100 Minutes Book Study - Chapter 1 - 100 Minutes to Balance Literacy

One of my favorite things about summer is that I really get a chance to dig into some professional development books.  I have a chance to read, annotate, and reflect about how to change and constantly improve my teaching practice.  I am really excited to start the summer with this book study on 100 Minutes - Making Every Minute Count in the Literacy Block by Lisa Donohue.

The author opens the book with a confession of how she originally spent the first 100 minutes of Language Arts.  She talks about the feeling of it initially being an immense chunk of time.  I had to chuckle, because I remember feeling exactly the same way when I started teaching (now it seems there is never ENOUGH time!). She filled the hours with reading activities, worksheets, independent writing, and spelling units.  She also describes her struggle with the line of students that formed needing help as they edited their rough drafts.  Many of the struggles she describes ring familiar with me, and I look forward to digging deeper in the book to find her solutions.

My thoughts on Chapter 1:

Lisa Donohue opens this chapter by sharing the core beliefs that the 100 minute model is based on.  These beliefs are that students need:
                                               *time for explicit teaching
                                               * time for guided practice
                                               * time for independent work

In addition, students need to have choice in their learning and the opportunity to have their individual voices to be heard.  Most importantly, she states, "students should see their learning as important, relevant, and authentic."

In defining the term balanced literacy, the author believes that we need to include not only the traditional fundamentals of reading writing, listening, and speaking, but also the models of instruction (modeled, shared, guided, and independent) alongside the vehicles through which we learn and communicate (print and on-line texts, digital tools, media texts,collaborative, learning, and critical thinking).

The 100 Minute Literacy Framework centers around three blocks of time:

                                                  1. Reading Time  (20-30 min)  Lesson
                                                  2. AWARD Time (about 40 min) Independent/Small group work time
                                                  3. Writing Time  (20 - 30 min) Lesson

I currently use the Daily 5 system in my classroom, but our district is switching over to Balanced Literacy.  In reading this first chapter i have a few a-ha moments.  I often struggled trying to keep up with 5 mini-lessons for my students, especially that effected the whole group.  My students have had very varied needs, and I found my small group lessons a lot more effective.  I could target my instruction to their needs rather than to a "lesson" to fill time. I like the idea of having only two main lessons - one reading and one writing, and I think this will be more manageable and effective.  I think the individual activities of Daily 5 (read to self, read to someone, work on writing, word work, and listening to reading) will work well with the AWARD time.  This may be that missing link or puzzle piece that we older elementary teachers have struggled with in implementing Daily 5.

What will I include in the reading and writing lessons to make them as effective as possible?
  How will I tie this into the Common Core Standards?

If you are reading along with this book, feel free to join in the discussion by linking up below.  I am looking forward to reading everyone else's thoughts and reflections!  

Next up- Chapter 2: The Building Blocks

Be sure to visit Kelly Anne over at Appleslices on May 27th to continue this learning journey with us. 

Five For Friday May 23, 2014

This week has been so much better than last week!  I told you about the crazy week I had last week when I found out that my grade level was reducing one position and I would have to move grade levels again!  Originally I was supposed to move to first or second, but luckily one of my co-workers made a trade for me so that I will end up in third which is where I was last year, so I won't be starting completely new! YEAH!  There is a chance that I will roll up again with my class like I did with this current group.  I will also have Luke (my son) in my class as well.  I am excited and nervous about that!  And now, without further ado, time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday!

With all of the craziness of last week, I forgot to tell you the most crazy part of last week which happened on Friday, so I will share this week.  One of my students has a guinea pig who had 2 babies, and he wanted to bring them to class for show and tell.  I told his mom to let me know if she wanted to bring them in the morning or afternoon (assuming a 15 minute or so visit).  They ended up staying the whole day.  I had run to the copy room and when I got back to class the cage was sitting in my room and mom never came back (despite the 100 calls we made).

And while that may seem crazy enough... it wasn't.  Another student showed up that morning with a box of 5 rabbits!  Again, we couldn't get a parent to answer the phone, so my class was officially a petting zoo!

I got the opportunity to spend some time with a few of my students outside of school this weekend because I was invited to a baptism/communion for a family of students at my school.  They have a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. that all attend school together. I have one of the boys in my regular class and several of the girls are in my cross stitch club.

Do you ever attend your students' outside activities?

Wednesday was our end of the year trip to the swimming pool.  Our school is about 3 blocks away from the city pool, so we walk down there for our field trip.  About 20 minutes before we were set to leave, it started raining heavily.  Luckily it cleared up just in time for our trek to the pool and the sun was out and shining by the time our soaked kiddos left the pool.

Thursday was our county's Special Olympics.  A few of my students competed and our class was on hand for the opening ceremonies to cheer them on!  I also had a few students who helped out as volunteers.  It was a great time for all!

I am currently working on this book study for 100 Minutes to Balanced Literacy by Lisa Donohue hosted by Thinking of Teaching. 

 I am hosting chapter 3 on May 31, but you can read about chapter 1 here.  I will be posting my chapter 1 thoughts tomorrow.

Five For Friday May 16, 2014

This week has been an absolute tumultuous week and can I just say TGIF with a great big AMEN?  Friday at last and time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

My week started off with a bang when my principal came up to me 5 minutes before recess was over and said, "We have bad news, we are losing a position in fourth."  I am low man on the totem pole in my grade (since I just moved up this year), so I knew this was going to effect me.  Then she smiled and continued, "We have an opening in first."  

I think first graders are absolutely adorable to look at, but truthfully, I don't want to live there.  If anyone asked me what grade I would LEAST want to teach, first grade would be it.  I have often said, "I am allergic to first graders". It isn't entirely un-true, I spent most of my practicums in first grade (despite requesting 4th-6th) and spent the ENTIRE semester sick!  I have never been so exhausted in my entire life!  I give much props and admiration to those of you who do teach first grade and are amazing at it, but for me, I just couldn't do it!  Add that to the fact that I have now changed grades EVERY year for the past three years, this would be the fourth year at a different grade!  I have no supplies for first grade - I do have an amazing library of chapter books, but I am thinking they would not be useful to the majority of students in a first grade room!  So, my week has been a blubbering mess of me crying (yes I am being a baby about it, but really, how many times should I change grades? When I got my license for K-8 I didn't think it would mean I would teach every grade in that spectrum!  Luckily our contract states that they can't move us more than 2 grades without our consent, so it looks like they will have to juggle around to place me in 2nd or 3rd.  I am hoping for 3rd since I taught that last year, but who knows?  I will keep you updated as soon as I know.

We have managed to get some work done and MAPS reading tests completed in between crying jags (not just about the grade level switch, but the fact that I am losing my kiddos that I have taught for two years in a row is starting to hit me).  They keep coming up to me with little notes that say "I love you, or you are the best teacher ever,"  Every time I get one the waterworks start flowing!

I came in the classroom to see this note of encouragement one of them had written to the whole class today about our school token system.  I couldn't have been more proud!  

It made me want to ask the school next door to create a new position so I could roll up to 5th grade with them!  More tears!

As I said between crying we did manage to get some work done.  We had a Popsicle themed week using this Summer Fun Writing, LA, and Math Activities using Popsicles for Big Kids packet from Cutsey Clickables from Collaboration Cuties.

They each chose one of these prompts and completed a brainstorming graphic organizer. 

Then they were off to write.

After a bit of editing and revising, we completed final copies made to look like Popsicles.

We also did a little math review.

Last night was my third son's last high school theater performance.  It was Senior Night and they all did a brief monologue before the actual play.  Here is a really bad picture of him, but I wanted to show it off anyway, because I am really proud of him!  He will be studying film in the fall at the University of Montana and I am going to miss him a lot.  So, yes, even more tears.

I am hoping this weekend will be a lot more restful with more smiles and less tears!  Hoping yours is great as well!

A Tickler File and Flipping Math

I am almost always looking for ways to be more organized and more efficient.  I have read David Allen's book, Getting Things Done and have wanted to implement a Tickler File for some time.  I just don't like the idea of having it in one place (home vs. work) since I tend to work at both home and work.  I have seen the portable file boxes used, but when I tried that it was too bulky and quite frankly too heavy.  Then I ran across this picture in an article about tickler systems.

That's when it hit me that a bag system would be perfect.  I was just about to go on-line to look for a new bag to buy when I realized I could set up my teacher bag to do this and try it out first.

My teaching bag is a Keep-It Caddy from Thirty-one.  I got the plastic container from the container store.

I put in file folders and labeled them 1-31 for each day of the week.  The first file in the front is the 12th because that was the day I took the picture.  I place the current day's file in front and the last day moves to the back.

Behind the numbered days, I have twelve folders labeled with the months of the year.

And behind that I have placed some to do files (to copy, file, grade, etc).  

As I come across a piece of paper, I either put it in today's file to do today, or file it wherever it belongs.  For example, I always pay my bills around the 20th of the month, so when I get a bill, I just place it in the file labeled 20.  If my boys have paperwork that is due later on in the week, I will put it in the appropriate spot.  I have a few things I want to order for my classroom this summer, so I have put order forms into the July and August folder.  

This system has really helped me become more organized, and barely takes anytime at all.  The best thing? Being able to find things in under 10 seconds!

Another thing that I tried this week was flipping my classroom.  What is flipping?  Check out this infogram:

I found this video on-line of a 4th grade teacher explaining how to simplify fractions.  That is a skill many of my kiddos are still struggling with, so I thought it would be a good one to start with.

 I had the students watch the video in class with me, so I could explain what I wanted them to do. In the video she talks about writing things down in the boxes on the students' papers.  I did a google search for her name and found the page on her site here.  It is halfway down the page and is called a flipping math homework sheet.  Alternatively you could have them fold a paper in fours to make four boxes.

I paused the video to allow them to copy the vocabulary words and definitions.  There is also a place where she has sample problems for them to solve.  I again paused the video and let them know to do that when they worked at home with it.  The best part came when they started to solve the problem and a few were stuck.  "How do you do that again?" They asked.  "Why just rewind the video and watch it again."  We did just that and most were able to get it the second go round.  It was important for them to know that this was the beauty of the video, they could pause and rewind whenever they need to!

After a practice session I had them watch another video at home.  For those without computers at home, I had them watch on our class computer during Daily 5.  I got some great results and feedback.   A few of the things they shared were:

• They loved being able to rewind and watch again when they didn't get it.
• They liked that it wasn't embarrassing to watch it again because no one knew.
• They liked that their homework involved You Tube and only 4 problems.   

 I am definitely thinking of flipping some of my lessons next year.  Have you done this?  How has it gone?

I am linking up with Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried It Tuesday

Head on over to see other ideas teachers are trying!