Mentor Texts

 

 

Can you believe it's Christmas!  Hannah is experiencing her first finals as she winds up her first semester at Texas A&M.  She really enjoyed her education class and learned a lot.  She loves college and that makes me happy.  It's easier to miss her when she's so happy.  I am looking forward to her being home during Christmas break. I probably won't see much of her as she and her friends are already planning their time together, but just knowing she is at home for awhile is enough!   I love hearing the floor above me creak as she gets out of bed in the morning or the sound of her running up the stairs. I love the way she comes in at night and shares her evening activities with me.  I can't wait to see her!

 

As I was looking ahead at ELA skills, I was reminded of the importance of mentor texts.  Mentor texts provide authentic literature to model reading and writing skills.  Not only are they good for ELA skills, but can be used in math, science, and social studies.  A few of my favorite mentor texts are discussed below.  I hope you can find some you can use!

 

Compare and Contrast

 

          The Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin can be used when teaching compare and contrast skills.  When paired with Cinderella or any other version of Cinderella, students can compare and contrast the two stories.  Another Native American Cinderella story is Sootface by Robert D. San Souci.  A double bubble map (below) is a good way for students to organize their thoughts about how the stories are alike and different.  The names of the two versions would go in the large middle circles.  Where the circles connect down the middle, the students would put how they are alike.  The outer circles would show how they do not connect and are different.  Many activities for compare and contrast can be found on Pinterest such as the anchor chart pictured demonstrating how to use a bubble map.  From Google Images find a picture of Rough Face Girl and another Cinderella version.  These pictures would go in the middle of the circle.  The students would tell how the stories are alike and different.  They must also site text evidence to prove how they are alike and different.  This would make a great group work activity. 

 

 

 

                      

 

 

Cause and Effect

 

Some of my favorite books to teach cause and effect are pictured below.  Not only is The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash fun to use with cause and effect, but it can also be used as a mentor text to teach sequence.  The fun thing about using it to teach sequence is everything must be sequenced in reverse order. 

 

              

 

 

Where the Wild Things Are and Jumanji are also great books to teach cause and effect.  Some questions to ask students are:

 

What was the effect of ___________________?  What in the text helps you understand this?

What was the cause of ___________________?  What in the text helps you understand this ?

 You can tell that __________ causes ______________ because _______________.

 

Where the Wild Things Are can do double duty.  It could also be used to teach characterization.  Asking questions such as the following ones will get students thinking about characters. 

 

At the beginning of the story how does __________ feel about ____________? What evidence from the story tells that?

How does ___________ 's feelings change by the end of the story? Cite text evidence to prove your answer. 

What caused __________ to change his/her mind about ____________? What in the story helps prove this?

 

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is another favorite for teaching cause and effect.  It can also be used to teach point of view and voice in writing. 

 

 

 

 

Voice

 

For teaching voice in writing, I use I Am the Dog, I Am the Cat by Donald Hall.  Two other books I love to use for voice are My Big Dog and The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel.  Actually, any book by the Stevens sisters is always a fun read and has lots of voice. 

 

 

          

 

 

Those are just a few of the ELA skills that mentor texts can be used with.  Just Google "mentor text to teach (skill)".  You will find numerous suggestions.  As you use these books your creative juices will flow and you will see how they can be used to teach a variety of skills. 

 

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

 





Getting Students to Talk About Reading

In a good book, the best is between the lines.  Swedish Proverb


We had a great professional development yesterday.  The topic was Getting Students to respond to text. Kids need to talk more about what they read.  Allington calls this "purposeful talk".  Purposeful talk is where students have conversations and discussions that further thinking.  I know when I finish a good book I want to find someone else who has read it so we can talk about it. 

Reading discussions must be taught.  The teacher needs to model several ways to have a discussion. The lesson needs to teach the kids how to listen and talk to each other.  Expectations need to be made clear. 

There are several strategies that encourage purposeful talk. A few are described below.

Jigsaw
One such strategy is called Jigsaw.  Jigsaw is where students work in small groups.  Each group member is assigned a small portion of a  larger text.  The student is responsible for reading and discussing their part.  Then the individual reports about their section to their group.
When each group member has finished, everyone in the group will understand what the whole text is about.

Paired Reading
Students pair up and respond to the literature.  The students may be paired by interests, questions, or topic of their book.  Partners are frequently switched. The teacher needs to model that the listener has the most important job which is to pay attention, think about, and respond to the text being read. 

Book Clubs and Literature Circles
Students meet in groups to discuss and respond to the text they have read. The group will have read the same book.  The goal of these groups is to have students express their thoughts, ask questions, and connect the text to their own lives. 

Turn and Talk
Turn and Talk is used during whole class instruction.  Every so often the group stops and turns to their partner to discuss what is being taught.  This helps students process information, helps understanding, and encourages student engagement.

Compass Share
The students are in groups of four in each.  The students then sit in a circle facing N,S,E, and W.  The teacher announces that it is north's turn.  North then shares and responds to the text.  After a few minutes the teacher announces that it's another direction's turn.   This continues until everyone has had a turn.

When having students discuss their text it is important to create a safe environment where everyone is comfortable sharing. As mentioned above it is extremely important the students are taught how to interact with each other, listen to each other, and show respect for each other.

As you plan for your classroom, I hope you will include purposeful talk in your lesson.  It is amazing the insight your students will have on a topic. 

Until next time,
Happy Reading!


 

Video Taping Yourself: Who Knows You May be a Star!

 

Video  Taping Yourself:  Who Knows You May be a Star!

 

 

 

Hannah had her first major presentation for her education class the other day.  When she finished she texted me about how nervous she was in front of her peers.  I was instantly taken back many years (too many to count) to one of my education classes where I had to teach the class something and the teacher video taped us! (yes, video was invented, we didn't have to chisel the images in stone!)  I can't believe I continued in education after watching that video!  It's funny how we can get in front of a classroom full of students and not be nervous, but when it comes to presenting to our peers it's another story.  Actually, the video taught me a lot of things. It taught me not to say "okay" after every instruction.  It taught me how to be more animated with my students.  It also taught me about not talking so much and letting the student do the talking.  Yes, many things can be learned from viewing a video of yourself teaching.  The problem is do you have the nerve to watch it????!!!!  Try it. You will learn a lot!  Who knows you may become a YouTube star!

Oh yeah, Hannah's group got a 95 on their presentation.  So proud of her!

 

 

 

 



Our job is to teach the students we have. Not the ones we would like to have. Not the ones we used to have. Those we have right now. All of them. –Dr. Kevin Maxwell


Hannah is enjoying her education class.  She was assigned to observe in a special needs classroom.  Most of the students in the class are autistic.  She plays puzzles, games, and other activities with these terrific kids.  This is a great experience for her and is giving her insight into how great these kids are.  Each day is something new and never a dull moment.  I think it is great that A&M has the students going to observe in classrooms their freshman year.  I was a junior before I went into a classroom.  Thank goodness I loved it! 

As I observe in classes I look for student engagement.  I hope teachers will think about how to engage all their students when planning lessons.

I was reminded of an activity that engages everyone the other day when I was at a workshop.  It was used as an icebreaker.  I'm sure you've played it too.  It is the game where you have about nine or more squares on a sheet.  Each square has a different question that asks you to find someone who... An example would be to find someone who has blue eyes. The person with blue eyes signs that square. You continue playing until all the questions in the squares have been answered by a different person. Each time a person answers a question they sign that square.

Well, the same idea can be used in the class room.  It could be used in many different subjects and for many different purposes.  In reading, after reading the story, have the students go around and find someone who...  For example, one square would ask to find someone who can answer how the character changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story and prove it with text evidence.  The person who can answer it correctly signs the square and both move on to have another question answered.  Prior to finding someone to sign the square, you may want to have the students answer the questions individually or in a group. They could answer them on another paper or the questions could be discussed as a class before playing Find Someone Who...

Another way it could be used is for vocabulary review.  Find Someone Who knows the meaning of  (word) and can put it in their own words.  Find Someone who can use (word) in a sentence that is at least 7 words long.  Find Someone who can use context clues to find the meaning of (word) in this  sentence and explain what the clues s/he used.  

In Math, Find Someone who has a different way to solve 145 + 78.  Find Someone Who can tell me what comes next in the pattern. **##***###****####....

This activity is also good for your ELL students or struggling students.  The students can see how others answered the questions.  They may want to make adjustments to their answers.

When the activity is over be sure to come back as a class and summarize the learning.

If you have other ideas for using this activity, be sure and comment so others can benefit from your knowledge.

As always, happy teaching!

 

Popsicle Sticks Can Be Heroes!

 

You would not think that a popsicle stick, also known as craft sticks, could be the hero of a classroom.  Yes, something as simple as student names on the stick can help you manage your classroom! You may want to reread that previous sentence!  That's what I said!  The follow are a few ideas on how these sticks can help you with classroom management.

 

At the beginning of the day or throughout the day pick a popsicle stick from a cup.  But, do not tell the students who you chose.  This student becomes the special student, secret student, mystery student or whatever name you want to give that student. Tell the class that if this student follows the rule you want the whole class to follow then they will earn the class a sticker, a marble in the jar, a letter to spell out the name of a reward, or whatever you would like to give the class as a reward.  For example, if you want the class to walk down the hall quietly then draw a name from the cup.  Don't tell them the name of the special student.  Tell them that if the special student walks down the hall correctly (you have already modeled and practiced the correct way to walk down the hall) then that person will earn the class a marble in the jar or whatever reward you want them to earn. (when the marble jar is full the class earns a special reward).  Reveal the name of the student if they exhibit the correct way to walk down the hall.  If they chose not to walk correctly down the hall, do not reveal the name, but put the stick back in the jar to give them another chance. Later on, if you chose, privately let the student know that they did not exhibit the correct behavior.  Review what the expectations are for walking down the hall and that they will have another chance.  Of course, as the teacher if you draw a name of a misbehaving student and you want  the class to have a positive experience to see what that feels like, don't reveal the name on the stick, but change the name to someone who was modeling good behavior.  The students don't have to see the stick.  You have the right as the teacher to do what would best manage your class. 

 

When first starting this you may want to think about choosing sticks often.  Some special student ideas include: the special student who gets to work in the expected way, the student who has all their supplies for the day, the student who puts their name on their homework, the student has their homework, the list is endless. 

 

Another way popsicle sticks can be used to manage the class is during questioning. I've been in classrooms where the same handful of students are always being called on. Popsicle sticks will solve that problem and get more kids engaged in the discussion.  You will need two cups.  One cup will need to be smaller than the other so when they fit one inside the other there is a space between them.  The space needs to be large enough for the popsicle sticks to fit.  All the sticks with the students' names on them go in the inner cup.  Ask a question, give wait time, and then call the student's name on the stick to answer. Put the stick in the space between the two cups.  The students will think you are putting their name back in the mix and hopefully will think there is a possibility of being called on again so they won't "check out" on the discussion. You know the names in the space are who you have already called to answer a question,  Every once in a while you may want to pull a stick from the space to make sure they think they could still be called on to answer another question.

 

Let's talk a minute about the part above where I said that the teacher should ask the question, give wait time, and then call the student's name.  So, often I see teachers preface the question with the student's name.  For example: Mary, what is the capitol of Texas?  Well, the rest of the class is relieved that Mary was the one called on and is no longer participating because this is now between Mary and the teacher.  Whew, they "dodged the bullet", but poor Mary had to answer.  If you ask the question and give wait time, the kids don't know who you will call on and they all have to think of the answer.  At this point they could share their answer with their neighbor.  Do not give the question and immediately call on someone. Wait time gives everyone on opportunity to come up with an answer Then pull from the sticks for the name of the student who will answer. 

 

It's amazing how something as simple as a popsicle stick can be the answer to some of your classroom management and questioning issues.  Try it!  The hobby stores sell them. It's worth the investment.  Then go enjoy a popsicle in honor of the mighty hero! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change

 

 

Change is such a simple word, but so hard to do.  It is especially hard in the classroom. If what you are doing to manage student behavior isn't working then it's time to change.  Even if the school year is well underway it is never too late to make a change and establish rules and routines for your classroom.  Look over the list below of questions that will help you decide if you need to make a change in your classroom management. Be honest! No excuses!  Take time to reflect on your answer and what you can do to make a change.

 

1. Do you know your students?  What is their home life like?

2. Do you have a set of no more than 5 classroom rules written in a positive way and posted so all can see?

3. Do you focus on the misbehavior rather than the student?

4. Do you get the full attention of the class before you start speaking?

5. Do you check to make sure all students are following directions?

6. Do you have ideas/activities in place for students who finish early?

7. Do you have classroom rewards and consequences?

8. Do you have your days and weeks fully planned or are you just "winging it"?

9.Do you set limits and apply them fairly and consistently?

10. Do you have procedures in place for what you want the students to do? Have you practiced and explicitly taught these procedures?

 

Responding to misbehavior

Do you find yourself responding to misbehavior in an angry fashion?  We all get frustrated and angry, but often that does not get the results you want and often escalates the situation.

Look over the different ways you can respond to student misbehavior. Choose 1 you would like to practice. You may also want to add your own.

 

1. Before responding, take a deep breath and count to 5.

2. Say the misbehaving child's name and nothing else.

3. Move closer to the student.

4. Use proximity praise. 

5. Quietly remove the object that is distracting the student. 

6. Provide a choice for the student.  Let them choose. Stay calm and don't respond angrily.

7. Don't argue with the student. 

 

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask another teacher or find a blog/forum/Facebook/web sites  to help you.  We've all been there!



Stressing Out!

Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. *Ovid



Hannah dealt with her first college tests this week.  She quickly learned how stressful they can be.  She studied hard and will be glad when 2:00 comes today because she will be finished with her math test.  This is the last one this week. But then, there's next week!

All this stress was stressing me out!  My teachers were stressing too!  But then, as teachers we are always stressing about many different things.  We especially worry about out students and how to reach the ones who are struggling, the ones who need higher level activities, the ones with a not so great home-life, and the list goes on and on. 

Stress can be many things to us.  It can be anxiety, conflict, frustration. Recognizing stress and taking care of yourself is very important to your well-being.

Some indicators of stress are: perspiring more, hot and flustered, tense muscles, dry mouth, stomach knots, faster heart beat and quickened pulse.  Some emotional indicators of stress are anxiety, fear, depression, anger, sadness, apprehension, and grief.  Aggressiveness, avoidance, withdrawal, and irritability are a few of the behavioral indicators of stress.

Some ways to take care of yourself include taking a short break, relaxation exercises, taking a walk, sleep, and taking deep breaths.   Some ways to be proactive about stress include visiting with your health care provider, talk to friends, get a good night's sleep, and regular exercise.

If you see someone stressing out then be a friend who will listen to them and help resolve problems the friend may be encountering.  Organize meetings with others who are having similar stressful situations.  It always helps to know there is a support group and you are not in it alone. 

Yes, teaching is stressful, but rewarding.  Just go down the hall, find a friend, and drive to the nearest Starbuck's.  There's nothing like a great cup of coffee and friends to relieve stress!

Engaging Students: Think-Pair-Share

 

 

 

One of our district's initiatives this year is student engagement.  Think-Pair-Share is a strategy that will engage the students and get them thinking on a higher level.  It is designed to provide students with time and structure for thinking about a topic. The students will formulate different ideas and share these ideas with a peer.  Instead of the teacher asking a question and calling on a student this strategy involves all the students by having them share with at least one student. This increases the student involvement in the learning.  As students discuss their ideas, the teacher can  walk around the room and listen to the students' conversations and give appropriate feedback.

 

 

In this strategy, the teacher asks a higher-level question, students have time to think individually about the question.  Then, they work in pairs to discuss and solve the problem.  Next, they share their ideas with the class. This strategy can be use on the spur-of-the-moment or as a planned activity.

 

 

To implement this strategy some preplanning needs to take place.

 

• The teacher must decide on the question/s that target key concepts that the students have been studying.
• Describe the think-pair-share strategy to the students.  Give guidelines for discussion. Explain to the students that they think individually about a question or topic, pair with a partner, and share their ideas with the class.
• Have students model the procedures for using this strategy. The teacher should check for understanding of the procedures.
• The students should practice the strategy as the teacher monitors and supports students them.
• Students could also write or diagram their responses.
• Think:  the teacher begins by asking a specific higher-level question.  Students think about the question for about 1-3 minutes.
• Pair:  The students are paired with another student. Pairs may be assigned or the students may pick their partner.  Students share their thinking with their partner, discuss ideas, and ask questions about their partner's thoughts on the topic. Two to five minutes is usually the amount of time for the paired discussion.
• Share:  After the paired discussing, the discussion is expanded to whole-group. Each pair selects the partner who will share their thoughts with the class.  After the class shares the teacher may choose to have them get back in their pairs to see if their thinking changed as a result of the sharing time. 

 

 

The following website has think-pair-share information.  The chart below is a sample activity from the site that could be used with the student pairs.

 

http://heintzlemanhm.wordpress.com/page/2/

 

 I hope you will use this strategy!  Happy teaching!

 

 

 



 

 

As I observed in ELA classrooms these past few weeks there has been a focus on plot and how it develops.  I heard great discussions about this topic.  In one classroom the teacher was making connections to movies the students had seen.  Of course, the movies they had seen were all scary and I had not seen any of them (not a scary movie fan!)  The students were very involved in the discussion and really started to understand the concepts of climax, resolution, etc. from making real life connections.  Real life connections whether they are text to text, text to self, or text to world are very  important.  It gives the students something to "hang their hat on" and they can relate to what's happened in their lives. Connections stimulate their background knowledge and enhance comprehension.  Connections are not just for ELA.  When a student can make a real-life connection in math, science, social studies, and any other subject area it helps them understand the importance of what they are learning as well as helps them comprehend the topic.  As teachers, try to help students activate these connections at every opportunity.

 

Plot is a very hard concept to teach and I have included two YouTube videos that help explain plot in a fun way.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soxiM-QD63E

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA6-XtqiLKA

 

I hope you have a wonderful week with lots of  connections!

 

 

 



HMH Module Lessons Videos

Hannah is enjoying A&M.  I miss her, but I am glad she is so happy.  She especially enjoys her education class.  She will be assigned a classroom in the area to observe.  She is really looking forward to that.

All this started me thinking about the lessons she will observe. Then I started thinking about how I could pass some model lessons on to other teachers as well as Hannah.  I searched and found a site on YouTube that had HMH model lessons. There are several lessons listed as you scroll down. I hope you find these lessons helpful.  Happy Viewing!


http://www.hmhco.com/shop/education-curriculum/reading/core-reading-programs/journeys/features/teacher-model-lessons

 

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

 – John Fitzgerald Kennedy

 

CISD's theme for the year, “Learning today, Leading tomorrow”, has special meaning as Hannah leaves for A&M this Sunday. (Whoop!)  I realize the importance of her education at CISD and how it has prepared her for the leader she will become.  Not only did she learn academic things, but she learned many life lessons.  She learned how to be a member of a group and the importance of team work through band. She learned the importance of leadership through all her school clubs and offices she held. She will now have to take all she learned and apply it and hopefully to make good choices. There are so many things we learn in life through school.

As an educators it is important to continue to learn whether it is the latest technology or educational trends. If we don’t continue to learn, we cannot prepare students to be the leaders they need to be after graduation.

 

Below is a link to an article on project based learning.  Hopefully you will learn something from the article and how project based learning will help students be leaders for tomorrow.

 

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/01/what-project-based-learning-is-and-isnt/

Are You Ready for the New School Year?

Ready or not school is just around the corner!  I will begin my 35th year in education!  It seems like yesterday that I was setting up my first class room.  I still wonder if my students in that first class are productive members of society.  I made lots of mistakes, but learned a lot too.  As I reflect back on the years, I have seen many educational trends come and go and some come back again. Over the years, I have used and seen many classroom management tips and procedures.  I have reflected on what would be the best advice for a new or veteran teacher.  I believe one of the best pieces of advice for teachers is to have your procedures in place.  Begin teaching those procedures from the first bell on the first day and continue until the final bell on the last day of school. What are your procedures?  How should they enter the classroom, what do they do after they enter the classroom?  Will your procedures keep them engaged and out of trouble until you are ready to begin the morning? What is the procedure for sharpening pencils?  How do they hand in papers when they are finished? You will need to practice and model what that procedure looks like. Be prepared to reteach your procedures. Start making a list of procedures you want your students to follow.   What are your expectations?  Whatever they are will greatly influence your students achievement and success in your classroom.  Make sure your expectations are positive.  Look at the difference between "We are going to win the attendance award at the end of the year" and "We will be lucky if we get half the points needed to win the attendance award.  Which one motivates you more?  Make sure you tell your students on day one how happy your are to have them in your class and what a great year it is going to be.  Many first day of school ideas can be found on Pinterest. Harry Wong's book, The First Days of School is what every teacher should read and have as a handy reference.

 



 

 

 

Change is inevitable.  My daughter has graduated and is heading to Texas A&M in the fall. She is majoring in education.   I'm not sure I like the changes about to take place in out house!  It's going to be quiet and I will miss her.  Yes, I only see her about five minutes a day as she breezes through the house just long enough to drop her stuff off and then she's out the door again.  But, the difference is that I know she will be home whether I see her or not.  Now she will be gone and starting a new chapter in her life.  She is so excited to be an Aggie. (Maroon blood courses through her veins.  She is a fourth generation Aggie.) I am excited for her and looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her.  She is prepared thanks to all the people who influenced her life. Wonderful teachers, child care, Sunday School teachers, friends and family have helped raise her to be  outstanding young woman she has become.  I thank all of you for that.  We couldn't have done it without you! Yes, change is inevitable, but the future is exciting.

Ending the Last Chapter and Beginning a New Book

As the school year comes to a close it is a time to reflect on what a great year it was.  Many exciting things happened in the classrooms this year.  Writing was a district initiative this year. For the past few days there would be a knock at my door and little heads would peek in the see if I was there.  Then toothless kindergarten grins would greet me, writing folders in hand wanting to share their writings with me.  This made my day.  It was so fun seeing their portfolios and how they had grown as writers from the beginning of school until the end of school.  I am looking forward to see what the beginning of first grade brings for these young writers.