It is hard to believe that the summer is almost here.  We have so enjoyed posting to this blog and sharing some ideas and resources.  We hope you have  found some of it beneficial.  If there are areas of interest to consider for blogging next year, feel free to comment and we will make sure to include those areas next year.  

We want to wish all of you a safe, happy, and relaxing summer!

                                                                              

                                                                             Woodstock Instructional Coaches

                                              

Literacy Resources

As you are wrapping up your teaching these last few weeks and perhaps even considering some ideas for next year, don’t forget that there are resources available on the ISBE website to support teaching the standards. Lessons and supports, including graphic organizers and sample lessons, for K-5 teachers for Literature are available here and for Informational texts, click here. 

Observation-LIteracy

 We want to create an environment in our classrooms that will give students the best opportunity to progress.  One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is 

• "Have I made careful observations of my students to know what they know or understand, so I can make decisions about future instruction?"

The Gradual Release Model has a noticing component in all levels of the model.  Whether you are explicitly teaching through the focus lesson, guiding them through a lesson, or the students are collaboratively or independently working, it is important to notice, or observe, the students.

Try this:  

• Choose three students to observe through the next lesson.  This should be one student who is meeting expectations, one student who is above, and one who is performing below.  By focusing on three students, a teacher can observe in more detail. 
• Make observations during the lesson or activity and note those observations.  Are they engaged? Do they display understanding?  Are they contributing to the discussion or group? What are they saying or writing?  Is it connected? Are they using evidence to support their ideas?
• Use these notes to determine the next steps.  What do I need to reteach?  Do I need to pull a small group?  Do I need to reteach or explain differently?  Perhaps they displayed evidence that I can move on. 
• Continue this practice in other lessons, choosing different students from each level for representation of the whole class. 

Observation is integral to effective instruction. By mastering the art of observing, our students will surely benefit and progress!

 Top Ten Reasons We Love Picture Books!

This top 10 list is quoted from a 5th grade teacher. To read full blog,with a great book list, click here

10. Picture books are amazing because they are short enough to teach us something in one class period.

9. Picture books are amazing because they bring us laughter and make us remember when we were younger.

8. Picture books are amazing because they help us to be creative.

7. Picture books are amazing because they give us a break and a chance to relax from reading chapter books.

6. Picture books are amazing because they are entertaining and don’t have as many rules to follow as chapter books.

5. Picture books are amazing because they allow all of us to feel the joy of reading.

4. Picture books are amazing because they teach us. Just because they are short doesn’t mean they can’t teach us a lesson.

3. Picture books are amazing because they help us learn lessons through them and then we can turn and apply them to our own reading.

2. Picture books are amazing because they open up the whole world to us in a short text that we can gather around and share together.

1. Picture books have no age limits. (This one is supposed to be said with enthusiasm.)

Happy Earth Day!

April 22nd, Earth Day, is one of my favorite holidays of the year.  It's a day when people all over the world join together to discuss how we can care for our Earth.  It's a day to take a look at our habits and truly reflect on how they impact our world.

For example, when we ask students to take notes or complete an assignment, students may mindlessly take out a new piece of notebook paper to complete their assignment, only to be tossed (hopefully recycled) in the not too distant future.  What if we challenge students to rethink that simple action?  What if we challenge them to show what they know in new and different ways that may be more sustainable?   Can we use a Google Doc?  Screencastify?  Possible answers will be different depending on the resources we have at our disposal.  Perhaps a white board or the back of an assignment could work.

The solutions that the students generate may not be perfect, but that's not the point.  Could we challenge ourselves to have an entire paperless day, and still meet our content objectives?  On this Earth Day, can we all be more mindful of the choices we make each and every day?  Can we be problem solvers as we assess our impact on the Earth?  And can we use our problem solving skills to truly make a difference in our world?  Happy Earth Day, everyone!

What is a Learning Management System?

As we look toward teaching with more technology, and eventually in a one to one environment, many teachers have been asking about the best way to organize and deliver resources to students.  A Learning Management System will become an important component for classroom management.  An LMS can serve as a central hub for your classroom.  This can be your go to place for all of your students and their families.  Your students can access their digital curriculum, articles, links, assignments, assessments, and many other resources in one place, with one log in and password.  By using an LMS we can streamline many parts of our day, reducing transition time and giving us more class time for what really matters.....time with our students.

How do I request to work with one of those coaches?

After our post about what instructional coaches do in our district (find post here), many teachers were interested in how they go about requesting to work with a coach. The answer is simple: Just ask. You can either ask your principal or ask the coach directly. The coach can then let you know what their availability is. Coaches can provide different levels of support to teachers. It may be that you are just looking for some help with a particular lesson. It could be that you have had a goal in mind for the past few years that you would love to achieve. Either way, coaches can give you the support and encouragement you need. While many of our coaches work in multiple buildings, they are always willing to help. Feel free to contact us and ask any questions or hesitations you may have. Just ask! We would love the opportunity to work with you.