Making the Next Three Weeks Count

It's that time of year again, magic is in the air!  All our students can think about is Christmas!  And, quite frankly, that's about all I can think about, too! Even before Pinterest was the twinkle in some crafty person's eye, teachers had tons and tons of hand-made items for our students to assemble out of construction paper, googly eyes and more Elmer's glue than the school supply bin at Wal-Mart in August.  We have all kinds of great things our kids could dump glitter and sparkles on!  And while it's tempting to tell ourselves our kids won't remember anything we teach them now anyway, we do need to keep teaching--and here are a few reminds why.

1) Every day is one more opportunity to prepare our kiddos for life.
Like most teachers who have students in grade-levels that will be taking state assessments this year, I am constantly thinking about preparing my 3rd Grade reading students for STAAR, the "big test" in Texas.  And while I'm not positive the students I see once or twice a week will retain much of what I teach them about comprehension and decoding these next few sessions, I do have the opportunity to teach them a few life lessons, like persistence, responsibility, focus, oh, and time management.  It would be really great if we could all just sink into a holiday coma for a few weeks but, just like each of us, our students still have work to do.  We need to teach them that the normal responsibilities we have each day don't freeze in time just because a major holiday is coming up.  Most of the world doesn't get a two week holiday like we do, in fact, a lot of people only get one day (if that!) so we need to keep working, too!  But, we can play some Christmas music in the background, just to change it up a bit! ;0)
2) Christmas literature is WONDERFUL! We can continue to build life-long readers through great holiday stories.
There are so many amazing Christmas books (assuming you still work in a school district that lets you read them, like I do!) that incorporate great comprehension skills.  One of my favorites is Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present by John Burningham.  It's sort of similar to Arthur Christmas, in that one present doesn't get delivered but it is a great writing prompt because we never find out what the present was!  What a great way to teach students about predictions and give them an opportunity to write.  I also love Auntie Claus by Elise Primevera.  Every year I find someone to co-teach it with.  It's a great story full of mystery where students can infer Auntie Claus's true identity.  It's also a great read-aloud because it lends itself so nicely to awesome character voices.  If you haven't read these two books, check them out.  I think you and your students will really enjoy them.
3) "Magic" can be incorporated into all subjects!
Do you remember what it was like to be a child those few weeks leading up to Christmas?  I certainly do.  Everyday seemed to last a week!  My parents always tried to make each day count with something special and magical, like making cookies or going caroling.   We have the opportunity to spread some of that magic and cheer into our lessons as well.  Teach a science experiment that has to do with winter, or freezing, or whatever you can come up with to incorporate what's going on in "the real world" into your curriculum without stepping away from the core content too much.  Do some Elf math problems!  If Santa needs to get 60 presents to Toronto in 2 hours, how fast will he have to go and how big will his sleigh need to be if the area of each present is 2.5 feet? Let your kids write their own Christmas themed math problems! If you are lucky enough to put up a class Christmas tree, forget the stand and see what your kids can come up with as a solution.  Give some geographical clues about where Santa is headed and see if the kids can come up with the town, state, country or continent.  There are a lot of ways to spread the Christmas magic into every content area with a little bit of planning, you just have to remember what it's like to be a kid at Christmas!
4) All that sparkles isn't covered in glitter!
I absolutely love it when my daughters make me an ornament, especially if it has their handprint or footprint on it.  I definitely think that students need time during the holiday season to be creative and make something special for their families. That being said, I also love it when my first grader brings home a story she wrote about our family, even more so if it is illustrated!  I love it when her teacher emails pictures of what she was doing in class, especially when it's something authentic and hands-on.  And, since my daughter is in a one-to-one iPad classroom, I love it when I see something amazing she has worked on with her group of classmates that incorporates an application or website where she can be creative and still apply the content of the curriculum to whatever she is working on. While it is tempting to haul out the Holiday word searches, color-by-numbers, and word-sort worksheets, please don't use Christmas as an excuse to knock Bloom's back into the dark ages.
5) If you don't use these three weeks wisely, you'll probably be wishing you had them back in a few months!
How many times have you ever said, or heard a colleague say, "Boy, I just don't know what I'm going to do with all of this extra time I have! My kids already know everything in this unit, I've covered it all completely, and the curriculum writers built in so much extra time, I'm going to have to scrounge up something else to incorporate!" Uhm, never! We never say that because there's always too much to cover, too much to reteach, and too much to squeeze in!  So, if we don't continue to teach to our fullest these three weeks (and pray that our little friends are focused enough and ENGAGED enough to stick the information in their brains where it can be retrieved again!) we are essentially giving up at least three weeks from the spring to go back over what we were supposed to have taught these three weeks.  And, let's not forget, teaching means a transfer of knowledge, so it isn't enough to just SAY the information, the knowledge has to actually transfer. The only way that is going to happen is if we get creative and find some fun ways to teach our students at a high comprehension level with authentic hands-on activities, like technology projects, writing assignments that allow them to choose a topic of their own interest to research and report on,  and real-world problem solving.
We all know that this is a difficult time of year to be a teacher  The kids are excited, we're both excited and exhausted, and we worry that our students just won't retain anything when they finally return after New Year's. Let's continue to work hard, encourage each other, and try to do something magical each day that will really give our students the opportunity to stretch their minds.   It really is the most wonderful time of the year so let's spread that wonder into the curriculum as well!

Questions Every Reading Teacher Needs to Answer Part 3

Originally, I asked the questions I am using in this series of posts in part of a guided reading training I have been presenting (with modifications!) for about 8 years. However, I've decided to modify this question  a little bit.  Rather than asking the original, fairly specific question of, "How are you checking for comprehension after a guided reading lesson," let's just ask the more general, "How will you know how well your students are comprehending?"  This can be applied to any lesson, any subject, any grade-level.  If our students are not comprehending what we are teaching, then we aren't teaching--we're just talking.
(For those of you not familiar with Texas State Mandated testing,  2011-12 was the first year that the STAAR test was introduced to replace the previous state mandated test, TAKS.)Before STAAR came along to make all of our lives brighter, I often heard teachers talking about why the TAKS test was too difficult and that the level of questioning was beyond many of our average students' capabilities. With STAAR, the comprehension level went up even further and we began to realize it wasn't enough to just ask questions at a more difficult level--we had to make our classrooms more like learning labs where students were constantly having to problem solve, analyze, take things apart and put them back together--in every subject. If we are not creating an environment where students are constantly introduced to these types of challenges, not only are we limiting their preparation for the state mandated testing, we're not fully preparing them for the working environment they are going to have to function in as adults.

What are your students getting out of your lessons?

The obvious answer to my question is on assessments. If students are comprehending what you are teaching, they should do well on pencil-paper exams.  However, that is still not necessarily a good indicator as to the level of understanding they have. If you are giving assessments written before STAAR, those written at a lower-level as far as Bloom's Taxonomy is concerned, or possibly something that comes from a curriculum or textbook that is not aligned with the state student expectations or exam, you could well be asking assessment questions that are much easier than the standard set by the STAAR test.  While they may be demonstrating a level of understanding, it might be far below the level they are going to need to be at in order to do well on the state assessment.  Therefore, we cannot use a students' performance on assessments as the sole indicator of how well he or she comprehends the materials we are covering.  We also must take into consideration that some students just don't perform well on written assessments.  There can be a variety of reasons for this but ultimately we need to understand that extremely intelligent children often show up as average or below average in testing situations because of test anxiety, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, autism, and many other factors we should consider.
Therefore, we must collect other forms of data in order to truly determine the level of understanding our students have of the materials we have covered.  The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to create a project that allows the students to work at the highest levels of Bloom's and then we can use the product they create to determine whether or not the student is able to comprehend at those high-levels.  We need to include components of collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, research, and analysis in those projects.  We also need to allow for student choice, particularly when it comes to choosing methods of research, assignments of particular portions of the workload, products, and sometimes even the topic.  There are a lot of topics that often relate to the same unit or lesson we are teaching so if you can find a way to let students choose a component that they are particularly interested in, why not? In my experience, they always perform better when they are engaged with a project they have had some choice in designing. This also allows you insight into their comprehension levels because the greater their understanding, the more likely they are to design a complex, well-thought out project.
We can learn a lot about the level of understanding our students have by listening to the conversations they have with other students. Ask them to explain a concept to a neighbor.  Better yet, ask then to teach a lesson about one of the topics you are discussing to the class.  You'll find out very quickly how deeply they understand the materials.  The student presenting will also retain the information at a deeper level for a longer period of time.  This is all part of project based-learning and it is definitely coming our way so we need to start preparing for it, whether we like it or not.  We say that, in teaching, every thing is cyclical. I think project based learning is going to become a part of our school culture--like lunch and recess more so than some of the flash-in-the-pan buzz words we've been known to use and then discard.  The reason for this is, project based learning works!  Our students get a lot out of it. It's easier on teachers and it more closely replicates an actual work environment than the typical classroom.  Oh, and also, it's a lot of fun!
When it comes to reaching those upper levels of Bloom's, the level that the students' answer at is going to depend on the level of questioning the teacher is using.  If we ask lower-level questions, we'll get lower-level answers.  Examine the types of questions you are asking.  How many of them fall at the knowledge or remembering level?  How many of them climb up to application or analysis?  You may be surprised.  The best way to ensure you are hitting those higher levels is by planning to do so.  Write those types of questions when you write your lesson plan and then keep them with you when you're teaching so that you make sure to ask them.  If you have access to an instructional specialist or coach, ask him or her to come into your classroom during a lesson and keep track of the levels of your questions. This is a great way to get feedback from a non-threatening  professional who will be there to guide you through the steps of improving your questions, if necessary, and there will be no judgement on his or her part either, assuming the specialist or coach is a pro.  Take advantage of the resources you have and invite these people into your classroom to help with specific areas where you feel you can improve.  They want to help and there's nothing wrong with anyone asking for help in improving areas where we feel we are struggling.

Instructional coaches are excellent resources so don't be afraid to use them!

It can be exhausting standing up in front of a room of students all day long, discussing all of the material, saying all of the thins you are supposed to say, and knowing they aren't understanding a thing you are telling them.  This is where the art of teaching must come in to play and replace the misconception that covering a topic by talking about it necessarily results in students learning it.  Again, talking isn't teaching.  Teaching occurs when information is transferred from one person to another.  If they don't get it, then you didn't truly teach it to them.  Sometimes we have to teach the same topic in several different ways in order to teach it to everyone, and that's okay.  The more our students are engaged, the more they have the opportunity to discuss, collaborate, and dig into the subject themselves, the better their learning will be and the higher their levels of comprehension.  And when we create this type of learning environment, there's no question that the vast majority of our students will naturally do well on the state assessments because they are constantly being challenged at this higher level and it's nothing new to them.
What other ideas do you have for challenging your students to reach new intellectual heights?

When the Teaching Part of Our Brain Is Gone Fishin'

Gone fishin'?

When I first started teaching, I was confused about a lot of things.  I began my career as a kindergarten teacher in a Title I campus on October 1st with a class formed for me by the other kindergarten teachers. They were each asked to pick two students to send to my class.  I worked at a really great school with some incredible teachers but I'm afraid a few of them were a little too tempted to have certain students belong to someone else.  Any time you're walking into a classroom formed from other classes--in October--in kindergarten, well, it's gonna be rough.  And it was.  And I sincerely apologize to all of those children because I wasn't a very good teacher.  But no one died and we all went on to have a better year the next year.
There are many bad practices that I developed that year as a part of Survivor-Mode.  All teachers have one or two areas where we need some work and I am certainly right there along with everyone else!  Today, I would like to discuss a little phenomena I like to refer to as "fishing."  This is not the technical term, it's a term I developed after I realized I was doing it and that I shouldn't be, which was about 5 years into my career.  I guarantee at one point you've done it, too.  The best of the best have done it, so let's talk about what it is, why you shouldn't do it, and what you can do instead.
Picture a third grade classroom.  We've been talking about the economy in social studies for several days. The day before we discussed the differences between needs and wants.  In an effort to review the material we discussed prior to this class period, we will start by asking our students (you know what we're going to ask), "What did we talk about yesterday?"
Now, let's freeze right there for a minute and be "the kid".  What does she mean what did we talk about yesterday? We talked about a lot of things yesterday.  We talked about math, reading, social studies, science, writing. We had lunch.  We played outside.  Jimmy and I played football.  I went to music class.  What is she talking about?
As a teacher, we try to be more narrow.  "Remember, yesterday?  When we were talking?  Yesterday, in class."
Kid:  Uhm, which class?
Teacher:  "Yesterday, in social studies.  When we were talking about the economy.  Do you remember?"
Kids begin to nod vaguely, I think I remember something about that.
Teacher:  "And what did we say was a need that everyone has?"
And this is where the really deep fishing can begin, if we are not careful!
Kids: "Water!"
Teacher: "Well, yes, we do all need water.  But I'm talking about something else, something else that we said we all need.  Remember, yesterday, in class? We talked about something we all need?"
Kids: "Food!"
Teacher:  (more aggravated this time) "Yes, that's true.  We do all need food.  But yesterday, we talked about something everyone needs, in order to survive.  Remember, Sally said it.  Right after we read the book."
Kids: "Uhm, clothes?  Money?  A dog?"
Teacher:  (really upset now) "No!  How come no one remembers this?  We just talked about it yesterday.  (my favorite) It starts with a sh---."
Kids: "Shoes?  Showers? Shellfish?"
Teacher:  "Oh, so close!  Shellllllll"
Timid kid in the back row: "Shelter??"
Teacher: "Yes!  Thank you!  Shelter. Remember, we talked about shelter yesterday and how everyone needs shelter?  Don't you remember that?"
Kids:  "Oh, ya, shelter. Ya, I remember that now.  We talked about that.  Shelter."
How many minutes have we collectively wasted in this kind of ambiguous guessing game? Why do we insist on torturing ourselves and our entire class by giving them clues, as if we can magically turn them in to mind-readers overnight if we play this little game enough times? If you work at The Uri Geller School for Gifted Children with ESP, maybe this is a good strategy. Otherwise, not so much.
And really, what is it that we are trying to accomplish? I used to think I was checking for comprehension by asking these questions.  But I wasn't.  Students have to know what the subject is that we are discussing before they can prove whether or not they are informed about that subject.  By telling them 1) we talked about it yesterday 2) I felt it was important 3) it was something to do with social studies, we are not giving them enough information to let us know if they really understand what we are talking about or not.  How often does a student answer our first feeler question correctly?  Usually only if we want a general answer--like wants and needs. If you want something specific, be more specific with your questions!
I was actually teaching third grade social studies and reading when I went to a workshop and the presenter said,  "Never open your lesson with a question about what you did yesterday.  Tell them what you did yesterday and check for understanding by allowing them to discuss the topic."  You'll know very quickly if they have a deep understanding of the topic or if they remember nothing.  And if they only remember the topic of what you discussed and nothing else, then you've reached them on the first two levels of Bloom's--which isn't going to cut it. We want higher-level questions so let's start the discussion with a substantiated topic and then start asking some questions that will make them think--not remember. Otherwise, you're going to waste a lot of time casting your hook into waters where the fish have all scurried away.
I felt relieved when the presenter essentially gave us permission to stop fishing at the beginning of our lessons.  I am no well-known reading expert, but if it helps any, I now give you permission to stop throwing your line in.  Leave the guessing games for recess and let your students sink their teeth into the real meat of the discussion.  You'll all be happier for it if you do!
Thoughts??

Moving on to calmer waters.