This is a great site to spur questions, build background knowledge, and spark writing ideas.  Each day a new question is posed.  When you click on the question, you are taken to information, videos, etc. that help answer the question.  You can also go back to see previous questions/answers.  This is appropriate for all grade levels and would be a great morning work activity.  Check it out!

Dog Days of Winter

Welcome to the Dog Days of Winter!  This is such a challenging time of year to be an educator: testing is looming in the back of our minds,we worry we haven't done all we can for our students, pressures of student achievement are high, snow days have ruined the routine we've so carefully set in place in our classrooms, and it's darn cold outside!  Last year, we read a monologue about the creation of a teacher.  I found this on youtube and thought it would be a reminder of the important work we do and what we're made of.  We are a special kind of people.  I hope this touches you as much as it does me...

Workshop Model Website

For those of you looking for more information on developing your reading and writing workshops, this site has been created by a teacher in the Troy school district.  It is a great place to look for the basics.  Thank you Kristie for bringing this site to our attention!


http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/index.htm

From this site, go to literacy links...

Math Workshop Instruction Model

The following link is exactly what we're trying to accomplish not only in math education, but in all content areas. Please take the time to watch this entire video and reflect on how your classroom has or can evolve into this workshop model...in math, or in any other content area.  Look for the routines and expectations this teacher has put into place to encourage deep thinking and a safe environment for his students.  If you want to partner after break to work towards this model, let's get together in January!!

Transition Song for Primary

Students have a better time transitioning from one activity/lesson to another when music is used as a cue.   The following alphabet song might be a suitable transition song for primary classrooms as it is mellow and a perfect length - allowing students time to organize themselves for the next lesson or activity.  Let me know what you think...

Beginning a New Book Can Be So Confusing!

I recently read that it is normal for good readers to be confused when they begin a new book.  Isn't that the truth!  I recently read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  The beginning chapters set the foundation for the rest of the novel.  Many characters, settings, events, and plots are introduced and when I began this novel I almost had to take notes to keep it all straight. I found myself rereading, asking questions, making predictions, inferring, trying to visualize, thinking about what I already knew to draw conclusions...and when that didn't help, I simply kept reading, staying confused.  In fact, I almost abandoned the book several times, but instead muddled through, and I am so glad I did!  It ended up being one of my favorite reads this fall. 

This is such an important message to share with students.  Many of our students think if they don't understand everything when they read, they are not comprehending and end up abandoning books before they reach the meat of the text and perhaps miss out on a captivating read. 

So how do we help students build stamina and perseverance when beginning an appropriate text that may at first seem confusing?

• Model, model, model...think aloud, think aloud, think aloud! (using high interest/quality text)
• Also teach students to use thinking strategies for getting through the first few chapters of a novel, or sections of a non-fiction text.
• Journal to keep track of thinking, questions, predictions, etc.
• Perhaps consider a double entry journal between you and the student
• Talk to peers, or you, about their thinking
• Set goals before abandoning a text or appealing for help

So next time you pick up a new book to hunker down with, think about how you approach the first few chapters. Use that reflection share with your students.

Happy Reading!
Kathy

December Issue of KDE's Literacy Links Newsletter

Here is the link to the December issue of Literacy Links:

http://www.education.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/DA85AD8B-3334-4B89-B9D2-CE4C755C7A48/0/KentuckyLiteracyLinkDECEMBERnewsletter.pdf

Feel free to comment :)

Writing to Demonstrate Learning Idea

Remember how we used "Wordle" at the beginning to collect our thinking about student outcomes?  Fourth grade has used wordle as a way to develop WTDL prompts.  Check this example from Mrs. Forseth's class...