6 Phases of Teaching

I came with the intention of writing a new post entitled Technique Tuesday.  I was going to discuss in more detail a book study I'm currently hosting in school.  I hope a summary will do...

Last year Deedee Wills introduced me to Katie Wood Rays' In Pictures and In Words.  Best book!!  It's changed the way my students craft their writing and illustrations.  In combination with guided drawing once a week and a guided drawing center, students have taken the time and care needed for a strong illustration.  They share their work with pride.  

This year, a few teachers in K-2 decided to get together for professional development and read this book again.  We share our reflections and most recently began diving into the techniques. I'm a bit ahead of the game because I started day one of school.  Here are a few samples from my class...

This was a combination of techniques: Crafting with Distance Perspective (up close and in the distance) AND Crafting with Positioning Perspective (in front , back, side).

This was a combination of techniques: Crafting with Positioning Perspective (in front , back, side) AND Crafting a Background (a lot, little, hardly any).  

As you may be aware, our school theme this year is SUPERHEROES.  We started the year off with a book of the month to align with the theme entitled SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod...

Oh.my.word, the kids were so excited when he came to our school.  Bob McLeod shared the process that took place to create his book.  If you are not familiar, you probably know his work.  He become a top inker at Marvel and DC on many series, including The Incredible Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, The Legion of Super Heroes, Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, and The New Titans, as well as penciling Star Wars and several Spider-Man fill-ins for Marvel.  Cool right?!?  

Not only did he share the process of creating illustrations, he guided the kids through a session making Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Last nine weeks the kids were invited to watch Superman for their 9 week reading reward.  This 9 weeks, they learned to draw with a "REAL" illustrator!  Doesn't get any better...

Each week I teach my students a technique.  On Fridays, we have a guided drawing sessions.  The growth in their work is astonishing!  I have a guided drawing pinterest board that I display on the white board.  Before we start drawing, we discuss the shapes recognized within the picture.  To link, click image below...

So are you interested why I titled the post 6 Phases of Teaching?  Watch the video below.  On difficult days like today, I need a little laugh...  I found this video three years ago and it always reminds me things will turn around after a summers break.  ;-)

What stage are you currently?

RtI

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Welcome Back to MTSS Monday!  Today I'd like to share ways in which I keep up with daily accountability and data.

To ensure parents are on track with Kindergarten expectations, a checklist of objectives are given for each subject.  My team and I meet with parents each nine weeks to discuss expectations and progression.  It's my goal to have parents sign each nine weeks, stating they were informed and understand the expectations.  As the year progresses, face-to-face meetings begin to fizzle which leads to stuffing the checklist with the report cards. I find this provides the documentation needed to show a bridge between home and school.  You are welcome to take a peek at our expectations here.

For student accountability, I have the kids record their MTSS task daily.  Using a spiral notebook in which I scooped up for five cent at the back to school sale, I have my darlings glue in their weekly recording sheets into their notebooks on Mondays.  This notebook will come to our small group when meeting with kids on specific skills.  By having the kids document daily tasks, I've eliminated my need to record for 20 students and ensure that the kids understand their focus and activity. Be patient and find what works best for you.  My class took a couple of weeks of solid practice before everyone was independent at recording.  It was ABSOLUTELY worth it!!!

If you are interested, you can grab a copy by clicking the image above!

My primary focus for assessments in tier one and two this year in Kindergarten has been Alphabet and Sight Words.  I create flashcard rings to assist in daily practice.  I gave each child a set of cards.  When a letter or sight word was mastered, the card would be removed from their ring. 

 Click Image Above to Download!

Click Here to Download!

 

Have you heard of Michael Heggerty?  His lessons on Phonemic Awareness are short, repetitive, and scaffolded.  A bit behind the man: Michael Heggerty was an educator for 30+ years.  28 of those years happen to be in a classroom with 24 years teaching first.  He began a research action project on the importance of Phonemic Awareness instruction and as a result, he has published a remarkable curriculum.  AND Florida teachers... It aligns with expectations for FAIR (Florida Assessment in Reading).  

Heggerty explains on his website how Phonemic Awareness is an auditory training process and does not involve print; thereby, highlighting Phonemic Awareness is not Phonics!  He later goes on to dichotomize the differences.  

The kindergarten version of these lessons (blue book) spends more time on each skill. The kindergarten curriculum covers all consonants, short vowels, digraphs, blends, and rime patterns. By comparison, the yellow book also goes into long vowels, R-controlled, special vowel sounds, and multisyllabic words.

Each curriculum is intended to be completed with a whole class group. These lessons should only take between 12 and 15 minutes a day. Pacing is very important. It should be quickly paced and free of interruptions. Link here to access the 38 week scope and sequence.  To see a sample of his Kindergarten lessons, link here.  If you are interested, he has a purple book for Pre-Kinders, a blue book for Kindergarten, and a yellow book for 1st and 2nd grade. (Sample lessons available for each book on his site!)

Okay friends, I will be back in two weeks for MTSS Monday.  I'm plan to fully enjoy every minute of my Spring Break! Happy Teachings!!!

Five for Friday and SOOO much more (Freebies)

It's Five for Friday.  One week to go before spring break.  I will survive...

I think!!! 

This week Kindergarten had their PD meeting for a half day.  I really enjoyed this video shared during the session.  The video is entitled Bloom's Taxonomy According to Andy Griffith!

While at the meeting, my kids worked on one of my sub tubs without me (no pictures, boooo!)  I left my Swallowed a Clover tub.  If you are still looking for activities, you can scoop this file up for 1/2 off through the weekend!  I'm linking the blog post with visuals of the activities.  You can link to the store if interested by clicking the image below.  =)  I'm working on completing Swallowed a Chick this weekend. 

Okay, down to Five for Friday business...

1.  RAINBOWS!!!  We've been working on compound words for a few weeks.  We concluded this Monday with a cute craft from Miss Kindergarten Love!  I just love the rainbows!!  My walls are so bight and pretty! 

On Tuesday we 'Tasted the Rainbow' with extended our fun with a graphing and data lesson while 'Tasting the Rainbow'!  This activity came from Erica Bohrer!  I really love the addition of the data piece geared perfectly for my class!!!

2.  St. Patrick's Day!!!  Starting Wednesday we began building background on St. Patrick's Day and Ireland.  We read Gail Gibbons' Book! <---- Love Her with Puffy Hearts! To align with our learning, I used Teaching in High Heels' unit: St. Patrick's Day of Fun.

3.   We've been plugging away at MTSS Centers this past several weeks.  The first image is linked to my St. Patrick's Day centers which are on sale 1/2 off for the weekend.  The following images provides a glimpse at students completing the activities.

This week we tackled Easter Centers.  I've linked the first image to my store and the second provides another example of kids at work!

IF you are new to my blog and store, you might like a sample of the activities I provide for MTSS centers.  Just click the image to download the freebie!

4. Math Mania!!!  Today we dove into non standard measurement with The Teacher Wife's Shamrock Measuring Activities.  Another perfect unit for my kids! 

 I sure wish I had this printable.  This activity was discovered long before Pinterest and possibly TpT.  I only have a hard copy.  Keep an eye out on my Facebook Page, I will upload a freebie copy of the file so that you may enjoy ordering numbers through 20!  This was a transition piece today but enjoyed by all!

5.  TULIPS!!!  If you've followed along for the past Five for Fridays, I've been sharing my Tulips.  A true sign of spring!!!

Hope you have fun-filled "outdoor" weekend!

Don't forget to link up with Kacey from Doodle Bugs Teaching!

 

The Madness of March: Core Training

With a boy heavy class, I couldn't think of a better way to get them involved than hosting a little "Madness in March" this week.  We are core training our way through digraphs and number lines.  The engagement is higher when teaching within a theme.  

This freebie includes 22 pages of differentiated support for primary learners. Click the cover image to snag your copy!  

Tisket, Tasket: Core Stations in a Basket!

If you are interested, click image above!

RtI

MTSS has been a hot topic of debate in my school.  What does MTSS look like?  When should it take place?  And how often?  If you missed last week, here's an introduction to MTSS Monday!

Although there are many ways in which Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) can look like, here's a glimpse into my school's direction...

We conduct MTSS from 9:15-9:45 am daily.  This allows for grade levels to collaborate based on student data during PLCs.  We determine which skills need to be addressed and place students into specific classrooms based on their needs. With an entire school conducting interventions at once, a student may move vertically from 1st to Kindergarten to work on sight words or even 1st grade to second grade to address reading fluency.  In addition, teachers on each grade level can group into teams for lateral student movement.  It's not uncommon to see teachers conducting interventions within their own setting.  The collaborating teachers will choose a skill and rotate students based on needs.  These interventions continue for 6 to 8 weeks before meeting with the MTSS intervention team.  This team includes the classroom teacher, psychologist, speech and language therapist, and the guidance counselor.  

Understanding the Tiers...

Tier one includes all students.  The instruction for this tier happens daily in all our classrooms.  It's daily instruction of content areas as defined by our standards.  All students receive this instruction.  We typically help student grasp concepts through small groups and conferences.  

But what happens when a student continues to struggle?

Interventions are put in place.  A student struggling with beginning sounds will receive specific activities during MTSS mornings.  Resources include Work Stations, Soar to Success, FCRR, Destinations.  

After 6 to 8 weeks of interventions...

A student still struggling will be put up for the MTSS intervetnion team.  Data I've collection through assessments are graphed and submitted for review.  The team will often suggest additional strategies and resources.  A student can possibly be moved to tier two at this time.

What does tier two look like?

Tier two happens during MTSS mornings.  This is the additional instructional time needed 3 to 5  times a week (for 30 minutes) with bi-weekly assessments.  Since my school happens to be conduct MTSS every day, this instructional time is in place but now we are formally meeting face-to-face in groups of 5.  As previously stated, this instruction can happen in the homeroom classroom or with collaborating groups of teachers in which the kids would rotate.

What happens when the gap continues to widen?

After meeting again with the intervention team, students could possibly be placed in tier three groups.  This transition doesn't commonly occur within the same school year.  Tier three is conducted five days a week with assessment each Friday.  Students are to meet at a separate time outside of tier one (general instruction) and tier two (MTSS mornings).  This can occur in small groups throughout the day, before school tutoring, or after school tutoring by the classroom teacher.  This instruction should be an additional 15 minutes each day with no more than 3 students at a time.

I've been tracking my data this year with Rachelle Smith's Common Core Checklists!  Gotta love great resources.  

 

Click the image to link to their post.

Rachelle has checklists for grades K through 2nd

Natalie has checklists for grades 3rd through 5th!

I'm off to catch up on my lost hour of sleep.  Happy teaching!!!

Five for Friday

Wow!  It's been an incredibly LONG week!  We've packed our week full of learning!!!  Here are a few picture highlights for the week!

1.  Understanding Oviparous!  Deedee Wills has some wonderful resources available on her blog from last March! 

This little gals told me the egg had to be changed because it's jelly-like and added black dots for tadpoles. Precious, right?!?

Grrr!  The bottom of their papers were cut off in the collage.  They read...  I see a dinosaur looking at me.  I see a caterpillar looking at me.  I see a penguin chick looking at me.  I see an ostrich looking at me.

2.  Investigating Penguin Parts and Labeling!

 Here's a penguin label freebie.  Click image above!

3.  Wrapping up Penguin Reports!!!

 The sticky notes from Sarah Cooley's unit really helped organize which facts belong on the following pages...

Deanna Jump's Penguin Unit allowed for the completion of our reports.  Don't you just love when you model writing how the kiddos take everything you say to heart?!?  We discussed using capital letters in the heading and table of contents.  I circled the first letter as I explained so any of my darlings did as well...makes me giggle! 

4.  I'm obsessed with ALL the Swallowed Books.  I printed and prepped my Swallowed a Clover unit this week!   Look at my new score!!!  We have a traveling book company that comes to our school each month.  The illustrations are so vivid! 

Double Grrr!  Why doesn't blogger have a photo rotate option?

5. Diving into Addition Strategies!  I found this fantastic freebie from Team Fannin!  My kids and I have been diving into reading clues in word problems and working on how to demonstrate and record various addition strategies! 

Click Image to Link!

6.  Yes, It's Five for Friday but I couldn't resist!!!  Tulips a week later...

Don't forget to link up with Kacey!  

I hope you have a fantabulous weekend!