tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83642915072995061982024-03-12T21:10:52.220-07:00The SourceCurriculum, instruction, and literacy resources for OPA staff. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-7856586493870543572017-09-27T15:21:00.000-07:002017-09-27T15:21:26.776-07:00September Curriculum Director's Meeting UpdatesBelow are some teacher-relevant updates and points of information from the September 27th Curriculum Director's Meeting. Please reach out to me if you have any questions!<div>
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Open Education Resources </div>
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<a href="http://amazoninspire.com/" target="_blank">Amazoninspire.com</a> is a resource that provides and reviews a variety of open education resources in all subject areas and grade levels. This is still in beta testing, but I took a look and it's worth checking out. Unlike a site like TeachersPayTeachers, everything on this site is 100% free. You can log-in with your Amazon account, or you can browse without logging in. </div>
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STEM Center Classroom Grant</div>
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There is a grant available to teachers in all subject areas to implement STEM projects in their classrooms. There are two different application periods. One closes Friday, but another is open until December 22nd. The grant is for up to $1500 and it can be used for field trips if they are related to STEM. It can also be used for technology that students use and a wide variety of other things. Check it out! There is no limit to how many teachers per school can apply: <a href="https://stem.utah.gov/programs/prek12-classroom-grant/" target="_blank">https://stem.utah.gov/programs/prek12-classroom-grant/</a><br /><div>
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Teacher Salary Supplement Program</div>
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Utah has a lot of money designated to supplement teacher salaries. You are eligible if you are National Board Certified or if you teach specific areas within science, math, or computer science. Enrollment to receive cash from the state begins in October for teachers who qualify. This is different from student loan forgiveness; this is money that goes directly to teachers to supplement their salaries. Here is the website: <a href="https://tssp.schools.utah.gov/" target="_blank">https://tssp.schools.utah.gov/</a>. The contact person for this program is Jane Conway (<a href="mailto:jane.conway@schools.utah.gov" target="_blank">jane.conway@schools.utah.gov</a>).</div>
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Free Utah Science Resources (3-9)</div>
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Utah has created a variety of open resources for our science classrooms. Some of you know about these and use them in your classrooms. These resources are updated every year and have improved significantly over the past years. The middle school ones are aligned with the new standards. You can access them for free online: <a href="https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/science" target="_blank">https://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/science</a></div>
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In addition, the website <a href="http://seedstorylines.org/" target="_blank">seedstorylines.org</a> is a great site that includes a variety of curricular resources aligned with the new science standards. </div>
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Science Standards 6-8</div>
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The SAGE test for science will be based on the new standards. The state is working to develop those questions now. Because questions are just now being developed, there are no interim or benchmark tests that deal with these new standards. For middle school science, this year will be much like the first year of SAGE in that scores will not be immediate and scores will be revised after questions are norm referenced. </div>
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Health</div>
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Utah has new health standards in the process of being reviewed. Updates included nutrition standards (upgrading to the plate vs. the pyramid), inclusion of e-cigarettes in the substance abuse section, integration of information about social media and safety. The first review meeting is in October. </div>
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PD Opportunities: </div>
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Utah Council of Teachers of Mathmatics Leadership Conference: <a href="http://www.utahctm.org/%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://www.utahctm.org/ </a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-54250486042469526892017-08-25T08:32:00.000-07:002017-08-25T09:30:14.444-07:00Week 1 Curriculum & Secondary Discipline Recap and Updates<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Teachers and Staff, thank you for a great first week!</span><br />
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Here are a few reminders and updates. </div>
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K-9 Updates: </div>
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<li><u><b>Curriculum Maps:</b></u> Curriculum Maps should be uploaded into your Team Drives and/or shared with me so I can upload them. The deadline for this is September 8th. </li>
<li><b><u>Pineapple Charts: </u></b>Thanks to those of you who put options on our Pineapple Charts for this week. Please continue to "advertise" the great things going on in your classrooms. We will be drawing for some tech swag at the end of September. Every time you put an activity on the Pineapple Chart, you will earn one entry into the drawing. </li>
<li><b><u>Book Study:</u></b> CTT leads, please see my email about the Responsibility Centered Discipline book study and communicate with your team. </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">First Friday</u>: New teachers, next Friday is a First Friday. That means the kids leave at 12:45 and we have training from 1-4. Please plan to be here until then. This occurs on the First Friday of every month. </li>
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7-9 Updates:</div>
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<li><b><u>7-9 Assembly.</u></b> THANK YOU for reviewing the expectations with students. Student behavior during the assembly met our expectations. Also, thank you to the LIA, AVID, and Leadership students and teachers for working on the expectations and videos. Please enforce our 4 Foundations with kids and use our common language. </li>
<li><b><u>Secondary Disclosures: </u></b>Please share your disclosures with me so I can use them in Give 'Em 5 conversations with kids to support your classroom expectations. </li>
<li><u style="font-weight: bold;">New Kids: </u>I have been meeting with all the kids new to OPA at the 7-9 building. It's been great to get to know them and hear their highlights and concerns. A few are stressed about Cornell Notes. So, if you use Cornell Notes, please remember to review how to take them and/or assign new kids a Cornell Note mentor/buddy. If you have concerns about any student, particularly these new kids, please come talk to me. </li>
<li><u><b>Announcements</b></u>: Kasey typically completes the morning announcements from the Elementary Building. He does secondary first and then elementary. The intercom cannot be used at both buildings simultaneously. In addition, homeroom teachers have requested that we do not have several sets of announcements morning, but instead one set right at 8:10. So, if you want students to make announcements, please send them over to the elementary before 8:10 so they can assist with announcements and not interrupt Kasey's ability to do two sets of announcements back to back. As an alternative, email or Google hangout any announcements directly to Kasey and he will make them. I'll be explaining this to any kids who come to my office to make announcements. Email me with questions or concerns. </li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-40005835720735669902017-03-20T14:01:00.002-07:002017-03-20T14:36:23.136-07:00Curriculum Director's Meeting (3/20/17)For those of you who like to keep up to date on the big picture in Utah education, here are some of the important updates from this month's Curriculum Director's Meeting.<br />
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<b>Board of Education Rules: </b><br />
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The new State Board has worked quickly this year to change and update a variety of rules. While some changes are minor (changing language of "Utah State Office of Education" to "Utah State Board of Education"), others are significant and will impact OPA.<br />
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You can track all the rules and where they are at in the process on this website: <a href="http://schools.utah.gov/law/Administrative-Rules.aspx">http://schools.utah.gov/law/Administrative-Rules.aspx</a>. (This link has been up and down all day, so if it doesn't work, try again later.) Remember that even when rules are passed at the State Board level, most still have to go to the Utah legislature and be passed into law or written into the budget there.<br />
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<b>Legislative Updates: </b><br />
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One of the most important jobs of the Utah house and senate is to pass the budget, which includes the education budget.<br />
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<li>Highlights of this year: </li>
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<li>Utah has moved to cover all future license fees for teachers (my interpretation is teachers will still have to pay for fingerprinting/background checks, just not the license fees - more info on this to come).</li>
<li>HB 212 passed, which gives stipends for successful teachers in high poverty schools. The list of schools defined as high Poverty has not been released by the state yet, but I'm hopeful OPA will be included. </li>
<li>Utah now has funding available to cover the cost of teachers who would like to pursue their reading endorsements. See Debbie or me if you are a teacher who is interested in this endorsement.</li>
<li>There is an overall 4% increase in school funding for the entire State.</li>
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<li>Other news: </li>
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<li>Utah Futures and the Utah Electronic High School were both defunded. However, Utah Futures has the money to sustain itself for at least another year without additional funding.</li>
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<li>Non-budget news: </li>
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<li>Changes were made to the Health Education standards that positively affect the LGBTQ community. If you have not been following this legislation and want an update, please come see me.</li>
<li>Utah now has a state-wide Kindergarten Assessment. This is overall a good thing, but some of the wrinkles of implementation are still being ironed out. OPA was already administering its own assessment as a means for placing students, so the Kinder team will discuss next steps so we can fulfill state requirements and place our target learners into full day kindergarten. </li>
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If you want to read more details, here is a Public Education Budget Handout that is a great snapshot of the session: <a href="http://le.utah.gov/interim/2017/pdf/00002070.pdf" target="_blank">http://le.utah.gov/interim/2017/pdf/00002070.pdf</a>.<br />
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<b>Public Media and Public Schools:</b><br />
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A speaker from the State Office discussed how the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 relates to Utah Public Schools. Many citizens don't realize that the public funds from this act are used for much of Utah's online media, including sources vital to our public libraries and schools. These funds have been identified by President Trump as something he recommends removing from the national budget, which is determined by congress. The speaker shared this website, which you can go to if you would like to ask your representatives to keep this funding in the national budget: <a href="http://protectmypublicmedia.org/" target="_blank">http://protectmypublicmedia.org/</a>. Of course, regardless of your personal stance, you can contact your representatives and senators at any time to let your opinions be known on this issue and others.<br />
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<b>Effective Math Instruction: </b><br />
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We experienced some professional learning on effective math instruction. Some of the techniques profiled are on this handout, which may be beneficial for some CTTs to discuss: <a href="https://drive.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lTzVLZ2NKalVyeTA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lTzVLZ2NKalVyeTA/view?usp=sharing</a><br />
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As always, please come talk to me if you have questions, concerns, or things you would like me to communicate to the powers that be at the state.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-26044457082126459362017-02-07T15:06:00.003-08:002017-02-07T15:13:35.336-08:00Literacy Director Update (2/7/17)Here are a few updates from the Literacy Meeting on 2/7/17.<br />
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1. New Kindergarten Assessment:</div>
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<li>The state has been developing a common Kindergarten assessment that will be given twice a year (note the pre and post tests are not identical).</li>
<li>Amie and Janet had the opportunity to attend one of the informational work sessions. </li>
<li>This legislation is still in process and has not been approved for next year. We will know in a few weeks where it stands. </li>
<li>I will update you when and if this legislation moves forward. </li>
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2. Early Intervention Software (Waterford and Imagine Learning): </div>
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<li>We receive Waterford and Imagine Learning software via legislation from Utah; the current legislation states, “A public school that does not use the early interactive reading software in accordance with the technology provider's dosage recommendations for two consecutive years may not continue to receive a license.”</li>
<li>In 2015-16 school year, 84% of schools did not meet dosage recommendations and will therefore have their software taken away after this year if they do not meet fidelity. </li>
<li>The Utah Literacy Directors (Sara Wiebke and Jennifer Throndsen) are desperately trying to get the legislation amended so more schools can keep their software on more of a sliding fidelity scale. </li>
<li>All year, OPA has been right on the cusp with some teachers meeting fidelity and some not. Please try your best to meet fidelity with this software so we don't lose it. If you have any questions about fidelity, please let me know!</li>
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3. SAGE Writing:</div>
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<li>The State has moved forward to reduce the SAGE writing test to 5th and 8th grades only (under this plan, 11th graders will take the ACT with writing, but that will not impact OPA). </li>
<li>There are also plans to move from a "soft" time limit to a strict time limit, which will affect how we prepare kids for the test. </li>
<li>These changes will not impact this year. Here is the current implementation schedule (it could change):</li>
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<li>2017: 2 writing prompts in all grades 3-8. </li>
<li>2018: 1 writing prompt in all grades 3-8. The prompt will either be argument or informational and the prompt each kid receives will be random. </li>
<li>2019: 1 writing prompt in grade 5 and grade 8 only. The prompt will either be argument or informational and the prompt each kid receives will be random. There will be a 50 minute hard time limit. </li>
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<li>Debbie and I will provide you with more information at the May first Friday training. Many of these changes are still being discussed and the State Board is aware the prompts would have to change if a time limit is included for 2019. Please do not allow these changes to stress you out at this time! At OPA, we have always taught writing in every grade and we will continue to do so. The literacy advocates at the State are aware of the negative impacts of these changes and are trying to communicate them to the Board. </li>
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4. Student-Friendly SAGE Rubrics</div>
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<li>The state has created student-friendly writing rubrics for argument and informational essays. These will uploaded be on the SAGE test for kids to view. </li>
<li>Feel free to use these!</li>
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<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/document/d/1mSGW72qgBNYf6P1RxeoZcrHe2YrBapQPsQEuGd1wMk0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">3-5th Argument Rubric (Student Friendly)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/document/d/1IDG2oHFMJBSs5wngtRleFaGMLNiq96HG9oLiYWV4tJk/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">3-5th Informational Rubric (Student Friendly)</a></li>
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Please talk to me if you have any questions! As we learn more about legislation, I will keep you all in the loop. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-50652404662677625982017-01-19T12:29:00.001-08:002017-01-19T12:37:32.317-08:00Classroom LibrariesI recently reread a few sections of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Fostering-Literacy-Elementary-Grades/dp/1571109749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484855094&sr=8-1&keywords=the+daily+five+second+edition" target="_blank">The Daily 5 (Second Edition)</a></i> by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser; it reminded me of the importance of classroom libraries in a Title 1 school and the challenge it can be for teachers to build those libraries over time. The book cites a variety of research, which all boils down to one idea: "children in classrooms with the most books consistently outperform their peers who are in classrooms with few books or no library"(58).<br />
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With that in mind, here are some tips, links, and resources to help you build and add to your classroom library.<br />
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General recommendations:<br />
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<li>Boushey and Moser cite research that recommends primary-grade classrooms should have 700-750+ titles and upper grade classrooms should have 400+ titles (Allington and Cunningham 2007). The authors state they actually aim for 1,000 titles in each classroom.</li>
<li>Books should represent as many genres as possible, and should include a variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Scholastic has a variety of grade-level book lists organized by core subject (you can also order sets that include all the books on each list). I've linked each of the grade level lists here:</li>
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<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-K.pdf" target="_blank">Kinder</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-1.pdf" target="_blank">1st Grade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-2.pdf" target="_blank">2nd Grade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-3.pdf" target="_blank">3rd Grade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-4.pdf" target="_blank">4th Grade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grade-5.pdf" target="_blank">5th Grade</a></li>
<li><a href="http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/classroombooks/pdfs/CoreKnowledge-Grades-6-8.pdf" target="_blank">6th-8th Grades</a></li>
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<li>Have clear check-in/check-out procedures if the books can be taken out of the classroom. </li>
<li>Use an organization system that works for you. Some teachers use shelves; others have bins of books sorted by genre or reading level. At the younger grades, you will likely have one book box per student for literacy time and an organized classroom library (that feeds into those book boxes). This blog is a good example of how one teacher organized her 2nd grade classroom: <a href="http://www.readingrockets.org/article/creating-classroom-library" target="_blank">Creating a Classroom Library</a>.</li>
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Ways to build your classroom library:<br />
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<li>Send a letter home encouraging parents to donate any unwanted books to your classroom.</li>
<li>Set up a <a href="http://donorschoose.org/" target="_blank">DonorsChoose.org</a> project. During my time at OPA, I successfully funded 5 projects and two of the projects were for classroom library books. While it does take some time to initially set up DonorsChoose, it is worth the work!</li>
<li>Pair your classroom budget or legislative monies with discounted books such as <a href="http://firstbook.org/" target="_blank">First Book</a>, used books on <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://bookoutlet.com/" target="_blank">The Book Outlet</a>, <a href="http://www.thriftbooks.com/" target="_blank">Thrift Books</a>, or books from second hand stores like the DI. </li>
<li>Supplement your growing library with books from our school libraries. If you are a newer teacher who is just building your classroom library, take advantage of the excellent resources we already have available at the school. The librarians are happy to help and are a wealth of knowledge. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.lefbooks.org/reading_resource_project/" target="_blank">Reading Resource Program</a>: Order grade-level sets of 100 books. The books are "free" - you pay $0.88 per book for shipping. So, it's $88 per set of 100, which isn't bad if you split it among grade level teams. </li>
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Classroom libraries for subjects other than Language Arts:<br />
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<li>At the middle school grades, it's common for classroom libraries to be found exclusively in Language Arts. However, having a classroom library in your math, science, social studies, or elective class serves many purposes. For one, it helps with the perennial issue of what kids should do if they get done early - with a rich classroom library, one of the choices can always be to read a book related to your content. In addition, having these books available helps students see the real world applications of you subject area.</li>
<li>Include biographies of famous people who were successful within your subject area. </li>
<li>Consider fiction books that relate to your subject. For example, Michael Crichton is great for 9th grade science and the 39 Clues is excellent for social studies. See more recommendations via the Scholastic links in the General Recommendations section above. </li>
<li>Use alternative texts like the Guinness Book of World Records, newspapers, magazines, and other reference books. These can be quick, entertaining reads for kids and correlate to your subject area. Trivial Pursuit cards and other resources like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-ACT-Box/dp/1607144786" target="_blank">ACT in a Box</a> can engage reluctant readers. </li>
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In the process of writing this blog, I came upon a variety of other grants and resources. If you have specific wants or needs, please talk to me to see what may be available. In addition, if you have other resources or tips, please leave them in the comment section .</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-15483997276307852372017-01-13T09:43:00.003-08:002017-01-13T09:43:40.900-08:00Checking for UnderstandingChecking for understanding is when you shift your focus from what you, the teacher, taught to what the students learned. It is a way to formatively assess students to see what they know and inform your next move as a teacher. Ideally, checking for understanding should take place frequently (multiple times per lesson) and with variety (visual, verbal, tactile, and written opportunities).<br />
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(As a side-note, Checking for Understanding is also a CAFE reading strategy students use with the Daily 5 activities Read to Self and Read to Someone. For this blog, we'll just focus on how teachers can use check for understanding to guide their lesson.)<br />
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The idea of checking for understanding relates to many things we have been working on as a school over the past few years. It connects to Feedback, Opportunities to Respond, and Teach Like a Champion - just to name a few.<br />
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The following video gives a great overview of Checking for Understanding with a variety of examples from World Language teachers:<br />
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Checking for understanding can start with something as simple as a hand signal, as it does in the clip below from <i>Teach Like a Champion</i>. That hand signal reveals to the teacher that many students solved the problem incorrectly, which leads to the teacher breaking down the problem in detail so students can see where they went wrong.<br />
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Notice how the teacher asks a variety of targeted questions in the follow-up to see the specific aspects of the math problem that students did or did not understand. She also gives them chances to show agreement or disagreement with others. By the time she finally reveals the correct answer, many students have changed their answers to the correct one.<br />
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Edutopia has published a great resource called <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lZXdZS05zNVZJTWM/view?usp=sharing">53 Ways to Check for Understanding</a>. One of my favorites on this list is called 5 Words. It asks students to select 5 words that describe a subject, concept, or skill they learned during the lesson. What they describe could be anything from a scientific concept to a mathematical operation to a physical education game. You can take this a step beyond the 5 words and have kids compare their lists and justify their choices.<br />
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<i>Teach Like a Champion</i> emphasizes one more important point about checking for understanding: master teachers work understanding checks into their lesson plans by identifying several times per lesson when they will check for understanding and selecting the specific method ahead of time. A master teacher may even create multiple paths within a lesson plan with one path to take if kids understand right away and a different path to take if a check for understanding reveals gaps in learning.<br />
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So, I challenge you to look over your lesson plans for next week. If you have not already identified specific times and methods to check for understanding, then plan them in.<br />
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Do you have a favorite or unique way to check for understanding? Describe it in the comments.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-89690265504565980072017-01-06T08:52:00.001-08:002017-01-06T09:06:34.614-08:00Procedure Reset: Teach Like a Champion StrategiesAs we return from Winter Break and close out second quarter, it's a great time to think about the procedures in your classroom. Do you need a new procedure? Do you need to tune-up the way your kids complete a procedure? Are there procedures you want to eliminate?<br />
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Teach Like a Champion 2.0 gives some great tips for a classroom reset, which works best after an extended break or when a grading period changes.<br />
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<li><b>Connect the change to important news:</b> Maybe your classroom is about to start meditating after recess. Perhaps you are starting math centers to try and make sure all kids are mastering the Engage New York curriculum. Give your kids an attention-grabbing "headline" or a goal when you explain the switch or the new procedure. One recommendation from the book is to tie it to a countdown. For example: "We only have 92 days left of school, and I want to make sure you are ready for 7th grade when you leave my class." </li>
<li><b>Be transparent:</b> Explain to kids why you are making the change or tuning-up an existing procedure. If you don't explain things, students may become confused. Be sure to emphasize for kids that your reset isn't a punishment, but is based on the fact that the procedure is important to their learning and that you know they can meet your expectations. </li>
<li><b>Model and describe:</b> If you're tuning-up a procedure, have exemplary students model it as you reintroduce the process. You can also let an outstanding student observe the class completing the procedure and then discuss what was done well and what needs to be improved. </li>
<li><b>Use precise praise:</b> Praise students with affirmations of the specific things they are doing correctly. Pay particular attention to students who have shown growth throughout the year in their ability to meet your expectations with the procedure. </li>
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As you are doing the procedure reset, don't forget about the 4 stages of creating any classroom routine: </div>
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<li><b>Number the steps:</b> Chunk the procedure into small, easy to remember steps. Use verbal or visual cues as students connect these steps together. The younger the students, the more steps and cues you should have.</li>
<li><b>Model and describe:</b> It's important to both tell students and show students how to correctly follow the procedure. Also, anticipate common mistakes and describe how to avoid those mistakes before having students practice. </li>
<li><b>Pretend Practice:</b> Have students practice the procedure multiple times. While they do this, narrate with precise praise and corrections. </li>
<li><b>Transfer ownership:</b> As kids master the procedure, you can transfer more responsibility to them. Perhaps a student leader replaces the teacher and walks up and down the lunch line checking for nametags. Maybe calling out "Step 1: Go....Now, Step 2: Go..." becomes unnecessary and the teacher can simply say: "Take yourself from Step 1 to Step 4: Go." Be sure kids have earned their autonomy by performing the procedure to your expectations before rewarding them with more independence. </li>
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This video shows several teachers going over a common procedure: lining up for the hallway. Almost every one of the techniques described above is used at some point in the video. </div>
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Below is a clip of a teacher going over the procedure of tracking the speaker. She goes through each of the steps for teaching a new procedure. </div>
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This is a great time to do a quick reflection on the procedures in your classroom. Which will you keep? Will you add any? What procedures need a tune-up? Select one or two procedures to introduce, tweak, or tune during the first week of second semester. Feel free to post any ideas you have in the comments!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Teach Like a Champion 2.0 by Doug Lemov (366-371).</span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-40057597734797530772016-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:002016-12-15T11:04:14.827-08:00Socratic Seminars: AVID StrategiesA Socratic Seminar is an AVID structure that can help you introduce several elements of WICOR into a lesson: Inquiry, Collaboration, and Reading. The idea behind a Socratic Seminar is that part of our job in education is to teach kids to think, to listen without judging, and to ask great questions.<br />
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Socratic Seminars focus on dialogue instead of debate; it's important to talk about the difference with kids before embarking on a Socratic Seminar. This <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3leTVpZXV3TVJJMGc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Dialogue vs. Debate Handout</a> is a good starting point.<br />
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There are several variations of Socratic Seminars, but they all have four elements. These elements are briefly explained below, and are also available on the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lTzF3b2hHd21DLXc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Elements of Socratic Seminars Handout</a>. </div>
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1. <b>A Text.</b> The text can be from any subject area and should include a richness of ideas and viewpoints. If there is no text, then it's not a Socratic Seminar (it's likely Philosophical Chairs, another AVID strategy).</div>
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2. <b>A Question.</b> In a Socratic Seminar, the discussion starts with a question, preferably generated by students. This question generates new ones and the line of inquiry evolves instead of being planned ahead of time. </div>
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3. <b>A Leader. </b>A student serves as the discussion leader and a participant. The leader keeps the conversation moving along and on topic; the leader also makes sure everyone is involved. While the teacher may model the role of a leader when teaching kids how to participate in a Socratic Seminar, the teacher should not be the leader on a regular basis. This student-friendly handout on the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lMFZjbU5NS3QxekE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Role of the Leader</a> gives many specific descriptions. You can get creative with how you select a leader. In English, I had kids draw cards from a deck and the person who drew the Joker was the leader for that round. </div>
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4. <b>Participants.</b> Quality participants are prepared (have read and annotated a text), are active listeners, generate insightful questions, share ideas, encourage the participation of others, and reference the text. All students should have a list of <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lenRPSFdfLWxSU3c/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Roles and Responsibilities of a Seminar Participant</a>. </div>
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A typical Socratic Seminar takes place in a circle. After reading and annotating an article, the leader starts by asking a question about the text. Then, the leader and participants let the conversation evolve as they look to explore multiple interpretations and points of view. The text is the anchor for the conversation, and participants should reference it frequently. The goal of a Socratic Seminar is not to come to a single, unanimous conclusion. Rather, it is to encourage students to think, support their ideas with the text, ask questions, and observe the rules of dialogue (not debate). </div>
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Tips for to implementing a Socratic Seminar in your classroom: </div>
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- Before introducing Socratic Seminars, kids need practice reading critically, annotating texts, and generating questions from a text. It is also helpful if kids have generated discussion norms. </div>
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- Teach kids the structure of the Socratic Seminar, including roles, before attempting to run a full seminar. Do a few practice rounds with different leaders and give the group feedback. </div>
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- Start with short Socratic Seminars (15-20 minutes), then build up students' stamina for longer ones. </div>
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- Help students plan meaningful questions using the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lQVhidE9oMXQ4d0E/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Developing Opening, Core, and Closing Questions Template</a> as well as the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lOEFseWo4dWJUaTg/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Question Planning Template</a>.<br />
- Allow silence. When first implementing a Socratic Seminar, you'll need to coach kids to talk to each other and not to you (the teacher). Also, be ready to allow the awkward silences. Resist the temptation to jump in and save kids by offering a question or steering the conversation: that is the job of the leader and all the participants. It will typically take several seminars before kids fully realize that it is their job to keep things going and that the teacher will not enter the discussion to help them. I have found that taking detailed notes during seminars shows students that I am engaged but not facilitating the conversation. </div>
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- Allow students the opportunity to engage in student to student and student to self feedback by using the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lVlFRanpXWjhvSEk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Socratic Seminar Debrief</a> or the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lYmNrcElCMUdmLW8/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Socratic Seminar Rubric</a>. You can also do this in the form of an exit ticket by asking students what is one thing the group did well and what is one thing the group can do to improve for the next Socratic Seminar. Then, share these responses next class period. </div>
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There are multiple variations of the Socratic Seminar that do not use the traditional, one-circle format. These including a Fish Bowl and Pilot/Co-Pilot Seminar. In a Fish Bowl (also called Inner/Outer Circle), there is a small circle (5-6 kids) with a leader and a large circle. Only the small circle talks, while the outer circle observes using a tool such as <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lTXItRWZsRU9DdEU/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Fish Bowl Observation Tool</a> or the <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lbDAzNEt2YlJXTFE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Inner/Outer Discussion Observation</a>. As the topic shifts, new students are brought into the inner circle and kids in the inner circle move to the outer circle. The Fish bowl can be a great way to practice roles of Leader and Participant before trying a whole-class Socratic Seminar right away. The <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lNDQtaFp2SEZzUXM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Pilot/Co-Pilot Seminar</a> features groups of students (usually 3) working together to make points to the group. Both of these variations are also excellent for larger classes (25 students or more).<br />
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Want more specifics? This video shows one teacher's specific room set up, grading system, and classroom procedures for his Socratic Seminars. This teacher uses a Fishbowl format. The first 3-4 minutes are the most helpful.<br />
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This additional video shows a middle school classroom and how the teacher sets up and runs her Socratic Seminars with the Fishbowl format.<br />
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We have several teachers at the 7-9 building who use Socratic Seminars frequently, so our students are familiar with these activities and enjoy them. If you are interested in trying one out and would like support or ideas, please reach out. If you have tips or questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-22077161273401076682016-12-12T13:39:00.001-08:002016-12-13T07:21:45.290-08:00Targeted Questioning: Teach Like a Champion Strategies<u>Targeted Questioning:</u> A quick series of carefully chosen, open-ended questions directed at a strategic sample of the class and executed in a short period of time.<br />
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Targeted Questioning is a <i>Teach Like a Champion Strategy</i> that aims to ensure all students are understanding the most important aspects of a lesson. Targeted Questioning replaces unreliable forms of questioning, like self reporting where a teacher simply asks the class, "Does everyone get it?" and a few kids mumble yes or shake their heads. Self reporting does not really tell a teacher if kids understand, but Targeted Questioning can.<br />
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There are a few important principles of Targeted Questioning:<br />
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1. Plan Ahead: Choose a few transitional points in your lesson where you know in advance you want to ask a few questions to see if kids learned a concept. This may add time to your lesson, but choosing a few points throughout the lesson instead of one at the end will help you catch points of confusion early in the learning process.<br />
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2. Write the Questions in Advance: Prepare questions in advance, ideally when you are lesson planning. While this may take extra time, it frees up your brain power during the lesson to analyze how well kids are understanding the content. For each transitional point, have a few questions ready that will help you assess how well kids have learned the information.<br />
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3. Speed Counts: Each time Targeted Questioning is used in a lesson, it should take less than a minute or two. If the questions take longer, it's harder to consistently work Targeted Questioning into your lesson.<br />
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4. Sample Strategically: When calling on kids to answer the questions, try to call on 5-6 kids who represent the range of abilities in the room (2 kids who struggle, 2 kids in the middle, and 1-2 kids who get things quickly). Select the specific kids you will call on in advance to save time.<br />
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5. Cold Call: Cold Call takes place when the teacher chooses who will answer the questions without asking students to raise their hands. (Cold Call is a separate <i>Teach Like a Champion</i> Strategy.) If you only call on kids raising their hands, you are not getting a strategic sample but rather a group of kids who are all confident that they did learn the material. Use Cold Call with Sample Strategically to get the most accurate data from your class.<br />
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This quick clip shows the importance of Strategic Sampling and Cold Call to get an accurate read of what kids know.<br />
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If this teacher only called on the students with their hands raised, she would not have known that Kayla did not understand what clever meant.<br />
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Targeted Questioning goes well with Feedback because taking the time to question kids in this way allows them to show the teacher what they know. It also gives the teacher an opportunity to let students know how they are doing and what might need to be fixed.<br />
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Once you are comfortable working Targeted Questioning into your lessons, you can add more variety to the questions in the form of things like partnering, white boards, clickers/plickers, etc.<br />
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What are some of your favorite times and methods for Targeting Questioning? Feel free to leave ideas in the comments below.<br />
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Source: <i>Teach Like a Champion 2.0</i> by Doug Lemov, pages 34-39.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-55681784035667748332016-10-21T13:00:00.004-07:002016-10-21T13:00:55.923-07:00Mentor Texts<div style="text-align: center;">
Mentor Texts:</div>
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A Teacher to Student or Student to Student Feedback Strategy</div>
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After our Feedback training, I noticed many questions in the agenda about mentor texts. So, I wanted to dive a little deeper into this technique.<br />
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A mentor text is any text that a teacher uses to exemplify and teach a writing strategy or concept.<br />
- Mentor texts can be written by professional authors, or can be revised student exemplars.<br />
- Mentor texts can be used to teach writing skills (like the 6 traits of writing) or mechanics/grammar.<br />
- Mentor texts can be from any genre and can be literary or informational.<br />
- Teachers can use the entire mentor text or just a small part of it during instruction.<br />
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When a teacher uses a mentor text to show students what is expected, that is teacher to student feedback. When revised student work is used as a mentor text, that is a student to student feedback strategy.<br />
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Here are some videos:<br />
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This is a great introduction to mentor texts. The second half of the video, she talks through popular texts that can be used as mentor texts for specific skills or concepts.<br />
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This video shows the use of mentor text to teach one specific grammar rule (adding -ed to past tense verbs).<br />
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This is a longer video without HD quality, but it is worth the time to view it. It shows a complete mini-lesson on 6th grade narrative writing. The teacher uses a mentor text to help students revise ending to narrative pieces. This video is also a good example of partnering during large group instruction.<br />
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Finally, here are a few more helpful links:<br />
- Scholastic resources with 6 traits of writing. You can click on each of the 6 traits and find a detailed list of books that can be used as mentor texts for that trait and suggestions for using them: <a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/mentor-texts-traits-writing">http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/mentor-texts-traits-writing</a><br />
- For those of you on Pinterest, this board is one of the most complete I could find on mentor texts: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/explore/mentor-texts/">https://www.pinterest.com/explore/mentor-texts/</a><br />
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I love using mentor texts. In fact, my entire 9th grade short story unit was designed around them. During the unit, kids read several short stories that exemplified various writing techniques (unreliable narrator, irony, unusual setting, etc). Then, during the final project, kids choose one technique to work on in their own writing. During this process, they also accessed mentor texts from other students: short stories from previous years that were exceptional. However, mentor text are absolutely not just for Language Arts. They can be employed anytime you want to show kids an expert example of a specific type of writing.<br />
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Do you use mentor texts in your class? Feel free to share your ideas below.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-7858566586893996982016-10-17T16:15:00.002-07:002016-10-17T16:25:57.969-07:00WICOR MagnentsFor those of you who were unable to attend the October 1st Friday PD, this post is a review of Essential Questions, WICOR, and how to use the Essential Question and WICOR magnets in 4th-9th grade classrooms.<br />
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Essential Questions and WICOR are key components of the AVID program. This year, our AVID site team wants to work on expanding AVID strategies school-wide. While we have always included these in the AVID elective and in some classrooms, our next step is to integrate AVID into all areas of our school (when age appropriate).<br />
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Essential Questions:<br />
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<li>Essential Questions are objectives for the day that are in student-friendly language and written as questions. </li>
<li>Kids should be able to answer the question when the lesson is done.</li>
<li>They can be easily transferred to Cornell Notes. </li>
<li>They can replace “I can” statements or traditional objectives. </li>
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Examples of Essential Questions: </div>
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<li>What were at least three main factors that contributed to the Great Depression? </li>
<li>What are the procedures for Read to Self during Daily 5?</li>
<li>What is the main conflict of the story Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle? </li>
<li>What are the four states of matter, and what is an example of each? </li>
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How some teachers are using EQs: </div>
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<li>Kids write the EQ in their planners before beginning bell work. </li>
<li>Kids write an answer to the EQ as an exit ticket.</li>
<li>The teacher references the EQ at the beginning and end of class. </li>
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Why use WICOR in your classroom? </div>
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<li>It increases rigor so kids are more prepared for high school and college. </li>
<li>It promotes higher-level thinking. </li>
<li>It increases student accountability and opportunities to respond.</li>
<li>WICOR strategies can be used in any subject area. </li>
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Why use the WICOR magnets to label your WICOR? </div>
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<li>It builds the AVID culture of our school</li>
<li>It builds a common language</li>
<li>It sends the message to kids that some skills transfer from class to class</li>
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Examples of how teachers are using the WICOR magnets in their class: </div>
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Thank you to Mrs. Banta, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Means, and Mrs. Darby for the great examples.<br />
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Get a downloadable copy of the handout presented Friday 10/7 with dozens of WICOR ideas here: <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QuwDRUlzZsRmAkqIVO7D00uov53ZdT2pUjKqa3emIbA/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">WICOR Ideas Handout</a>.</div>
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Feel free to post and questions or comments below!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-72069441761698135942016-09-26T10:25:00.002-07:002016-12-12T13:45:58.496-08:00Collaborative Study Groups: AVID StrategiesCollaborative Study Groups (CSGs) are an excellent way to get students working together in a format that is less rigid than an official AVID tutorial. In CSGs, students work together to identify gaps in their learning, use inquiry and discussion to fill in these gaps, and apply their knowledge to the course and content. CSGs don't just help with content knowledge, they also help integrate all the aspects of WICOR into your lesson.<br />
<br />
This 3-minute video gives you a great introduction to Collaborative Study Groups and references some of the resources below: <a href="http://players.brightcove.net/1469815530001/21a4dfab-51bd-4a7d-8fd2-564c7e491bf7_default/index.html?videoId=4904251175001" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Group Intro Video</a><br />
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There are 4 roles in a CSG. The three required roles are Teacher, Student Group Member, and Student Presenter. The fourth role is the Student Leader/Group Facilitator, and this role is optional. View or download a guide to these roles with this link: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3ldVpSaUtlaV9DSjA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Groups Roles & Responsibilities</a><br />
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CSGs have 3 main parts:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Before: The teacher or students choose a topic/question. It's ideal if students can review the topic/question individually before the study groups start.</li>
<li>During: Students collaborate to deepen their knowledge of the topic. The teacher circulates and supports.</li>
<li>After: Students reflect on their learning and their participation in the groups. </li>
</ul>
<br />
This document gives a teacher overview of CSGs: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lTkVqbDFYUHZCZUk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Groups Overview</a>. The overview also provides many links to great downloadable resources to use before, during, and after the study groups (links are in the Resource Guide on page 3). You need a MyAVID.org username and password in order to access these printables. Many Site Team Members and/or those who have attended AVID conferences in the past already have one. Debbie and I would be happy to provide you with a username and password for this site if you do not already have one and want one. Just email us! Here are examples of the types of documents on the MyAVID.org site that you can access with a username and password. I downloaded these so you could open them.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lNlltelRRcUdTeVk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Groups Grouping Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lMVdXV1UxdkVqc2c/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Teacher Implementation Guide</a></li>
<li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lNGhBb1M1UFR1a1k/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Group Pre-Work</a></li>
</ul>
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Here's an additional video that shows how one teacher uses CSGs in her calculus classroom: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEDes9blX0g" target="_blank">Collaborative Study Groups Math Video</a></div>
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If you have used CSGs in your classroom, please feel free to share your tips and success stories below!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-91075642035957300432016-09-08T08:42:00.000-07:002016-09-08T08:44:13.419-07:00Effective TA Use: Part 2<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week, I posted a set of questions for TAs to ask teachers, and questions for teachers to ask TAs. I hope some of you have had the opportunity to use these conversation starters to improve the way you and your TA work together to help kids. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week, I want to focus on specific ideas for using a TA in your classroom. Many of these ideas will be focused on 5th-9th, but I hope that some of the younger grades can get ideas also. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the elementary level (K-4), the primary roles of a TA should be...</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To support differentiated instruction. This means that within your classroom, your TA works with individuals or small groups to support your overall objectives and learning goals. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">To implement interventions. Interventions take place in addition to normal classroom instruction. When a TA implements interventions, she is working with an individual or small group during additional time on a subject area or concept of concern. </span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Most of a TA's time should be spent on one of the two areas above. However, occasionally it is appropriate for a TA to assist with the following duties if they do not take away from their work in the areas mentioned above...</span></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Supporting instruction by making copies or preparing lesson materials (during prep time or other times). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Collecting, recording, and/or organizing student data, including grading. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Assisting with discipline issues as coordinated with the lead teacher. </span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">At the secondary building, the role of a TA becomes a bit more flexible. The main purpose of a TA at the secondary building is still to work with students. There may be times when other types of work are appropriate, but the majority of the time needs to be spent helping kids. Here are some ideas I have used in my own classroom, or ones I have seen other people use successfully: </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daily classroom usage of TAs:</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have TAs assist with daily procedures (attendance, distributing bell-work, signing planners for students, etc.). The TAs schedule and availability may dictate which procedures will work best. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Make-up/absent work facilitation. First, you'll need a clear system for absent/make-up work. Then, ask the TA to be the point person for students who have questions while gathering or completing their work upon their return to class. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have TAs assist in contacting parents when students have low grades. As a reminder, teachers should be contacting parents when their kids have a D+ or lower. This needs to be done with care. To use a TA in this way, please be sure the TA is a constant in your classroom, has access to your gradebook (to view missing </span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">assignments</span><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">), and is comfortable making the initial call to parents. The TA should clearly identify him/herself as an educator in the room, explain the grade and any specific missing </span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">assignments</span><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">, give ideas for how the kid can bring up the grade, and then ask if the parent would like a follow-up call/email from the teacher. Providing a sample script to the TA is a good idea. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grading. Like in the elementary, grading is not the primary use of a TA. However, in the case of items like multiple choice tests, it can be appropriate for a TA to help with grading as long as the teacher reviews all grades before putting them in the gradebook. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">During direct instruction:</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If there are students who need significant help with note-taking or other tasks, have the TA closely monitor and assist these students. I would caution against having a TA sit next to one specific student for the entire hour. Instead, have the TA float between a few students. This builds more autonomy within the student while still supporting him/her. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have your TA circulate throughout the room monitoring the work and behavior of all kids. It’s best if the TA can use nonverbals to keep kids on task because nonverbals limit disruption to the direct instruction. For example, the TA can point to sections that need to be completed, redirect attention, etc. It's important for TAs and teachers to clearly discuss expectations for this type of work (Ex: should kids with questions raise their hands and ask the lecturing teacher, or can they flag down the TA and whisper the question.)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Use your TA to gather classroom data for you. This could potentially be data you will bring to your CTT or any other data to help your practice. Ask the TA to look for just one thing in the classroom: How many kids wrote down the essential question in their notes correctly? When kids pair/shared, how many kids were not engaged in speaking to their partners? How many kids were highlighting key terms in their notes? You can use the classroom worksheet on Aspire to quickly print check sheets for TAs to use. Another way to gather data is to have the TA take pictures/videos for you. The TA can also look for good examples to project to show other kids. For instance, an example of a high-quality summary after taking Cornell Notes. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have your TA create a master copy of the notes or a list of what was learned for students who were absent. (This is only a good use of the TA in classes where student notes cannot be used for this purpose).</span></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> During group or partner work:</span></span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have the TA set up a binder check station in the hall. Then, one by one, the TA calls kids or groups out with their binders. Binders are checked for required materials. If needed, the TA helps the student(s) organize the binder(s). </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">TAs can set up a grade-check station in the hall. Like with the binder station, TAs call kids out one by one or in small groups. Each kid logs into Aspire and checks their grades. If necessary, the TA can help the student make a plan to get the work completed and turned in. The TA can also make sure the student knows what each assignment means and has the necessary paperwork. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have the TA work with a specific group of kids. Note that the TA does not always need to work with a group that struggles. The TA can work with a higher group and give them opportunities to stretch, while the classroom teacher works with the lower group that will need the most help. <span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is not a complete list, but hopefully it gives you some ideas. Thanks to Teryl Young and Darby Evans for contributing ideas for this list. Do you have a great idea for using your TA? Please post it below. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-27792549649790355832016-08-31T10:03:00.000-07:002016-08-31T10:03:19.774-07:00Effective TA Use: Part 1<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have been getting many excellent questions about TA usage, especially at the secondary building. So, I want to do a series of posts to help teachers and TAs work together effectively. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first step to working well together is to have an extended conversation about everything that goes on in the classroom. I've put together two lists below: questions for TAs to ask teachers, and questions for teachers to ask TAs. In order to create a list that could apply to both elementary and secondary, there will be some questions that might not apply to your specific situation. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Questions for Teachers to ask TAs:</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Logistics: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What class do you work in before this hour? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Can you reasonably get to this class before students arrive? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When will you typically be in the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When will you need to leave the classroom to get to your next class? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How will I know if you are sick, absent, or not able to come to class on a given day? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 22.08px;">What daily routines would you be willing to help with? </span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 22.08px;">What type of technology are you able to operate in the classroom (iPad, Apple TV, etc.)?</span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are some of your “pet peeves” in the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How will we build trust and maintain confidentiality in the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 22.08px;">What will we do when conflicts, mis-understandings, or opportunities for clarification come up? </span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Management: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What classroom management experience do you have?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What type of management activities are you comfortable with? Which are you uncomfortable with?</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Circulating throughout the room?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nonverbal cues to students?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Verbally redirecting students?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Temporarily removing students from the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One-on-one conversations with students?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Giving detentions?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Calling parents?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking students to the office?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other (specify)?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Content & Instruction:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What subject areas and concepts do you feel most comfortable assisting students with? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Area there subject areas or concepts that you do not feel comfortable assisting students with? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What intervention programs, software, technology, etc. are you comfortable using? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What training or expertise would you like to gain? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What experience do you have providing accommodations (like read-alouds) to students? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What content/instructional activities are you comfortable doing...</span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helping small groups?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grading tests/quizzes?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Binder checks with students?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Helping students one-on-one?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other (specify)?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What students will you be collecting data on this year? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How will you organize that data?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can I help you gather or keep data on those students? </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Questions for TAs to ask Teachers: </span></b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Logistics: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How will I know if you are sick, absent, or not able to come to class on a given day? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is my role in the classroom in your absence? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where can I find seating charts, sub plans (if needed), etc? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are your daily routines for... </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Starting class?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bell work</span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Checking homework</span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sharpening pencils</span><span style="line-height: 22.08px; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students coming to class without materials or homework? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recess?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lunch?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dismissing for restroom, office, or guidance counselor? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Turning in work (on-time and late work)?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students requesting help? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ending class?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other procedures?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Will I help with any of the daily routines? If so, how? </span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="line-height: 22.08px;">Can you provide me with a copy of your disclosure statement? </span></span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are some of your “pet peeves” in the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How will we build trust and maintain confidentiality in the classroom?</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What will we do when conflicts, mis-understandings, or opportunities for clarification come up? </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Management: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Describe your discipline style.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are some reinforcements/consequences you offer in your classroom?</span></div>
</li>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the acceptable level of noise in your classroom? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are your policies of student movement in your class? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where there is a behavior issue, at what point should I assist you during…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lecture?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Partner work?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Small group work?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other? </span></div>
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</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the situations above, what type of actions do you want me to take to intervene in behavior issues? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What activities would you like me to do daily in order to actively manage the class?</span></div>
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</ul>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Content & Instruction: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What assistance do you allow students to receive during different types of work (group work, partner work, independent work, assessments)? </span></div>
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</ul>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What are your expectations for me when providing accommodations, like read-alouds?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Explain your homework/late-work policy.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What instructional styles will I see in the classroom (lecture, group work, etc.)?</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What type of assessments do you use? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you group students for group work in your class? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you provide for varied student needs during a lesson? </span></div>
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</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Data: </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you grade...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Homework? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assessments? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Projects? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Participation? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other: specify?</span></div>
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</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How do you maintain records of grades and progress...</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grade book procedures? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Computer grade book? </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Written feedback to students? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other: specify?</span></div>
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</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What type of student data can I have access to (journals, gradebook, writing samples, test scores)? </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the best time and method for me to get that data?</span></div>
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</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Some of the questions above were adapted from the following sources: </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- http://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching/career_resources/stepping_stones2.pdf</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- Walther-Thomas, Bryant, & Land, 1996</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even if you have already worked with your TA in previous years, I encourage you to find some time to have this conversation. In the next installment, I'll give specific ideas for using your TA in a 5th-9th grade classroom. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can you think of any other topics that TAs and teachers should discuss? Feel free to leave ideas in the comments below. </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-87851522165924211712016-08-26T07:54:00.000-07:002016-08-26T07:54:07.215-07:00Curriculum MapsNow that we all have settled into our classes, I wanted to take some time to remind teachers our expectations at OPA for curriculum maps.<br />
<br />
During back to school week, the necessity for good curriculum maps became evident. Like all schools, we welcomed new teachers this year. They ranged from individuals with decades of classroom experience to first year teachers. One of the first things they all asked me was this: Did the teacher I am replacing have a curriculum map?<br />
<br />
In many cases, I was able to hand over an invaluable resource to a new teacher. Having a map as a guide allowed these new teachers to hit the ground running. Unfortunately, in many cases there were no maps. This was especially problematic with elective courses because there are so many ways to cover those standards and newer teachers need to know what was done in the past and what resources are available.<br />
<br />
Supporting new teachers is just one purpose of our curriculum maps. Others include:<br />
- Giving each teacher a roadmap for his/her year.<br />
- Ensuring that OPA's curriculum aligns with the state standards (remember, there are standards for every subject area including electives).<br />
- Promoting collaboration between subject and grade level teams (maps can be used at CTT meetings).<br />
- Allowing administration to communicate curriculum to parents while still giving teachers the freedom to design their own curricula.<br />
<br />
So, as a reminder, we need curriculum maps submitted for all teachers and teaching TAs unless you are specifically told otherwise.<br />
<br />
If you taught at OPA last year and are using the same maps, then please just send me a quick email letting me know you are using the maps from last year. However, if you have made changes to your maps, please send me updated ones.<br />
<br />
If you are new to OPA, I would like a map from you during the first week of September if possible. I consider these maps living documents: they do not have to be perfect. In fact, you should tweak them throughout the year. Please do not feel you need to reinvent the wheel. Talk to your team members and me if you need guidance or samples to look at. OPA is a team and we are here to support you. If the September date is not going to work for you, please just let me know what will.<br />
<br />
The GoogleSlide presentation I gave to new teachers and all of the map templates can be found on the Dashboard:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/internal-site/documents/curriculum-pd-resources/curriculum-maps">https://sites.google.com/a/ogdenprep.org/internal-site/documents/curriculum-pd-resources/curriculum-maps</a><br />
<br />
Please let me know how I can support you with your maps. If using curriculum maps at OPA has already helped you, I would love to hear how in the comments below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-81499154998222081702016-08-18T10:07:00.000-07:002016-12-12T13:46:20.112-08:00100%: Teach Like a Champion StrategiesAs we begin the school year, I have found myself talking to a lot of teachers about the importance of 100%, a technique from Doug Lemov's <i>Teach Like a Champion</i>.<br />
<br />
According to Lemov, "There's one suitable percentage of students following a given direction in your classroom: 100 percent. If you don't achieve this, you make your authority subject to interpretation, situation, and motivation."<br />
<br />
100% is not about being overly dominant or mean to students; it simply means that all kids must follow the directions you give, and that you will help them to do that. In fact, <i>Teach Like a Champion</i> suggests using a variety of non-threatening techniques such as non-verbals, positive group correction, anonymous individual correction, and private individual correction.<br />
<br />
There are so many excellent videos out there that demonstrate 100%. Here are a few:<br />
<br />
This video is an example of one teacher using variety of techniques from <i>Teach Like A Champion</i>, including 100%. Notice how the teacher takes the time to look around his entire class to ensure they have followed his direction to put their pencils down. He also uses quick, clear language ("Track up here") to anonymously correct students who are not following directions. Finally, he ensures all students are listening before students give responses. In the last instance, he doesn't even have to say the student's name. He just says "We're waiting for..." and then he gets 100%.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/140296942" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
In the next video, notice how the teacher uses silent hand signals to redirect her students' attention to the speaker.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/77695980" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="https://vimeo.com/77695980">BC.100%.GR3.Hinton.'Montage.'Clip1961</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/uncommonschools">Uncommon Schools</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</i></span><br />
<br />
Here's another example. Watch the way the teacher constantly looks around his class to ensure all students have followed his directions, both when he asks them to put down their pens and when he asks them to turn to page 5 in their packets.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/134247795" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/134247795">BC.100%.GR9.Gavin.'Pens down in four.'Clip2334</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/uncommonschools">Uncommon Schools</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></i><br />
<br />
Finally, here is a video of some younger students in a small literacy group with their teacher. Even in a small group with elementary kids, 100% should still be the goal:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6s_WwYIKoOk" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Note that in all of these examples, individual students were not called out by name, reprimanded in front of the class, or given a consequence. They were simply held accountable to the behavior standard. Publicly correcting a student in a way that is negative or threatening can lead to a power struggle, and that is not something you want to engage in. If a student is consistently not reaching 100%, that's the time to have a one-on-one private conversation with the student.<br />
<br />
There are several steps to achieving 100%:<br />
1. Notice. Observe your classroom constantly as students are both learning procedures and following the directions you give them.<br />
2. Hold the line. If you notice students are not following a direction, you must help them correct their behaviors. Even if a student does not seem to be distracting others with his/her noncompliance, the bottom line is that you gave a direction and it was not followed. If you allow this student to refuse the direction, then you open the door for every student to question every direction you give. In short, directions become optional.<br />
3. Don't accept half compliance. Make sure you are clear to your students about what it looks like/sounds like when they follow a direction. The book uses the example of a common management technique: a teacher raises his/her hand and students raise their hands and stop talking n response. In this case, how high does the hand need to be? Can the elbow rest on the desk? Do they have to follow both parts of the direction (silence and raised hand)? It's important to clarify these ideas with students at the beginning of the school year. Then, continue to enforce 100% as the year goes on.<br />
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The 100% technique, when done consistently, will prevent many management problems you may run into throughout the year. The <i>Teach Like a Champion</i> book spends about 10 pages on this one technique and gives many other tips. That book is available in the professional section of the Elementary Library if you are interested in reading more.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-6869332575080829862016-08-15T12:16:00.000-07:002016-08-15T12:21:05.588-07:00Exit TicketsMy first few years of teaching, I did not use any type of Exit Ticket. The result was never-ending anxiety about ending class exactly on time. End too early and there was potential for the kids to get restless or herd themselves to the door. End too late and kids didn't have time to effectively fill out their planners, pack up, etc. The Exit Ticket solved these problems and many more. It was one of the first daily procedures I implemented that significantly streamlined my classroom and instruction.<br />
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<b>What is an Exit Ticket?</b><br />
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An Exit Ticket is a short response or task students complete at the end of class. It is often called an Exit Ticket because kids use it as their ticket to leave the classroom.<br />
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<b>Benefits of Exit Tickets</b><br />
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There are so many benefits to Exit Tickets. They can do any of the following:<br />
- Reinforce the most important thing learned that day or class period.<br />
- Give you the ability to implement a quick, informal assessment about what was learned during that lesson. Responses can help you adjust instruction for the following day and/or be reviewed with students at the beginning of the next class.<br />
- Allow some flexibility at the very end of class. (Exit Ticket questions can easily be modified to be shorter/longer as needed.)<br />
- Keep students occupied with a task so you can complete end of class activities such as signing planners, resetting technology, and preparing for transition time.<br />
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<b>Designing your Exit Tickets:</b><br />
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Typically, I design my Exit Tickets questions based on my overall objective for the day. However, that doesn't mean that Exit Tickets have to be strictly informational. Exit tickets can also ask kids their opinions about what was covered or help them apply AVID or Leader in Me skills to their life.<br />
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Here are a few sample Exit Tickets I used last year in 9th Grade Language Arts:<br />
- Write a sentence about what you did over the weekend that includes the correct use of a semicolon.<br />
- Write one discussion question (opinion question) about The Raven that you want to talk about next time. (During the next class, the best questions were integrated into a Socratic Seminar.)<br />
- What are two strategies you will use to study for the vocabulary quiz taking place next class period?<br />
- In your own words, explain the difference between stage and set as they relate to plays.<br />
- What questions or comments do you have about the project you received today? You must write either one question or one comment.<br />
- List as many steps as you can think of that you will need to complete in order to finish your essay by the due date.<br />
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These questions or prompts are projected on the Apply TV and students fill out a Feedback Form with their personal response. There is a tray next to the door where students place the Feedback Forms as they exit.<br />
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<b>Exit Tickets in Elementary</b><br />
Exit tickets can work at any grade level. Here is a great video that shows how one teacher uses Exit Tickets in elementary math:<br />
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<script src="https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teacher-assessment-strategy/embed.js?width=480" type="text/javascript"></script>
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<b>Other Thoughts</b><br />
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There is another reason why I use Exit Tickets that goes beyond just curriculum and instruction. Exit Tickets give every kid the opportunity to interact with you on a given day or during a particular class period. It is each student's direct line of communication to the teacher.<br />
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My Exit Ticket form gives a space for the required response, but it also includes an optional section that gives kids the opportunity to add any questions or comments. I've seen kids do all sorts of things with this space: draw pictures, write jokes, compliment the lesson, or tell me something about themselves. Others leave it blank, which is fine too.<br />
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Back when I taught in Michigan, I had an 11th grade student who started to come to 1st hour late every day. After a few weeks of this, I made a few sarcastic comments to him about his tardiness. These comments weren't meant to be offensive, but in retrospect it was not the best way to handle the situation. A few days after the comments, he wrote something like this in the optional area of the Exit Ticket: <i>I'm very sorry that I've been coming in late. My family just got kicked out of our home and we now homeless. </i><br />
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Well, that made me feel like a world-class jerk. It all suddenly made sense. We are always taught never to make assumptions about why kids are behaving a certain way and this exemplified why these assumptions can be problematic.<br />
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My team teacher and I immediately reached out to the student and his family. We were able to connect them to some agencies for help. As the year continued, the situation had its ups and downs. While we were able to sign the family up for the school's Giving Tree and other opportunities, we were not able to fully get the family members the help they needed. However, things did improve. In this case, the Exit Ticket opened a larger conversation with this student and we ultimately developed a very close relationship. I might have eventually found out about this kid's situation without the Exit Ticket, but then again I might never have known.<br />
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Many kids are carrying around things that they would like to tell us, but they don't have the words or confidence to do that. The Exit Ticket provides them with an alternative. Over the years, this example has always been the one that resonated most, but there have been countless times when a student told me something on an Exit Ticket that allowed me to get to know or help him/her in ways I never would have been able to without the Exit Ticket.<br />
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<b>Download</b><br />
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If you want to download my version of an Exit Ticket, the link is here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lOVA1WHB6VTZpMkE/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Feedback Form PDF</a>. I'm a fan of making the Exit Ticket (which I call a Feedback Form) more generic as opposed to having specific questions or problems on them. That way, I can print a bunch of them and use them for different questions. Some instructional programs like Engage New York have pre-made Exit Tickets with the actual math problems directly on them. You can also do a digital Exit Ticket using Google Classroom or other technology.<br />
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<b>Do you do something unique with Exit Tickets? How do you use them in your classroom? Feel free to leave an idea in the comments below. </b><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364291507299506198.post-85259667554989937812016-08-11T14:45:00.001-07:002016-08-12T09:52:57.962-07:00Team Builders for Your ClassroomAs the first day of school is approaching, I've had many conversations with teachers looking for some "getting to know you" activities for the first few weeks.<br />
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Teaching the Leadership Class last year, we implemented a team builder almost every day class met. Below are some of the sites I found most helpful in selecting team builders that kids enjoyed and were easy to implement.<br />
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<li>This is the site I used the most at the beginning of the year. Each Team Builder has only one required supply: Post It Notes. The kids I taught last year really loved doing most of these. <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375062899/" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375062899/</a></li>
<li>This is a list of 25 different Team Builders. Some are more complex than others. The list is well organized and clearly states that materials needed for each activity. <a href="http://www.momjunction.com/articles/team-building-activities-games-and-exercises-for-teens_00375666/" target="_blank">http://www.momjunction.com/articles/team-building-activities-games-and-exercises-for-teens_00375666/</a></li>
<li>These Ice Breakers are designed for teenagers. The site does a great job of fully explaining how to run each activity. <a href="http://icebreakerideas.com/icebreaker-youth-groups/" target="_blank">http://icebreakerideas.com/icebreaker-youth-groups</a></li>
<li>This Pinterest link shows 5 Team Building activities that could work for a variety of grades. <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375308186/" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/pin/215750638375308186/</a> </li>
<li>This downloadable PDF has a variety of recommended Team Builders used by Girl Scouts of America. Just click on the download link to get the PDF. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lZlpoNDlhaVQ0ZFk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2xc-Fu_AP3lZlpoNDlhaVQ0ZFk/view?usp=sharing</a></li>
<li>Human bingo works great with older kids to get them up and talking to each other. This page goes step by step in terms of how to facilitate it. The page itself doesn't have game boards (it's more from a party planning perspective), but you can find many sample game boards by searching human bingo on Google Images. <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Human-Bingo" target="_blank">http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Human-Bingo</a></li>
<li>This site details 5 potential Ice Breakers for teens. It also gives great directions on how to facilitate each game. Beware that the Human Bingo sample board has a few questionable descriptions. <a href="http://teentalk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Ice-Breakers-Energizers-and-Other-Activities_TeenTalk-2012.pdf" target="_blank">http://teentalk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Ice-Breakers-Energizers-and-Other-Activities_TeenTalk-2012.pdf</a></li>
<li>This blog describes one version of the Switching Sides ice breaker (also sometimes called crossing the line). It is easily adapted for any grade or age level. <a href="http://mommieshobbies.blogspot.com/2014/01/switch-sides-if.html?m=1" target="_blank">http://mommieshobbies.blogspot.com/2014/01/switch-sides-if.html?m=1</a></li>
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If you are newer to teaching, be sure that you establish clear behavioral expectations before doing a team builder with your kids. I'd suggest picking a team builder that is less physical and more structured to start. Then, as the kids get to know each other and gain your trust, you can let them loose with some more hands-on activities.<br />
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Feel free to let me know if there is anything I can do to help you implement Team Builders in your class. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02605857454269379288noreply@blogger.com1