How's It Going?....Pretty well!

When I first began reading Chapter 7 of Anderson's How's It Going, I immediately began to think that this man has clearly been in my classroom and knows exactly what I am dealing with and how I am feeling. His anecdote about the initial feelings in terms of the structure of Writer's Workshop was almost identical to how I felt. In first implementing the workshop, my students seemed to be extremely dependent upon me during this time and relied on me for everything, sometimes even before attempting to start on their writing. When planning for conferences, I found it so frustrating to have students crowded around me while I was conferring with one student because they wanted to ask something as simple as "Can I sharpen my pencil?" Also, similar to Anderson, another issue I noticed was the fact that while I was conferring with a student, the students that would be at their desks working on their writing would be talking loudly so it made it very difficult for me to hear what the student I was conferring with was saying. Because of this, I began straying away from conferencing and spending more time walking around the room monitoring students' noise level. I found this to not be very beneficial for the students and it was also exhausting for me as a teacher. However, by conferences with my coach and reading this text, I have found some really helpful insights that will assist me in the management of my conferences moving forward. Below are the main points that squared with my thinking, pointed me in a new direction, and things that are still circling in my mind:

Square
"Unless our students can work independently, it can be almost impossible to conduct conferences."

This quote squared with my thinking mainly because I have known this to be evident in my classroom. When students are constantly being needy and asking questions and seeking assistance from the teacher, it only insinuates that there is no structure present so that students know what to do at all times during the workshop. When students learn to navigate through the workshop independently, conferences are much more productive.

Triangle
"We begin our envisionment work by imagining how students will make the transition from the mini-lesson into writing time. When we effectively manage this transition, students have more time for writing, and we have more time for conferring. Managing the transition requires us to create predictable routines."

This idea pointed me in a new direction because at first I felt as if since I started the workshop too late in the year, that it would be impossible to manage and students would never be able to run it themselves. However, when Anderson points out that we must envision how writer's workshop will look in our classroom, I thought about how helpful doing this would be for me. My students need predictable routines they can rely on so by implementing them and being consistent in the implementation, students will be much more successful at being independent during writer's workshop and more will get accomplished.

Circle
"When writers come to their writing each day with a sense of purpose, they're much much less likely to get off track or be distracted. We need to teach students to be the kind of writers who begin writing time by making plans for what they're going to do that period."

This is something that I am still thinking about because sometimes it seems as though my some of my students can be distracted during the conferences and it seems to be very frustrating because I feel as if they are off task. However, I like how Anderson points out that we must teach writers to come to the workshop with a sense of purpose and assist them in finding ways to make plans for their writing.



I wanted to read Chapter 7 first, only because I felt that the issue of management was more pressing in my classroom. However, in reading Chapter 6, there were a lot of helpful tips that Anderson suggests as you learn to choreograph conferences with students. The following consist of the main points that squared with my thinking, pointed me in a new direction, and are still circling:

Square
"When I confer, I choose to go where students sit in the classroom. While conferences are not conversations between equals, students seem more at ease talking with me when I meet them where they feel most comfortable, at their desks or tables, even on the floor in a corner if that's where they're writing. By going to students to confer, we show them we are interested in talking about their writing."

This squared with me because I never liked it for students to have to lug all of their belongings to my desk to conference with me about what they were working on. I have found it to be extremely comforting for students to be able to feel at ease and relaxed in conferencing because then the conferences are much more likely to be successful. Also, this is a great way to build relationships with students.

Triangle
"I usually take notes in three areas of interest. First, I write down what I learn about a student as a writer: the work he is doing and insights I gain into who he is as a writer from what he says or from looking at his draft. Second, I record what I teach him in the conference. And third, if I think the class might benefit from hearing what the student and I talked about during the conference, I jot down "Share" or "Mini-Lesson" to remind me at the end of the period to refer to our conference in that day's share session or to return to it when I plan the next day's mini-lesson."

When I read this, I found it to be very helpful! Although I had been taking notes during my conferences with students, I still sometimes found myself unsure on what exactly I should be writing and in doing so it was hard for me to determine how to be helpful to students the next time we conferred. I think by using the template for note writing that Anderson provides, it will be much more easier and beneficial to keep track of conferences.

Circle
"I try to see four or five students during writing workshop period, which means that each conference is on average five minutes long. Five minutes is enough time to have a quality conversation with each student, and (in a class of thirty students) see each of them every six to eight days. If I'm able to make a teaching decision quickly, a conference might take only three or four minutes. Or if I need to give a student a lot of assistance during the have-a-go, then a conference might take seven or eight minutes."

I am still wondering about this component of writer's workshop because I still don't have it timed perfectly. Sometimes I feel like my conferences are too long and other times I feel like they aren't long enough. It is sometimes a struggle to make sure that the conferences are meaningful and making sure that you are maximizing the time spent conferencing. In using Anderson's suggested format, I am hoping to become more successful in this area.

All in all, I think that this book has become instrumental in helping to inform my planning for Writer's Workshop. The way that Anderson has so eloquently mapped out the logistics and struggles of making the workshop possible while simultaneously having successful conferences have been extremely beneficial. I plan to continue to use this book as a resource moving forward and I am excited to see how future writing workshops will look in my classroom.

Moving Forward in March

March has been a month of ups and downs and ins and outs. I have learned so much and have grown so much as not only an educator over these last few months but have extremely grown as a person. The experiences that I have gone through in the classroom over the last month has shown me how it is never too late to implement new ideas and concepts in the classroom especially if something hasn’t been previously working in the past. In looking over my TiP chart (my FINAL TiP chart) I have been able to identify so many celebrations for myself and my girls and also a lot of places that are left for growth. In this final analysis of my interactions from this past month, I will synthesize the overarching themes that have been prevalent in my findings.

Re-Inventing Mathematics in the Classroom through Cognitively Guided Instruction

Since we have begun to really dive deep into teaching addition, I was more than excited to teach students this concept through the use of number stories. When I first began this venture, I was not focused on the number stories that were being used, but I was only concerned with the strategies that students could use to solve the problem. I realized that the actual number stories needed to be more relevant to my students and because of that I decided to personalize the number stories using my student’ names and interests in the problems. I reflected back to the math class and remembered “Children do not have to be taught that a particular strategy goes with a particular type of problem. With opportunity and encouragement, children construct for themselves strategies that model the action or relationships in a problem. (Stein, Grover, & Henningsen, p. 3, 1996). I started having the students explain what was the story being solved before heading off to solve the problem. I also, encouraged the students to focus less on getting correct answers and more on their thinking behind how they solved the problems. “Opportunities for student learning are not created simply by putting students in groups, by placing manipulatives in front of them, or by handing them a calculator. Rather, it is the level and kind of thinking in which students engage that determines what they will learn (NCTM, 1991)” We have now created a ritual in our class that at the end of our math block, we reserve time for a “math talk” where students have the opportunity to discuss their thinking behind solving the problems.

Strides in the TICC Project

I have been amazed by how far my students have come in our TICC project. I remember when we were first presented with the task and I feared how students would be able to tackle such a challenge. Our Critical Pedagogy class has really inspired me to discuss issues that are serious with my students and for them to consider their roles in the world. My students and I had a conversation about power in our school and I found it to be extremely heartbreaking that my students felt powerless in our school. This conversation made me reflect on the quote, “I wanted students to feel empowered, capable of creating change through their peaceful actions.  My job as their teachers was to “provide students with a  conceptual framework” (McLaren, p. 80) so they could then respond to their burning questions and feelings of injustice.  The students needed to see that people are not powerless in the face of injustice.  They needed to see action” (Neher and Smith, 2013, 28) because that is the exact message that I wanted students to walk away with.  We continued our conversation to have a guided discussion for my students to realized how much of impact that they actually do make on the school and how much more they could do. My students used this conversation as a means to develop what eventually became our TICC project.

When we first began, one of my biggest concerns was the fact that we wouldn’t have enough time to discuss our project in class. I started out only allotting time in the morning for us to discuss what we were going to do and how we were going to do it because I didn’t view student advocacy and social justice a part of the “standards” that we were required to teach. I soon was able to realize that are TICC project was really connected and embedded within our learning because it addressed all of the overarching themes that were supposed to have been being taught in other subject areas. When that realized came about, I began analyzing other areas of my instruction that could be improved.

Introducing the Daily Five and Re-Implementing Writer’s Workshop

As I analyzed the current instruction that I was doing in the classroom, I considered what I was currently lacking and what I could do more of. I then thought about the engagements I was doing in reading and I felt as if I wasn’t doing enough. In consideration of this, I remembered that many teachers used the Daily Five as a means to teach reading. I was interested but I was unsure of what this may look like in my classroom. Because of this, I began to research what other teachers have done to implement the Daily Five in their classrooms. I found some really great ideas and decided to implement it in my classroom. I think in the past, it would have been really hard for me to admit that I don’t have all the answers and that it’s okay to solicit the help of others. Now I am much more comfortable with using available resources and have really seen how I can benefit from it. The Daily Five has changed how I teach reading completely and this is the most engaged and excited that I have seen my students about reading in a long time.

One of the greatest things that I could’ve done in my classroom was re-implement writer’s workshop in my classroom. Although I had still been teaching writing, I felt as if the way I was teaching it did not provide a lot of choice and autonomy for my students. My students who once were very excited to write and looked forward to it began to loathe it and produce low quality writing. As I pondered on how to get my students back excited about writing, I realized what was different, we were no longer using the structure of writer’s workshop to engage in writing. I then decided to take some time out to read the Lucy Calkin’s resource that I had on opinion writing and all of a sudden a light bulb went off and I suddenly realized that this style of teaching writing just felt right. Also I began to read how I could connect this type of writing to so many other concepts that we had been currently discussing in class. Although my students are just now getting back in the groove of things, I have been able to see a significant difference. The greatest difference that I have noticed is the fact that our writing conferences are no longer conferences but they are now conversations. “Conversation about the work the child is doing as a writer and Conversation about how the child can become a better writer” (Anderson, 17, 2000). In having these conferences with students, I have been much more resourceful to them in their writing.

Moving Forward

In closing, I am so excited to end this year out with my girls. We have made it so far together and we have so much further to go. I am much more insightful and encouraged moving forward because I have gone through so much this school year. I think my biggest accomplishment thus far is the simple fact that I have not given up hope and each day I am currently seeking out ways to learn and grow. My students also possess this same drive and it is evident in their learning. I can’t wait to see how much more I learn and grow alongside my girls and I am extremely thankful for all of the experiences and realizations that have occurred this year.

How's It Going? (Part 2)

In reading the next two chapters of Carl Anderson's How's It Going, I have gained so many new insights on how to conduct Writer's Workshop in my classroom. Since I am the person who plans writing for the entire Kindergarten team, I think this book has become such a golden resource for me and not only provides the support needed in my classroom, but also allows me to share this resource with colleagues. In an effort to organize my thoughts, I have decided to split the two chapters of and reflect upon my biggest takeaways from each of them.

Ch. 4: Matchmaker, Matchmaker

"When we are successful in showing students how to learn from writing mentors, we teach students how to teach themselves." (Anderson, 2000, p. 110)

I was completely enthralled on this chapter about how to use mentor texts in an effort for students to learn writing strategies for their own pieces. As I was reading this chapter, I thought about myself and what strategies I use as a writer. Although I consider myself a fairly decent writer, I can think of countless incidences on where I felt as if I was completely stuck on a piece of work and I looked to other author's for inspiration and/or guidance. For example, I am not a great technical writer and for research pieces or writings that require you to be very technical, it is very imperative for me to see and example of what an exemplary writer using that strategy does so that I can then figure out how to do that for my own writing. When considering that, I thought about how much of an impact using that type of strategy could work on my students.

In continuing reading in the chapter where Anderson discusses his conferences with students who currently have mentor texts that they can refer to when they want to use a specific strategy for their writing, I began to think about my young writers and how they might be uncertain to what a mentor text even is, yet alone how to consider how to use it in their writing. Then Anderson lets us know that as the teacher, it is our job in these conferences to match students up to texts that our class has already read and studied in mini-lessons. I never even thought about how many stories that my class and I have read together and how they might use those texts in teaching them strategies. The only concerns that I have is whether or not my students will be able to pick up on what strategies that the author is using. I guess if they do not seem to, then using what Anderson says about directly naming what they do and then inviting the student to try it out will be beneficial.

The next idea from this chapter that I found to be challenging was where in the world was I going to get a collection of mentor texts from? How was I going to be able to find a set that would be appropriate for my students? And how on earth was I going to be able to pay for the texts? Luckily, I am going to have to put together my own collection of mentor texts that meets my needs as a teacher and the needs of the students that I teach. In thinking about this, I considered the idea of using wordless picture books in my collection for those writers who are still using mostly pictures for their writng and also incorporating student writing as mentor texts for my students who are using words and pictures.

Ch. 5
In this chapter of the book, I really enjoyed reading about the format of the mini lessons that Anderson uses for Writer's Workshop. In reading about the format, it reminded me very closely of the way that I planned for writing using the guidance of Lucy Calkins. I think the biggest component of the writing workshop that I have been taking for granted is the importance of the mini-lessons and the purpose of them.

"Mini-lessons are effective, then, only when we inspire and enable students to try out what we've taught." (Anderson, 2000, p. 139)

In the past, I found that my mini-lessons were too long and overemphasized the lesson and students hardly had any time to put anything on the paper or to try out the strategy. Or, I found that I rarely spent any time on the teaching point and when I sent students back to work, they were unsure of what they were supposed to be doing or was still very dependent on me to help them. In considering this, I really can appreciate how Anderson lays out the foundation and framework for mini-lessons.

"Within the predictable architecture, we noticed that teachers have parts of their mini-lessons in which they teach students, encourage students to try what they've taught in their writing, and equip them to do so." (Anderson, 2000, p. 140)

I think the most important part where the book discusses the architecture of the mini-lesson is where the steps are clearly laid out for you.

Steps:
1. Connect: Make a connection to what students are doing and why they're doing it
2. Teach: Explicitly teach the strategy that is being learned to students
3. Have-a-go: Let the students briefly discuss/try the strategy
4. Link: Link the strategy to students' independent work

These steps were very helpful in outlining a plan for creating mini-lessons. The only step that I am still wondering about is the teach part mainly because I'm trying to find a way to demonstrate how to use a strategy to students without them feeling the need to copy my ideas for their pieces and writing exactly what I write (I've noticed that they have done this in the past). This is something that I am still trying to navigate in my practice.

The last part of the chapter that I found to be really interesting was the importance of students being able to share at the end of the workshop and how impactful it can be for students.

"When students see that their classmates have tried what we talked about in mini-lessons, they are often inspired to try the same work." (Anderson, 2000, p. 153)

The biggest takeaway that I got from that section was the fact that it allows students to see which of their friends tried the strategy and how they used it. It gives them a clearer picture of what it may look like for them and also gives the student sharing an opportunity to discuss their process.

All in all, I think that there was so much to learn from these chapters and I'm so excited to try to use some of these suggestions and resources in my classroom. I look forward to exploring the final chapters of this helpful book!

February...Where Art Thou?

Wow! I can’t believe how short of a month February was! With all of the winter breaks, “unannounced snow days”, and me having to travel out of town, I never knew that I would learn so much and grow as an educator. As I look back and analyze my TiP chart from February, I have noticed that I have a lot of celebrations to make as well as a lot to still be working on.

Literacy

A very common pattern that I noticed for last month was the need for an increase in authentic literacy activities in my classroom. In the past, the SuperKids reading program was supposed to be the sole source for literacy instruction, however, I have seen so many gains by integrating other resources in the classroom in order to teach literacy to students. I have found a really great way to still use the SuperKids program in some aspects of instruction but also use activities such as interactive sight word games (drawing sight words in paint) and for students who need additional support with letter recognition (making letters out of Play Doh). The best thing about creating these literacy centers is the fact that I can make them as differentiated as possible from the independent centers to the guided reading small groups. I am exciting about seeing how much more smoothly things will go in my classroom in terms of literacy by initiating these centers.

A Call for a Change

Another big pattern that I saw in my chart was how often I was referring to behavior issues that were arising in class. By noticing this, I saw the need to revamp my entire Morning Meeting portion and making it more meaningful for students. I re-introduced our Morning Song to affirm each student every morning. We have also began to play a literacy or community building activity immediately after singing the song. This has started a new wave in our classroom and my students have been holding themselves more accountable of making sure they are trying their best to be a good friend.

This look at the behavior issues in my class also made me consider the actual behavior management plan that I use in my classroom which is not much of one at all. My students did not know the consequences for breaking a rule although they were very well versed in what the actual rules or expectations were. Reflecting on this, I decided to implement a unique reward system to acknowledge students who had been working really hard to follow directions and show kindness to friends. I implemented to use of Teacher Coupons where if students earned a certain amount of points, they would be eligible to receive coupons to do special things like walk around the class with their shoes off or sit at my desk. I figured out what students were really interested in and what they were willing to work for.

Need for Integration

Another common theme was not having enough time to teach all subjects or teaching subjects in isolation. This caused me to reflect on the need for integration. Because of that, I have spent more time trying to determine how to integrate subjects amongst lessons instead of departmentalizing each one. Thinking back on some of the literature from the summer class, “Whatever the motivation for integrating the curriculum, it is clear that the most common recommendation for effecting the transformation from fragmented, departmentalized, or isolated instructional periods to integrated contexts is to develop a theme approach. Authors and programs often assume that thematic teaching is a self-evident way to achieve integration in the curriculum.” (Lipson, 1993, p. 253),

I remembered how important it is to make subjects cohesive and meaningful to students. The text reminded me that the best way to do this was by creating thematic units and spending more time in the planning process.

Challenges Ahead

Although I have made many strides this past month, I still have some challenges ahead. I’ve begun to face the fact that I’m probably not going to have an actual para for the rest of the year and I’m going to have to start navigating ways to teach students as if there is only one teacher in the room. This wasn’t what I was expecting so this will be a bit of an adjustment for me.

Also, I am still trying to find my voice in my school community. Despite being a rookie teacher, I know that I have great ideas and have learned some phenomenal strategies for teaching kids. I am hoping that within time I find my voice and let my thoughts and opinions be heard in an effort to advocate for best practices.

How's It Going? (Chapters 1, 2, and 3)

When I initially found out we were using this book for our Book Blogs this semester, I was extremely exciting. Writing has always been something so very important and personal to me that I even use it as an outlet now as an adult whenever I need to express how I am feeling. Becoming an educator, I became particularly interested in the writing continuum, especially since I teach beginning writers. My first thought was "How can I teach someone how to write?" The thought was a scary thought for me. Joining my team at the school that I teach in now, I volunteered to plan writing for our grade level. Everyone warned me not to as a first-year teacher because of how difficult it is to plan writing and how they felt as if the curriculum used for writing wasn't as structured for Kindergarten. That's when I was introduced to Lucy. Lucy Calkins, that is. Upon looking through her texts giving teachers direction as to how to launch Writer's Workshop, I am became thrilled yet anxious. Although I agreed with the format and the way in which to introduce the mini lessons to students, I began to wonder how my particular group of students would adapt and respond to it. I think it started off great and I loved how my students got the chance to really show their skills as writers. However, I noticed that I really didn't know how to help my students or where exactly they were in the writing process. It was then I realized that I was lacking the most important part of Writer's Workshop, initiating writing conferences with my students. Now that I have read the first few chapters of Carl Anderson's How's It Going, I have a more solidified understanding of the importance of the writing conference.

One of the biggest takeaways that I got from the first chapter is understanding the purpose of the writing conference. Anderson focuses on two main points for the structure of the conference:

Conversation about the work the child is doing as a writer and Conversation about how the child can become a better writer (Anderson, 17, 2000). 

The author then dives deep into the three steps of conferencing where we focus directly on the work that students are doing as writers, making an assessment of what they are doing as writers, and putting together a detailed picture of the work that the child is doing as a writer.

From Chapter 2, the biggest takeaway that I got was the examples of the kinds of work that writers do when they compose pieces and the strategies that they might use to compose them. I thought that this was extremely helpful when thinking about ways to help students figure out what tools they can use when they are working on a certain piece of writing.

Also, the questions suggested on page 29 of Chapter 2 were really helpful in thinking abut how to start conversations in conferences because one of the main things I was pondering about was how to initiate conversations with students during their writing so things such as "How's it going? or What are you doing as a writer today?" seem to be really great lead in questions to initiate conversation and get students to begin talking through their writing process. I particularly liked the rationale that Anderson uses behind starting conversations this way. He states, "By using a predictable opening, I'm simply taking advantage of students' implicit knowledge of the nature of conversation, and that some conversations begin in predictable ways" (Anderson, 29, 2000). This then creates routine for students and they know what to expect during writing conferences.

In chapter 3, I was particularly interested in teaching students about their role in the conference. The chart on page 83 breaks down what is expected of the student in the first and second part of the conversation. In the first part, the student sets an agenda for the conversation by describing their work and then responding to the teacher's questions. In the second part, the students listen carefully to the teacher's feedback. I particularly like the way Anderson breaks down each role respectively so that everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing. I think the most important part of all this would be to explicitly teach and model for students what and how this conversation might look so that they understand when they begin their conversations.

All in all, I am really excited to continue reading the next few chapters and understanding how to make all of these great ideas practical in the classroom. I look forward to exploring ways to monitor which conversations to have with certain students and how to keep track. This book has given so much insight thus far and I'm sure it will become a very helpful tool for me in the near future.

New Year, New Beginnings

Commonalities Across the Board

What a month January has been! I can't believe so much time has gone by with my girls and that the year is almost done. There has been so much that I have learned from my girls thus far and we still have so much more work to do. Reflecting on my TiPs chart, I've been focusing a lot on my actual instruction and the lessons that went great and why they went great and they lessons that failed horribly. The main commonality that I noticed among last month was the fact that the lessons where I really prevailed consisted of students interests and choices being a main factor around the successes. In areas where I wasn't so successful consisted of times when my understanding of what I wanted students to gain wasn't clear or students lacked clarity of the objective or if it was just plain out boring to my students. Looking at all of these reflections give me better insight on how to plan for next month.

Venting and Frustration

I felt as if January was such a transformational month for me because not only did I have a better understanding for my class and what resources were available to me to meet their needs, but I had also enlightened myself about the parallel I had been facing at my school. I had been torn between the struggle of following suit with what the rest of my grade level team had decided to conform to because it is "easier" or stepping outside of the box and challenging myself to dive deep with my students and stimulating their inquiry. The issue that I have been constantly battling with is playing it safe or actually finding and making the time to do what I know works best for kids. I have become extremely frustrated with the ever-so-cumbersome testing that is "mandatory" for all grade levels.

I became a part of our school's Assessment Team in an effort to better inform myself about how grade level assessments are created and how the data is used to better plan for instruction. Although I believe assessments give us very valuable and usable data, I found the Kindergarten assessments particularly to be extremely problematic. Some of the questions I think were biased and did not cater to students' specific and unique experiences. Also, I felt as if the assessments were way too long for the attention span of Kindergarteners and that it was not thoughtful at all to only give them a multiple choice test. I could go on and on about the problematic factors of these tests and how much time from instruction was taken away because I had to complete them. I feel as if I was doing a disservice to my students and missed out on critical instruction time. Now I am grappling with how to meaningfully assess my students without it requiring them to miss so much valuable instructional time.

Celebrations
Besides some of the frustration that I have felt this past month and some of the criticism among peers, I have learned that my students are uniquely themselves and they enjoy coming into a classroom environment that they are welcomed to bring in all facets of their lives.

Using writing to teach others has been particularly exciting as students explore the meaning of American symbols

 

I also noticed that students lacked the opportunity to read books of their interest and engage in them just for fun

Lastly, I know my classroom may look very different from "traditional" classrooms but if there's one thing we know how to do well.....it's how to get down! :-) 

I'm excited to see where February takes us!