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.

District 200 Teacher Feature-An Annotation Lesson

We all know that a large part of Common Core is the act of close reading. Close reading can be quite a daunting task to start with however, because students often lack the foundational skills that are needed to successfully close read a piece of text. A sixth grade teacher in our district is working hard to make sure her students have the skills necessary to close read. She began at the ground level with talking to her students about how to truly read deeper in a piece of text and then how to record their thinking through annotation.

What do you want students to show you?

The teacher began with the end in mind. What were the skills she wanted her students to demonstrate by the end of the lesson? These were then posted on the board for all students to see. The objectives are addressed by the teacher at the start and end of each class period. Sometimes one student will read them to the class, other times the teacher asks the students to read them silently and reflect on their learning towards meeting the objective.

Be clear about the language

As teachers, we often post objectives or goals on the board and they remain there, hanging out in the shadows and part of the background noise. This teacher not only reviews and discusses the objectives with her students, but she also makes sure they understand the words that make up the objectives. Sometimes in the daily rush of things, we can forget that some of our students aren't exactly sure what we mean by "inference" or "evidence".

Get them hooked when they walk in the door

When students enter the classroom they are directed to complete an entrance slip that allows the teacher to quickly assess which students have grasped the concept covered the day before. The additional question about what they are annotating makes a connection to independent reading as well as other subject area classes.        
                                                              

                                    

Gradual release gets us to mastery

An anchor chart assists students with annotating their text. The teacher modeled how to use these symbols to annotate during a close read she modeled to her class. This "I do" lesson was the first step in the gradual release of responsibility where the teacher explicitly showed the class her thinking. In the next "We do" lesson, students partnered with the teacher to work on a close read as a whole class. 

"We do together"

In the next stage of the lesson, students worked with a partner to do a close read of Gary Soto's poem "Ode to Family Photographs". The poem was read several times and during the second and third read, students annotated the text. Each student has a blue card that reminds them of annotation symbols that can be used. These symbols are the same as shown on the anchor chart, but having this card allows students to keep this information in their binder for use in their science and social studies classes as well. 

Annotating on our own- "You do"

When students independently read, they are also annotating the text. This allows the students to have effective and engaging book talks with the teacher and provides the teacher with a formative assessment to determine the student's understanding of annotating text.

Banishing the Bird: Why Round Robin Reading Isn't Working in Your Classroom

Books are open on each desk. Students sit silently while one student struggles through reading the text. The student stops over and over again and waits for the teacher to prompt him with the word he can't figure out. Several students are staring out into space and others are busy trying to figure out which section they will be reading.

This scene is likely familiar in many classrooms. So what's really wrong with Round Robin Reading anyway? Research has shown that using this practice in classrooms does far more harm than good. Round Robin Reading (RRR), which is also commonly referred to as "Popcorn Reading", leads to slower reading rates, a lower quantity of text being read, more off-task behaviors, models of dysfluent reading, and problems with comprehension. Research provides us with useful information about practices that are most effective in our classrooms, and this type of reading doesn't make the list. Consider the following statements associated with Round Robin Reading:

"I read five sentences at school today!"
We would be horrified if a student went home and proclaimed this to their parents, yet Round Robin Reading does just this. In classrooms where RRR is used, students read far less than those classrooms that do not. Many times, students are asked to read only a paragraph or a few sentences which greatly lowers the reading opportunities within a day.

"Time for the dress rehearsal."
Ask most students and they will tell you that while other students are reading they really aren't following along. While a classmate is reading they are likely counting paragraphs or lines to figure out which section is going to be their section to read. They then proceed to practice reading their part in their head while the current student reading drowns on in background.

"Not him again!!"
Imagine being a fluent reader and having to listen to a classmate struggle through a text. It becomes boring and tiresome for those students who are good readers to be held back by those who may struggle. Additionally, this can model dysfluent reading for all students in your class. Even worse, I've heard of cases where "reading bullying" actually takes place when good readers in a class purposely call on struggling readers in order to make them feel embarrassed

"Not ME again!!"
If you've never been a struggling reader, then you have no idea how horrible it feels to be called upon to publicly perform a task that everyone else seems to do with ease. Students who struggle with reading often feel singled out in the practice of Round Robin Reading. They in turn become more anxious about reading which perpetuates the cycle of not wanting to read. In upper grades, students may act out in order to be removed from class to avoid reading.

"Teacher knows best"
There's a good chance that we've all done some form of RRR in the past. At least half of K-8 teachers have reported some variation of RRR in their instruction (Ash, Kuhn, Walpole, 2009). But it's time to get honest with ourselves. Round Robin Reading does not benefit students' reading abilities and really is a superficial level of engagement in a text. I often hear teachers say, "But my students love popcorn reading! They beg me to do it!" to which a wise friend of mine once replied, "They also like chocolate, but that doesn't mean you give it to them. " Teacher knows best when it comes to reading instruction and our students rely on us to be the professional.


So What's the Alternative?
There are plenty of other practices that can be substituted for RRR or popcorn reading.

1. We can read-aloud to students.

• Teacher read-alouds provide good modeling of reading and comprehension. Keep read-alouds interactive and engage students in concepts, vocabulary, and strategies.

2. Students can read to each other.

• The strategy of Patterned Partner Reading (McLaughlin & Allen, 2009) keeps students focused and working together on a text. (Note: This requires thoughtful planning and modeling of practices in peer coaching to be effective.)

3. Students can read silently.

• When teachers provide scaffolding and a purpose for reading it assists students in their focus and understanding of a text. While students are reading, consider sitting down next to an individual student to listen to them read and confer with them for a quick moment. 

Looking for more alternatives to Round Robin Reading? Check out the book: Good-bye Round Robin: 25 Effective Oral Reading Strategies (Opitz & Rasinski)

References:
1. McLaughlin, Maureen. "Read-Alouds and Recreational Reading Always! Round-Robin Reading Never!" Reading Today 31.1 (2013): 3-4. Print.
2. Hilden, Katherine, and Jennifer Jones. "Sweeping Round Robin Reading Out of Your Classroom." Reading Today 29.5 (2012): 23-24. Print.

An unexpected opportunity for reflection...

Recently, while reading an article from the September issue of Teaching Children Mathematics, a journal for elementary math education published by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (www.nctm.org), I read something that made such a connection for me that I had to share it.

The article, titled, "Warning Signs!", outlined three teacher moves that the authors identified as moves that tend to precede a teacher taking over a student's thinking:

     Warning Sign #1 - Interrupting the child's strategy
     Warning Sign #2 - Manipulating the tools
     Warning Sign #3 - Asking a series of closed questions

While the entire article was an excellent read, my personal connection was related to warning sign #2, manipulating the tools. In the scenario provided, a teacher took over control of the pencil while working with an individual student. This shifted the focus from the student's strategy to the teacher's strategy.

Students using colored tiles to represent multiplication

As I read this, I immediately thought of a recent math professional development session in which I was modeling a lesson for a group of teachers. As students were working with tools (colored tiles) to represent arrays for multiplication, I would physically move the manipulatives for the students when I noticed confusion. As I read the article, I began wondering if I could have used questioning to get the students to identify their misunderstandings and self-correct.

I also reflected on the brain research tied to this - that students need to be the ones physically manipulating objects. In the book, Brain Matters: Translating Research into Classroom Practice, Pat Wolfe (2001) discusses the three levels of learning: concrete, representational, and abstract. She states, “Many of our strongest neural networks are formed by actual experience” (p. 138). An example of an experience relevant to math instruction is the use of manipulatives.  Manipulatives increase understanding of math concepts and motivate students to learn math.  The research of Eric Jensen (1998) adds that physical movement, such as hands-on activities and the manipulation of objects, promotes student learning.


So what are some alternates to these warning signs? What can we do to move students forward? The article suggests:

• Slow down: Allow the child to finish before intervening.
• Encourage the child to talk about the strategy so far.
• Ask questions to ensure the child understands the problem and how his or her strategy relates to that situation.
• Ask whether trying another tool or another strategy would help.

You can read the entire article HERE with a subscription.

Positive instructional practices

I recently read an article that provided research on the effectiveness of Project Based Learning (PBL). John Hattie, a professor in Australia researched not just PBL but what instructional strategies are effective and ineffective within those classrooms.  A couple of practices stood out. Formative assessments, frequent teacher feedback, valuing error and creating trust in the classroom rank as the most highly effective.  While this comes as no surprise, it is worth mentioning. Want to know more?The link is provided.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/hattie-effect-whats-essential-effective-pbl-suzie-boss

Want to know more about Project Based Learning.  Check out this link.

http://bie.org/about/what_pbl

Manipulatives...Just a Mouse Click Away!

Base Ten Blocks

In looking for materials for a 4th grade teacher this week, I stumbled upon this great source of free, printable manipulatives: 

Mathematics Blackline Masters

Need a visual to teach a concept? Maybe something here can help!


Prefer digital tools? Check out these free manipulatives from The Math Learning Center that can be used through the internet or as iPad applications:

Here is a screenshot from the "Number Pieces" app...

Number Pieces web app from The Math Learning Center

However, just having the manipulatives isn't enough if you don't know how to use them. Check out these videos to see how base ten blocks (whether foam, plastic, paper, or digital) can be used to teach students multi-digit multiplication using either set or area models:

Not sure which manipulative to use to teach a concept? Please post below so that your colleagues and coaches can help!