12.23.2011 Update

I'm beginning to see why documentation is so important.  With documentation and reflection, conclusions or theories can be made.  The student I am doing a RtI with fell apart with behavior this month.  Then, as suddenly as it started, it was over.  I realized that behavior interfered with her ability to attend reading support and her 1:1 time with me.  When I corrected her unit reading test and looked at her score, I knew it was from lack of curriculum contact time.  But, where was my data in the loss of contact time?  I'm contemplating using a calendar grid for each student, and then I can document absences or behavior/academic status.  I am wondering if it is worth the time and effort.  It could be the beginning of a more organized daily reflection of my students.  I think I will try it for the month of January and see if it is beneficial.  I will ask a coworker if she has a form to use.  Maybe a calendar for each student would work.

A student of mine is moving over the holiday break.  We will all miss him.  On the Monday we return, I will gain a new student.  I have prepped the classroom, his desk, his locker, and my students so he will feel invited and welcome.  I want to be able to offer security and predictability in classroom routines to get him off to a good start.  After the holiday will be a good time to review class rules, recess rules, and the responsive classroom motto "go slow to go fast" to make sure we are all ready to learn in 2012.

Update - December 7, 2011

Research Project - I am working on the second half of my inquiry research project.  I don't have all of the answers for myself and for other teachers on how to do this perfectly.  But, by doing this research project, I have given my students the opportunity to participate in research.  I know other teachers who are not doing the inquiry; it is difficult to find the time and to know how to navigate the messy and muddy waters of research.  I am thrilled to be able to work with our librarian.  She has helped us strategize, pick key words, and find books and web sites.  The curriculum has sites that are helping my students on the second round.  I am learning that I need to use what is available, instead of feeling like I need to personally find all of the resourcesfor my students.

With the second round, my students chose their partners and their topic of research.  I wish I had not told them they would have choice of partners.  I sensed that students were choosing topics just so they would be with their friend.  That is water over the bridge, though.  I think once they get a little farther, some groups will continue to be high maintenance, while others will be fairly independent.  Students seemed to choose partners who are at their same ability level in reading.  I will be helping the lower students with more reading.  On the other hand, it will be interesting to see if they learn more, because they will be totally responsible for the project (instead of giving up control to more academically advanced peers). 

Master's Reflection - I am amazed that I am almost three-quarters of the way into this program.  At the start, I didn't think I would make it.  The program has put demands on me in many ways.  It has challenged me to grow, think, collaborate, lead, research, read, reflect, and define who I am as a teacher.  It has been the catalyst that will make me a successful teacher for the rest of my career.

I remember a very awesome third grade teacher, Mrs. Jenkins, who retired about seven years ago.  She once told me that she tried to put a new idea (or two) into each her lesson plans each week.  Now I think I get that.  If I am reading, researching, and continuing to learn, I will have ideas to try and share each week.  That is the kind of teacher I want to be.

Math Coaching November 22, 2011

I approached TG at the beginning of the year, and asked him if I could observe as a math coach in his classroom this year.  He is a veteran teacher, and I know that I will learn a lot from him.  I could also share best practices with him.  Three times this fall I have asked him if I could observe, but our schedules are busy, and he hasn't felt comfortable with it yet.
In the past week I have met him, TG, twice about two low math students in his room.  At conferences a mom requested that he refer her child for testing as he has been low in math and reading all of his school career.   I checked out a Do The Math Kit and looked it over.  It was too high, so I requested lower level kits.  TG has expressed a lot of frustration over when to do an intervention, what qualifies as an intervention, and how to acomplish this.  I do not claim to have all of the answers, but it has made me step up my game so I can be helpful to this teacher.  He is not certain if a math intervention is the first step, or if a behavior program is needed.  I told him about Intervention Central.  Now, I want to help him identify the behaviors that could be getting in the way of the student's learning, and decide on an intervention if needed.  TG is calming down and appreciates someone to vent and talk to.   I've always respected him as a teacher, and sense that he does not feel appreciated.  I look forward to developing a collegial relationship with him.

First Inquiry Comes to a Close - Nov. 16

Students continued to work on their inquiry posters on November 8, 9, and 10.  Three groups presented on Nov. 15 and two groups presented on Nov. 16.  Students went to the lab and completed the Survey Monkey on Monday, Nov. 21.    My overall impression of the inquiry process is positive.  Using exit slips in the form of a rubric helped to keep students focused and learning.  Students met on chairs in circles, and that also kept them on topic.  The librarian helped to find web sites and books, and other teachers shared web sites, also.  The librarian and I talked about how "messy" the research process is.  This can be difficult for teachers and students.  The reading series set up the inquiry time to be on Fridays, but I've found that students lose momentum and focus if they only meet one day a week.  It is also unrealistic for them to have a project idea after the first week of the reading unit.  Best would be for students to meet within the Daily 5 rotation.  This does not work if the groups are set up with one student from each of the leveled readers.  In this next project students will be able to choose their partners based on interest.  Students will most likely be able to find a time each day to meet.
The La Crosse Conference was great.  I got many ideas from our JAG group.  Hudson 2 members shared more community builders and ideas online to implement.  Sometimes I wonder how I can keep up on all of the ideas.  In reality I can't.  But as the third semester comes to a close, I wonder where I will get all the future wonderful ideas I have gained from my community.  I really love this program!  Without it, I don't think I would be ready for all of the changes that are happening in our district with learning communities, Response to Intervention, and using data to implement changes.

11/7/2011 Research Update

Dear Blog,
  How I have thought about you each week for awhile now.  Why have I stayed away?  At first it was because I didn't get going on my research right away.  My classroom schedule is crazy-busy, and I have been frustrated with so much to do and so little time!  I wasn't getting my research in, and struggled to blog about it.
 
  Our first Inquiry Project meeting was on October 26, 2011.  I was totally impressed with the way the students sat in their groups and asked questions about their topic. They rated themselves and each other high, but I saw it in action.  Our second session was on October 27.  There was almost the same degree of on-task behavior and engagement.  I gave the students some books from my local library to begin with.  Students asked more questions about their topic and began their research.  Our third session was on November 1, in the library.  Students worked with the librarian and myself to find more books to learn about their topic.  After this session, students went to the adjoining computer lab, and used web sites the librarian, a coworker, and I had come up with.  Students were allowed to print the documents they felt would help them.  The research moves ahead!  On November 4, students used the two classroom computers and their book resources, and added sticky notes to their materials.  They did this with a substitute, and some of their ratings are not as high as before.  Today, November 7, we met again.  Students began to compile their sticky notes.  I took a picture of a student as she stuck the notes on her research folder.   I watched her group go through them and decide which ones they wanted to include in their final project.  Some notes had gotten pulled out of a book without a complete thought being written.  I think the lesson was learned.  Two groups worked on the computer to see if they could answer a question that still lingered for them.  Another group thinks they are ready to begin their poster, and the last group thinks so, too. 

I have taken pictures of the students at work.  I want to get some video clips, but forget to request the flip camera when we meet.  I have interacted with students throughout, but find it difficult to write notes on their individual evaluation sheet that I have for each of them.  I also need to be documenting reflections of this process.  I will get the poster board and we will discuss what makes a great presentation.   Students will need to plan out their presentation before beginning their final project.

Update: October 28, 2011

We had our first grade level data share on Tuesday.  We brought our Unit 1 Math Test scores.  We each shared our low and high scores.  We discussed students of concern and added them to the computer file.  We came to a conclusion that our lowest of the low are already getting interventions in reading support and computer math.  Some are also getting a Read Naturally intervention.  We decided to reteach for these students, instead of putting them in another intervention.  Next, we looked at those close to the benchmark.  We contemplated a 30-day intervention, but most of us felt that a reteach within our classrooms will be sufficient to help them grasp the missed skills.  We will each keep extra watch on those students, and will see how they do after the next unit test.
 
I was very pleased with the enthusiasm brought to the table when I asked my group of students to work with the skill they had not mastered on the unit one math test.  I think they had begun to grasp the concept, and there was pride in their work.    It was a big change from some some of the unengaged behaviors I had gotten during whole group instruction.  If I have learned anything these last few years, it is that if students fail to participate in class, it probably means they are unsure about the skill, and need to be checked!

Another teacher shared Unit 1 Math vocabulary labels for our student math notebooks.  I used these, and liked how students could go back to look up vocabulary.  I made labels for Unit 2 Math, and shared these with my grade level.

I reread "The Best Day" post and compared it to this week.  I was gone a day.  On Friday, there was a change in the barameter.  Some student behaviors were not the best.  I wonder if a study has been done on full moons and changes in weather.  It seems to affect some students, but not all.  Anyway, I decided we are still in the first six weeks of school.  Community is still being built.

Update: October 2, 2011

Asking for Help:  I brought up the need for coworkers to step in and help me with making the next reading power points and in updating the next math units, if they thought it was valuable.  Three of the five were right there nodding their heads, so I know I have help.  The other two, I think, just feel overwhelmed with everything.  I am happy to have help on the next units in math and reading.

Thursday we had "The Best Day Ever!".  Kids were off of school on Wednesday.  Tuesday resulted in misbehavior at the lunch table.  We reviewed the classroom rules we all signed, and I commented that no one in our class wrote on their "Hopes and Dreams" that they wanted to hear bad language or wanted to have someone leave them out.  It ended up being just a great day in the classroom; specialist teachers commented on what a great group I have, and the students got to hear the compliment!  We have also had some fun and laughter at Morning Meetings with our games.  I've had to remind myself to be human and let them be human. 

There's a lot of stress in our building and grade level right now because we will be sharing data to inform our teaching, but there's also the fear of exposing ourselves and our weaknesses.  Preliminary conversations have been good, though, and I hope we can keep the focus on best practices and how to improve student learning.  Our first data share will be Tuesday.  So much of what our district is doing blends in well with my master's program.  It is much easier to be on board because I am learning/have learned some of what is needed to be a better teacher and to help my students achieve.