Audubon Teaching Journal

Today was my first of two lessons we teach during dyad.  I did nouns and verbs lesson with the students citing what nouns and verbs are associated with the month of November.  Overall, I was prepared and I thought the lesson went well.  My MT pointed out during the “doing” phase of the lesson a couple points to remind the students about.  She suggested that I develop a signal to use for the students that they know when you need there attention.  I have not settled on one yet, and will have to think about it.  Maybe a “getting ready to turn your attention back to me in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1”, I am thinking.  She reinforced showing lots of examples, and suggested I could have used more examples of nouns and verbs than I did.  I had taken the approach that rather than give a lot that the students might choose from, I gave a few and hoped that the students would come up with a lot more on their own.  Different teaching styles.  I have seen in general where my MT in the interest in teaching more I suspect does a lot of the ground work for a lesson.  Making copies, having stuff already made up, rather  than the students doing it.  My style would be perhaps more the students actively engaged in their own prep work.  I also had Leia film this lesson as I will do for her next week.  We both have our field instructor in to view next Wednesdays lesson.

• Math, I learned today a number of different strategies to solve subtraction problems.  Good stuff.  Most kids I see gravitating the the method I learned, and continues of the standard algorithm, of borrowing.
• Worked again as I do every week with 2 students in pull out.  Next week I will get three,  staying later on Wednesday to work with one so he can participate in the pull out group lesson.

Audubon Teaching Journal

• Celebrated first thing this morning with math achievement awards for those that can move up a level.
• Worked with one of my regular student on cleaning up their writing for the traditions exercise, and the “if I were a pumpkin” exercise.
• Children worked again on the all things pumpkin project citing scientific observations about pumpkins such as from seeds, to seedlings, to pumpkins.  There will be a math component also.
• Interesting reading and writing exercise on the Talking Cloth.  I cloth that is weaved in Africa which through colors and symbols a story is told.  kids started there own cloth project - Ashanti Adinkra.
• MY distributed better describing words sheets.  Trying to move from simple adjectives to more descriptive one in their writing.
• I will give my first of two lessons tomorrow.  This one is not observed by my field instructor.

Literacy Journal - Finding Our Voices

Finding Our Voices

We search, and struggle it would seem to be writers.  It’s not that we don’t want to write, or write well.  It’s just we can’t seem to get started in many cases.  We procrastinate, we put it off, we can’t quit find the right words to start.  Why are we afraid to write?  I am writing this on behalf of myself, and the children I see struggle every day to get something down on paper.

As I began reading Routman, some of my anxieties began to be addressed, and solutions found. One thing Routman does, that I have yet to see, and has sparked my interest is that she models by doing it.  Sure many teachers focus on creating a great subject, and getting the kids to cite the accompanying details that support that subject.  What I don’t see, and what I find valuable in the reading is for the teacher to take it a step further by modeling the writing process.  It''s the connection of these details in a fluid way that makes the story coherent, and interesting.  It is precisely here where they struggle in many cases.  Model the process as Routman does for the students she stands in front of, to “let students see you struggle”.  Seeing the real problems we all face as writers I think may give our students the courage to write, and not be afraid to make mistakes.  We also as teachers must celebrate the successes both small, and large. We cannot over emphasize the importance in doing this.  It also goes without saying that we need to set the environment where students are not afraid to write, least their work be judged, laughed at, or marginalized.

I have worked during the dyad mostly one on one with struggling readers, and writers.  With no formal experience at all in teaching literacy I try to make the connection with the oral story telling of my students to the written form.  To demonstrate to them that they are writers I will have them orally tell me their story and scribe it for them.  Then I will go back and discuss changing the order of things, what facts are pertinent to the story, and what are perhaps not.  The biggest challenge is leading them into the transition words that connect their thoughts. When finished we read the story together.  See, I tell them, your a writer, and all we did was massage your thoughts a little, and that just takes practice to get better at it.  It’s the confidence building that needs to be built upon.  As Routman puts it, “we must think of ourselves as writers”, which sadly in many cases we do not.

My primary placement, in a gifted classroom of 1st and 2nd graders brings with it it’s own literary challenges.  While penmanship, vocabulary,  and spelling is typically high, they in many cases have problems with the creative aspect of writing.  Here again they can have difficulties getting off the starting line, or worst yet a striving for perfection that can hinder the writing process by seeking out just the right phrase or word.  Just write, just write.  We can clean this up later, get it just right later.  For now let your thoughts flow.  We as teachers, especially in the primary grades can’t over structure the writing process and make our writers too fearful to write.  Punctuation, spelling, word usage can gradually be introduced as they become more proficient in their writing.  Other points brought out in the reading is to make writing varied, not just reports on what they read.  Poetry, note writing, cards, letters, book reviews all lend support to the writing process and add interest.

Audubon Teaching Journal

Feeling very comfortable in the classroom and relationship with our MT.  Firmed up the observed lesson arrangements with our field instructor. Cleaned the 6 tanks of crawfish.  This batch has not died like the previous two have.  Cause for great celebration as the students during the science lesson got to handle the live critters along with some nasty looking beetles for a compare and contrast observations.  Lovely Leia needs to get over her fear of handling these little pinching fellas, as our MT pointed out.  We know she can do it.  We will see when we have to clean their tanks again.

• Introduction of pumpkin related activity sheet, that include parts of pumpkins, name the pumpkin, story telling, life cycle, and math.
• Read aloud was pumpkin related
• Mystery Reader today with parents signing up to come into the classroom to do the read aloud.
• MT does a weekly newsletter she emails and send home to two students that do not have computers at home.
• Social Studies - Wonders of America lesson.  Worked with two students on Yosemite National Park with there comprehension of non-fiction story, and question answering in complete sentences.
• Family Traditions lesson where students select an annual family tradition , and do a cluster map of details about the tradition.   Most selecting Christmas, or Thanksgiving.  Students to take home and talk with parents about specifics and new ideas.
• Class will adopt an Orca from one one of the local pods.  Class will vote tomorrow on which one they want to adopt.  This is done though the Whaling Museum at Friday Harbor.  Cost is $75.
• Math leveling tests today.  Students do practice tests until they feel they are ready for the real test. When they take a real test they are only allowed to get one wrong to be considered successful, out of some 40 problems.  Most student in this class do just the addition, and subtraction problem sheets as division, and multiplication have not been introduced yet.
• Worked again with two pull out students, and the literacy teacher.  Comprehension, and reading proficiency are evaluated for one student. The other student I test using a timed reading that measures the amount of reading accomplished, and number of reading mistakes made along with comprehension questions.  

Audubon Teaching Journal

I got to do a short read aloud today and we scheduled our field instructors lesson presentation date.  I will be doing a math game as an introduction to probability with a dice game called Pig which requires students to roll dice, keep track of the sum of the two dice, and make a decision to stop rolling before the number 1 shows up on the dice (if a single 1 is rolled, they lose there points, and if a double 1 is rolled they lose all the points accumulated in the game so far).  It will be interesting to see what strategies they use to avoid rolling a 1.  Who will be conservative, and who will risk.  My other lesson will be a noun/verb exercise tied in with the special days that occur in November.  Stay tuned.

• Early work today (math sheets) and homework return.
• Student store today.  Each student has been taught how to use a checkbook, and maintain a register.  Throughout the month students earn money through various ways.  At least once a month the students can shop the store and buy fancy pencils, erasers, folders, pens, etc..  They can use cash or check or any combination of the two. It is a great exercise in teaching fiscal responsibility.  The store is run by moms.
• Time For Kids magazine
• Read aloud.  Jeremy Thatcher - Dragon Hatcher
• Did a pull out reading evaluation on 3 kids
• MT introduced math challenge for students that want to stretch, and challenge themselves.  Some 100 or so challenge sheets were put out should a student wish to do this activity.
• Interesting short exercise in process of elimination logic puzzles.

Literacy Journal Video

Choosing Books and Reading Aloud to Children

This presentation was written and narrated by Sarah Howard, Daniel Boone Regional Library Children's Services Librarian, in a collaborative effort with Golden K Kiwanis and Columbia Public Schools.

Audubon Teaching Journal

Use of active board that is on when students come in with 1st items that need to be done.  This is the hit the ground running activity that starts each day. This is called “Early Work”

• Homework
• 3 Math Problems
• Note: Basket for finished work that students put there completed work in labeled:
• Early Work
• Reading
• Math
• Writing
• Geography
• Finished right and left handfuls of beans for estimation and difference activity.
• After recording the counts from the student we did a line plot of the range of counts to see similarities, and differences, and explored why there could be wide differences.
• Each group of desks is called a “Learning Club”
• Big Buddies/Little Buddy was started with the kindergartners with an activity to get to know each other with a form, and then a read aloud by the 3rd graders to the K’s.
• Level Reading Program using a story about Yellowstone National Park.  I pulled out one student to complete assignment.
• Parent in to set up and conduct an art exercise combined with salmon facts using water colors.
• Did my weekly pull out of one of my students and another student that is being tracked to reading standards.

Audubon Teaching Journal

Assembly today where entire school has adopted the bucket program (drops and drips) we use in our classroom.  Good deeds, being respectful, helpful, and other acts of kindness are rewarded by the children and adults within the school.  Each month they will be added to the school bucket.  The mastery of our MT in getting so much accomplished can make your head spin, and is amazing to watch.  Every minute is treated as precious, and with the transitions happening so quickly, little time is wasted that can sometimes be the case when switching from one task to another.  Lessons, samples, direction for a unit or lesson are kept in manila folders, and filed.

• Math - Addition alternatives.  Samples in my portfolio.
• Compound sentences and the use of commas reviewed.
• MT did the read aloud during snack time, standing.
• Started some cursive writing, letters : ”a”, and “d”
• Using estimations and differences were introduced.
  

Literacy Journal

If felt nice being back in a kindergarten.  Maybe teaching kindergarten wouldn’t be so bad after all.  Well,  in any case I had an adorable and engaging little buddy, and throughly loved the read aloud.  It will be interesting to see through the formal assessment exercise where her literacy skills are.  While reluctant to write, she had an amazing eyes for the littlest details in the picture book I was reading to her.  She seemed perfectly at home with me and I suspect she is read to at home, perhaps even by a kindly grandfather.  It was interesting the discussion we had on racist, and sexist books and identifying them.  My guess is that some of the classic books that I grew up with and read to my children would fall under this classification.  I would say that some of the  works of Kipling, and colonial India would be considered very racist.  I was heartened to learn from our professor that we can sometimes use these questionable works in the context of when they were written, and to point out the representations that are sometimes portrayed can be hurtful, and unfairly stereotypical.  I often think of fairy tales, and while they are just that, they can possess some really questionable portrayals of people, and a high degree of violence.  Should we stop reading them? I had a discussion with my wife along these lines, she had recently suggested that she would like to see again Disney’s “Song of the South”.  There are a number of racial overtones to this work, as was the book “Little Black Sambo”, which was on my daughters list of favorite reads when she was young, and I never gave it a second thought as to not reading it.  I can certainly understand the sensitivity of certain works being introduced to the classroom, and the multicultural , and racial mixture of a typical classroom today.  I think as children grow older they can better understand the context in which certain works were written, but at these early ages there is so much out there that would not be controversial or disturbing to a child that it is perhaps better to not introduce them into the classroom. 

Audubon Teaching Journal

Day 2, and much of it spent doing another art project that is associated with social studies.  Our MT assures us that getting these out of the way will free us up for more observation but we did yesterday see a fair amount of classroom activity with good classroom management practices demonstrated by my MT.  I did have the opportunity to work one on one with a few needy kids on writing, and doing a powerpoint show yesterday.  The powerpoint is interesting as the MT has each of them keeping a monthly journal of a classroom event that they write about, month by month.  Our MT shared with us some classroom project from the previous month and would indicate to me that this is a very active and rich classroom with lot’s of writing activities that tie into art, and expression which I believe are elements of making learning fun.  I certainly look forward to see how the next few months play out along these lines.  I also today worked with the literacy specialist and was assigned a period to work one on one with another 3rd grader in a pull out session.  It is interesting how they evaluate the progress a student is making and when they are ready for a higher level of reading exercises.

• Makes use of the microphone in class
• Each day the class hits the ground running.
• Read aloud - The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Cause and effect review with students.

Books that help start the year running

• Have You Filled A Bucket Today - McCloud
• Warm Fuzzies - Brown
• How Full Is Your Bucket - Rath
• Crazy Hair Day - Saltzberg
• Sweet Briars Goes To School - Wilson
• Recess Queen - O'Neill
• Enemy Pie - Munson

Audubon Teaching Journal

Dyad Placement Audubon Elementary School

Today was our 1st day of the dyad placement. I am joined by Leia in a 3rd grade classroom.  Our MT seems to be very accommodating, personable, and well respected in the school as we learned later in the day. The classroom as made up of some 25 students grouped in clusters of 5 students.  Her classroom is not really large, and moving about between clusters is sometimes difficult when checking work and rendering assistance.  Today we assisted along with some 4 or 5 parents the supervision of painting life size figures of scarecrows that will be hung in the hallways for the autumn season.  The students worked on the available tables in the art room, on the floor, and out into the hallway.  It was nice to see a good sized turnout by parents, and the MT said that it was typical.  The classroom is made up of a wide range of students aptitudes form those requiring a great deal of help in producing work, and those that require little assistance.  Again, as my experience in the Lake Washington school district has been this classroom is also a very multicultural classroom.  I am looking forward to this experience with a wider range of student abilities.

Literacy Journal

Today I began my Dyad placement at Audubon Elementary in a multicultural 3rd grade.  It was a sharp contrast to the 1/2 gifted (Quest) children, I had at Franklin Elementary.  I had the opportunity coming out of the gates to work independently with five children and do a brief assessment of their writing, and vocabulary skills.  As you might expect there can be some dramatic differences in the skill levels, certainly within a classroom, and in comparison to the younger Quest kids I have.  Interesting observation I have had with the Quest ones is how sometimes while their mechanical skills are good (writing, use of compound sentences, etc), but getting started and the creative aspect is sometimes lacking.  Maybe they see things to concrete, literal and find it challenging to use their imagination.  I will find it interesting over the course of my Dyad experience to compare and contrast their skills, and glad I have this opportunity to have this different experience.