Franklin Teaching Journal

June 1, 2009

Preliminary to September Experience I had the opportunity to observe the Quest 1/2 class of Lael Camacho at Franklin Elementary School, Lake Washington School District. The following observations were made:

Schedule for Monday 6/1/2009

9:00 Announcements/Calendar
9:10 Math
10:00 Book walks, book shopping, partner reading
10:30 Snack
10:40 Recess
10:56 Handwriting
11:20 Clean Hands
11:30 Lunch/Recess
12:20 “Wanted Posters”
1:00 Guided Reading Group
1:30 Outside Walk in the Forest
2:00 Spelling Baseball
2:33 Recess
2:43 Daily Agenda, Pass-Back, Pack-Up
3:00 (Student) Miranda Poster, Read Aloud
3:30 Dismissal

• Book leveling, all color coded. Students are allowed once a week to choose book. Need to monitor that they are read to completion. Periodically check cubby for book stash.
• STAR program in school/classroom.
• Uses name popsicle sticks.
• Encourages active use of dictionary resources in room.
• Each student weekly acts as teacher helper.
• Students finish activity they automatically go to their book. Lael comments that they would read all day if allowed to.
• Wanted Poster Program.
• Reading activity identifying past, present and future tense. Lael stands in front, behind or side. Moves about the classroom. Students call upon each other.
• Guided Reading Group 2 - Review at back table of last reading, with silent reading of next chapter. General dialog about story, comprehension, and what might happen next.
• Class is divided into two groups, the 1st and 2nd graders.
• One student did calendar.
• Math - Sat around working table in back and discussed shapes.
• Students well behaved, room is quiet with those not engaged quietly reading to themselves.
• The word ‘test” not used using instead “assessment”.
• Use of alternating groups for different activities.
• Use thumbs up and down as group.
• Lot of partnering up to solve work.
• Very relaxed atmosphere, teacher on the move around room, partnering sometimes with students. Bean bags for reading. Assigned each week.
• Book Walk - New book intro, reads synopsis, explains unfamiliar terms.
• Desks in rows in groups of 3 facing forward. Active Board. Four computers. About 24 students.
• Nature Walk - Fresh air walk on nice day with some play time on rocks. Half the class at time for safety reasons.
• Spelling Baseball - Teams picked at random. Four teams of five, with team captain. Choose team name. Words are spelled correctly and student moves up eventually scoring a run. Score on active board.
• Three names chosen for early recess (a few minutes).
• Homework given out for entire week. Students have take home folder, kept in desk.
• Distribution of corrected work
• Read aloud session, star of the week activity.