Point of View Lesson: Day One Reflection

Well, well, well... I never cease to amaze myself. So far, this lesson is actually working. Because of the constant shuffle from one activity to another, the kids have remained engaged. 

Here is some of what I have noticed and heard:

• There has been some very interesting discussion about what the story is really about. 
• One of my most airheaded male students said, "I think that the driver caused the accident purposely. He is lonely and wants attention." Say what! 
• A female student referred to the driver of the car as she. That was the first time it was mentioned all day, and it led to some very spontaneous and interesting discussion. 
• The kids actually know quite a bit about point of view. I was impressed to hear the word omniscient being thrown around in group discussions. I am glad I chose to have them write down what they know first, rather than simply throwing a full lesson at them of things they already know. Now I know what I can skim over. 
• "I knew there was a second point of view!"
• I had a student ask why this would not have been presented to them when they were younger. 
• In two classes I have heard, "Class is already over? That went too fast!"

I love when my own lessons surprise me. I expected much more moaning and groaning. We haven't gotten to any of the rewriting yet, so maybe that is coming tomorrow. 

Weekly Learning Log

Our district has decided that all schools will participate in twenty day initiative to advance student achievement (and yes, colleagues, I actually took notes about that in a staff meeting). At our last staff meeting, my principal volunteered the English department to put together a writing assignment for this initiative, and I came home and threw something together, knowing that I could tie this in to our Texas Literacy Initiative needs, as well. 

After receiving feedback from the department and working with my principal, we ended up with a weekly learning log based on an AVID model, complete with rubric and scoring guide. If I was only using this in the classroom, I would not have included the grading scale, but my boss feels that is important for the students to see and to ensure that the teachers are grading this assignment uniformly. 

From what we have been planning, our students will each receive a copy of the learning log during their advisory classes (this is a 20 minute homeroom class in the middle of the day that coincides with our lunch schedules). They will keep the handout in their binders to use in all classes. Each class, core and electives alike, will be required to have the students complete a weekly learning log for four weeks. 

In an effort to continue upping my technology use in the classroom, I have even transferred the assignment to Edmodo. 

By using Edmodo, not only can I copy the assignment from week-to-week, but I will have a running record of learning for AVID, TLI, the district initiative, and my own classroom. Now I wonder if I can somehow use this for my data wall... (sigh)

Point of View (with everything else I could possibly cram into this lesson)

Got another book. Shocking, I know. But I heard great things, so...

My point of view lesson stems from a lesson in this book. As always, I take what is presented and modify for the needs of my classroom. And I have jammed this thing full from top to bottom. 

From past experience, I know my students struggle with point of view. First person is easy, and we talked about it a great deal with "The Tell-Tale Heart." I have still included it this lesson, though, because I want them to be able to rewrite the passages with each point of view. 

The biggest struggle will be the third person points of view. Usually, the kids understand the overall meaning, but they do not want to take the time to break apart limited versus omniscient. For this part of the lesson, I created a writing template to guide them in the rewrite. I use writing templates in class, but I do not normally create my own. I am not sure how effective this one will be, and I may make revisions to it before I get to this part of the lesson. 

I am also having them complete their final writing piece in Edmodo. I love Edmodo and would use it more if I did not pack up my netbooks a few weeks ago in anticipation of the Chromebooks I thought I would already have delivered. 

Rubric

Strategy of the Week: Entry Routine

SLANT is working. Format Matters is still a work in progress that we will continue to work on for the rest of the year. Time to bring on week three: Entry Routine:

I almost feel silly for choosing this strategy. I have an entry routine. I have used a particular format for years now. When my students come in to class, a presentation slide is displayed with their instructions and agenda for the day. During this time, I welcome them into the classroom and take attendance. By the time I have finished that, they should be ready for class to start.  Monday's entry routine is already prepared (or at least I thought it was until I decided on this strategy):

As I told another teacher this week, just because something has "always been" does not mean that it continues to work or be beneficial. I know my entry routine has room for improvement, mostly because I struggle to get most of the students to actually look at it when they come in the classroom. My intention is that they come into the classroom, put their belongings down, read the instructions, and get to it. But that has not necessarily been made clear as a structured piece of class, rather than a free-floating, unattached bubble of information. 

I do not want to take away their opportunity to socialize within those first few minutes. I read a study somewhere at some point in time that discussed a natural need to people to talk to one another personally when entering a new environment. If you are like my colleagues and me, you know full well that you want to talk to your buddies before (and during) every meeting, professional development session, and break that you get. I know other teachers who have entry routines that are exactly the opposite, but this is one I am not willing to bend on. 

So how do I improve this to benefit not only the students but myself? One step, based on my reading of TLAC and evaluating my needs, is to change my Instruction bullets to numbers. I find myself repeating, quite often, that the steps are  meant to be followed in order. I have the order based on how I want them to move around the classroom as they enter, ending with them in their seats. I am going to try numbering instead to see if that makes a difference in how they perceive the importance or the order. 

Another suggested guideline in the book is to model and describe. Holy moly. I hate to admit this, but in all the years of having an entry routine, and in all my years of explicitly modeling lessons, I am not sure that I have ever explicitly taught my entry routine. Since I am also changing my seating arrangement Monday, I am going to have the students move to their new seats, then model my expectations for the entry routine. I will then have them leave the classroom, entering again, following the entry routine. 

With SLANT and Format Matters, I have been able to refer to classroom posters or use the terms within the lesson. This is a bit different. I am going to change my daily displays to say "Entry Routine for (date)" rather than only displaying the date. 

I am also going to create a sign that says ENTRY ROUTINE (short, sweet, and to the point) to hold in my hands as I greet my students at the door. Maybe a few days of this will enforce the expectation. Once they have the routine down on a consistent basis, I can pull out the sign as needed or hang it by the door. 

Another possibility, and one I have used in the past, is to record my voice saying something like, "Please remember to follow the entry routine immediately upon entering the classroom." I have learned that playing this on a loop becomes annoying quickly (even to me). The kids are usually begging me to turn it off after a couple of minutes. I think I will start this Tuesday and use it for a few days. As with the sign, I can always go back to it as needed. 

What is your entry routine for class? Have you found a magic routine that works incredibly well? I am always looking for ideas to steal. 

Total sidebar:
In looking up images of "steal,"
they were all of men. Hmm...

Getting started with Data Walls

A couple of weeks ago, I was ranting about the stupidity of data walls. I had read an article that I disagreed with. I posted it on Edmodo and Facebook for discussion, and there were definitely varying perspectives. I read. I processed. I did not change my opinion. 

One, I hate numbers. Hate with a capital, italicized, bolded, and underlined H. I look at numbers and feel like I am looking at a foreign language. Despite this, I am really good at looking at and analyzing data. I have even been asked to conduct a professional development session on our database. 

Two, what is the point? Putting a bunch of numbers up on the wall is not going to change my student population or class sizes. I am still going to have students who have special needs and those who do not do their homework. 

Three, I think they are stupid. So there!

Tuesday, we had a staff meeting, and because life likes to play games, DATA WALLS was listed on the agenda. I swear my brain groaned. Not my throat. My brain. All teachers are now required to have classroom data walls and binders full of data and brains full of data and data and data. And guess what. Two weeks to get everything ready. 

I am easily aggravated, but that does not tend to last long. I am quick to step back and look at any change in a positive light and get to work on whatever is expected of me. Therefore, I am making my attempt to create an ever-changing data wall. 

Yesterday, we took our quiz of "The Tell-Tale Heart." As each class was scored and entered into the gradebook, I posted the class average for the quiz. Third period wanted to do better than second. Fourth wanted to do better than third and fourth. Sixth didn't care. And seventh, my Pre-AP class, simply expected to do the best. When second period came in today, they were pretty upset. 

All right, so why did third period do significantly better? I can do this. I can analyze. 

Well, third period is my smallest class at 15. They are a very engaged group, and we have a great time every day. Are they doing the best because they are the smallest? Are they doing the best because of the rapport? Is it a combination? I am not quite sure on this, but I am determined to figure it out. 

Today, we are completing our Istation testing. Istation is a computerized reading program that measures lexile levels. We use this to help monitor student progress throughout the year. The first time they took the test, they did not take it seriously (and it was a Monday morning). I raised the stakes this time.

Throughout the day, I have been keeping track of the September averages compared with today's averages. Despite third periods exceptional work yesterday, they actually decreased significantly. I did have some students tell me afterward that they were not focused and/or concerned. Now I have to try again with them and see what happens. Grrrr! 

While the kids have been working today, I have also been finishing up grading for report cards (yes, I really can multitask this well; the joys of ADHD). I have been looking at the passing rate for each class for the first and second marking periods. Their focus for this set has to be solely on their own class periods because the different class sizes keep the percentages from matching up to one another. 

Sadly, I had to add 82% to my last box with five students failing. Pre-AP has been completely off their game, and I have been all over them for the past few weeks. I knew it. They knew it. But they haven't seen it. As soon as I walked over the the board and wrote it down, there was a lot of turning around and whispering. Maybe there is more impact here than I realize. 

So those of you who use and/or understand data walls, what are your thoughts about my start? When I don't know something, I ask, and I am really asking. 

A Day in the Life...

3:45 AM: "Minnie, stop barking! It's not time to get up."

4:00 AM: "Grrr! I'm up. Stop barking!"

4:05 AM: Feed cats. Take dogs out. Feed dogs. Throw in a load of laundry. Breathe deep. 

4:30 AM: Time to workout. 

6:00 AM: Get seventh grade daughter out of bed to finish math review. Shower, iron, eat, vitamins and medicines, hair, teeth, makeup, shoes. 

7:40 AM: Take daughter to Starbucks due to big fight last night. Get her to school for math tutoring before the big math test today. 

8:10 AM: Sign in at school. Get classroom set up today's computer test. 

8: 20 AM: Text 19-year old son with chores for the day that he will not bother to do anyway because he is nineteen, and I can't believe I was ever as awful as he is. 

8:45 AM: Hall duty. "Where is your ID??????"

9:00 AM: Parent conference. "Haven't I said all of this before?"

9:43 AM - 3:07 PM: Teach. Diet Coke. Teach. Diet Coke. Teach. Diet Coke. Teach. Lunch. Teach. Diet Coke. Teach. Do all of this while answering emails and phone calls, grading papers (if possible), monitoring the test, recording data. 

3:15 PM: BREATHE! Run to meeting. 

3:55 PM: Pack up a gazillion things to take home that I may or may not get to. 

4:45 PM: Grade papers in car while waiting for daughter to get out of basketball practice. 

5: 38 PM: Get daughter. Run home. Take dogs out. Feed dogs. Feed cats. Cram massive amounts of food into mouth so that I have to get up at 4:30 tomorrow morning to workout. Make a cup of tea that I will forget about and never drink. 

6:12 PM: Homework. Grade. Lessons. Blog. Pretend to watch TV. Take dogs out. Bring dogs in. Take dogs out. Bring dogs in. Answer Kik messages about homework. 

7:22 PM: "Is it too early to go to bed?"

7: 25 PM: "Seriously, can I go to bed?"

7:45 PM: "Oh my Bob! I really need to go to bed."

8:00 PM: "Forget this. I am going to bed." Kennel dogs. Take medicine. Read two pages in a book I really want to read but am too tired to read. Set music to play me to sleep. 

8:25 PM: Text daughter upstairs to request that music be turned down. Wonder what time son is actually going to bother coming home tonight. 

8: 45 PM: Ah, sleep. 

10: 11 PM: Awake. Reset music. 

1:32 AM: Wake up thinking about school and students and daughter and son and dishes and laundry and this and that. 

3:45 AM: "Minnie, stop barking! It's not time to get up."

Oh, shoot! My lesson is twelve minutes too short!

Today is mood and tone day. We aren't delving too deeply. We are skimming the waters to get their feet wet. But they have been wading today, and I was not prepared to teach swimming. Fortunately, I had a life jacket nearby. 

I started our lesson on "The Tell-Tale Heart" with a Sketch-to-Stretch vocabulary lesson. My intention had always been to end with a Sketch-to-Stretch comprehension piece, but I did not think I had enough time, and I had honestly put it out of my mind. I am grateful for a mind that works quickly under stress. 

When researching the S-to-S strategy, I had found a template on Read-Write-Think. Although the norm for Cornell notes is to write a summary at the end, I used this response idea as a culmination for the notes and for the kids to show an understanding of mood. A number of them were simply excited to be able to draw, so this worked out pretty well.