Editing Essays with Walk'N'Talk!

Walk'N'Talk in ACTION!

I always tell my students to read their writing out loud. 

I know that when I read my writing out loud, I always find the places where I should’ve put a comma, where I’ve missed some simple spelling, even where I’ve missed a word (I’m not sure how that happens by the way, but it seems to be something I do a lot! Especially when I text talk my writing first).  Anyway, I'm a broken record on this. I’ll ask my students, "What is one thing you could do to make your editing process better?" and they will invariably say, "Read my work aloud!" sometimes they even chorus it.  And then they never do it. 

Ever.

So there’s a disconnect. A big one!  They can spout off the answers, but don't do it.

And then, this week, off the top of my head, off-the-cuff, in the middle of a lesson, I found a way to make it happen.

We were coming to the end of writing time for an informative essay when a student came up to tell me that he was finished with his writing. I looked over the writing quickly, and I saw that the writing was replete with errors, even though the 'voice' side of things was pretty good. So without really thinking about it, I said, "Why don’t you go walk up and down the hallway, and read this aloud to yourself. Just hold the computer out in front of you, look where you're going and read it a couple times. See if you can find any mistakes,"  and off he went.  Then I had another student claim that they were finished.  Again, I looked over the work quickly, and thought, maybe this is something I should do with everyone. So I gave the same instructions and off she went. 

As I watch the students stopping and making corrections to the hallway, I thought… This has potential. So I quickly went to my computer and adjusted my instructions on the board.  Now they read, 

When you think that you are finished...
Visit Mrs. B for permission to 
WALK'N'TALK!

Well, that got their attention - now they were excited. 

I had to create rules-because they love it when they think it’s a real 'activity'. 

So, here were the instructions.

• Walk the hallway three times.  As you walk, read your work aloud.
• As you come across a mistake, stop, and stand still, both feet on one tile (I told them that this was very important - I couldn't help it, they were so serious).
• Make your corrections. 
• Once corrected, you may continue.
• Keep walking, keep stopping to make corrections, keep walking, until you have walked and talked the hallways three times!

The results were unbelievable. Well, not really, when you consider that all writers know just how powerful reading work aloud is, but the kids were blown away.  I had students telling me that they had found five or six mistakes - sidenote, they were amazed by this!! They told me they had fixed punctuation, found run on sentences, seen things that just didn't make sense...they were as excited as I was! 

As I look over the finished work today, I realized how much 'cleaner' the essays were from the kids later in the day, after I implemented the Walk'N'Talk wholesaele. 

I’m going to make this a permanent strategy, part of our editing list - and the next time I do it, I’m going to tally the number of edits they tell me they make. I think it would make for some interesting action research. Plus, how powerful this would be for the kids to see - to show them just how much this can help them with their writing. 

#Powerful. #ItWasJustALastMinuteIdea #ThingsTheWork

Amping Up My Note-Taking

So I have an idea.  I’m always having ideas, and I try to implement as many as I can without causing complete mayhem in the classroom 😝.  I always tell the kids too, and get their feedback.  After all, they ARE the experts.  Some ideas fall flat, some are amazing. This idea, it’s not too exciting, but I’m hoping that it’s super successful. 

It all started after listening to Jennifer Gonzalez’ fantastic note-taking podcast. If you don’t listen to the Cult of Pedagogy podcast, you’re missing out on some of the best free professional learning. 

So, she talked about the best ways to take notes. Talked about the research. And it seems that the combination of all of the different types of note-taking, works best. Now that sounds like a muddle doesn’t it.  After all, how much stuff can we throw at our poor kiddos?!  What I mean by all of them is, we need to find ways to mix in scaffolded notes (fill-in-the-blank notes), with teacher notes, with students taking their own notes. All three types of note-taking have benefits, so it only makes sense that all three put together is the best way to teach. But then I thought, why not add another layer to the mix?  An area for ‘help needed’ or ‘questions I have’?  

One of my goals this year is to truly work on better feedback. I think that is probably a goal for every teacher, right?  I really want to better my feedback with my students. I read about these wonderful ideas, but I always run into time issues.  I try to conference, but never get around the room. I add reflection in there whenever I can, but then take up all my own time in reading and response.  I’ve thought about cutting my own time by having kids to prepare for conferences, but then that adds a layer of extra work to their already full plates, flies in the face of my desire to avoid homework, and the very kids who need the most support, will be the students who don’t do it. 

But reflection is vital to learning.

Feedback is my job.

Personal conferencing is best teaching practice.

So here’s what I’m thinking. To the side of the notes I just created, I have added an area for a student questions.  They will take notes initially in their composition books.  Then they will be given their prepared notes for their folders to ensure they have the information they might have missed in their note-taking (I need to add some scaffolded sections in there too), and then we’ll have a two minute reflection time.  

Wait!  

An even better idea has come to mind!  At the end of class, when we have our final five (my closing activity), they can revisit their questions and add to them, writing out their most compelling thoughts on an index card to submit to me.  That way they revisit the thinking after doing the work the notes were preparing them for - and I have an instant assessment of student thinking. Yes!  I like that addition!

Oh my goodness. Now I’m getting even more excited. So all that remains is for me to create these all-singing-all-dancing notes for all topics if this works. I guess I’ll be putting that on my to do list. 

Time to implement!  Let’s GO 🏃‍♀️

The TQE Method

Today was one of the good days.  Actually, today was one of the GREAT days - the best kind of days to be a teacher.  The kind of day where birds are singing and you can't keep the bounce from your step.

There are so many days that are tough.  So many moments when you wonder just WHAT you have to do to get the love of learning embedded into those minds.  But it is all worth it for the days like today.

Yup, the birds are still singing 😍

So, what's all this about?  Well, it is all thanks to Jennifer Gonzalez and her podcast The Cult of Pedagogy - and to her amazing guest Marisa Thompson.  Marisa shared her TQE Method on the podcast, and I could hardly contain my excitement as I visualized how well this would work in Room 1113. Between my personality, my students need to have excitement in reading discussions rewoken, and the fact that we were about to embark on a novel using flipped reading, this podcast made me hurry home (I was listening on my nightly walk) to open up my calendar and figure out how it could be used - where and when.  I could hardly wait!

So, what's the excitement?

In some ways it could be considered a simple way to have students share their reading, with a catchy moniker to add a certain cachet.  But it is so much more.  I had non-readers responding, typically silent students itching to talk, and I heard Room 1113 filled with reasoning about just WHY the author had made certain decisions.  Wait!  What was happening?  I was watching my sixth graders, who just last week had struggled with central idea, discoursing about author purpose and tone and mood!

OK, so enough with the build-up!

Thoughts, Questions, & Epiphanies
Room 1113 gets to work!

Here is the simple premise.  Over the last few days we talked about thoughts about reading, questions that readers may have, and how when you are reading you might have epiphanies - especially when some of those thoughts and questions were answered as the book was read.  The students were issued their books and given a reading assignment.  They had to complete a short reflection in Google Classroom - and it was all due this morning before school.

I should note - the school provides a class set.  I've had enough of never having enough books, not being able to let students read when they want.  I'm done with not being able to get to read the entire book in class as the pesky pacing plan always interrupts our flow.  This year, I wanted it to be different.  I shopped and searched and was able to add books to our supply.  I had even one parent donate 4 books.  Between students getting their own copy, the school copies, and mine...EVERY SINGLE STUDENT was able to take ownership of his/her reading.  In addition, our ELA collaborative group created audio recordings of each chapter so that students could be supported in their reading - especially our ESOL and other struggling kiddos.

Back to the TQE.

Our whiteboard is consistently covered in messages, our Question of the Day, and our reading recommendations, so I put big sheets of white paper over the boards, titling one THOUGHTS, one QUESTIONS, and one EPIPHANY!  As the students walked in, they saw the message on the board - they had 8 minutes to get in groups and come up with a thought, question, or epiphany from chapters 1-5 of The Island on Bird Street by Uri Orlev.

The groups were self-selected (other than that ONE class.  There's always one class....that class had special grouping created, including the group that I was in!).  I immediately saw that this was going to work.  How could I tell?

• When that one student who doesn't talk was bubbling over with a question.
• When my ESOL student who never shares was standing at the board writing.  
• When the students weren't bouncing on their stability balls but were seriously leaning over their book copies....

But that was only the beginning.

Following Marisa's feedback. I helped the students to talk through their thinking and to help them to better their questions by relating back to author craft and just WHY the author made that decision.

I heard my ESOL student suggesting that Uri Orlev (the author) had started the book with the father teaching his son how to work a pistol was to get our attention and build interest.  YES!

I heard a typically quiet student suggested that the author knew that we would infer that Alex's mom was a concentration camp, so making it feel even worse that Alex didn't know what had happened to her...

I watched the thinking, the reactions, the responses, the follow-ups.

It was great.  It was perfect.

Can we extend and deepen? Of course! Could the questions and thoughts have been deeper?  Naturally.  Are we struggling with epiphany? Sure. But these sixth graders really grew - and when we reflected, were all thrilled with this new way of discussing the book. The handful who had not read the book were abashed and disappointed with themselves. Today, I let them stay, because I wanted them to see the process. Next week non-readers will go outside to read while the rest of us discuss.

I wish that we could do this more often. Oh, for block schedules that would allow reading AND discussion on the same day.  But that's a dream and discussion for another day!  My kiddos rocked and rolled it today.  Room 1113 was full of academic discourse and literary discussion.

Yes.  Birds are still singing!

If you want YOUR birds to sing and to hear the full details of the method, listen to the podcast episode here:  Deeper Class Discussions with the TQE Method

 

Beginning to Find the Flow

It's mid-October.  I should have found a rhythm by now, but it's been hard.  No need to go back over the textbook and the changed curriculum.  Why rehash the difficulties?  Writing about negatives sometimes makes me feel more negative, so let's not 😁But here we are, past Fall Break and approaching Thanksgiving, and it is all beginning to come together.  As always, a myriad of convoluted happenstances is what has created the change.

1. Our principal met with the 6th grade ELA team.  There were tears.  We vented, we soul-searched, we strived to be the rule followers and team players we are, while honestly demonstrating how each of us is reaching the end of her proverbial tether.  The release was good.  Even better was the resounding support and planning ideas given to us.  Some weight was lifted, the spark of creativity relit.
2. We had our ELA CPT days.  Each content area is divided into grade level collaborative planning teams, and our school allows (and encourages) us to take a day with a paid sub, to plan and create together.  This year we were given the additional gift of one day for on-level and one for advanced. While always beneficial, this year it was literally life-changing - from a pedagogical standpoint, anyway!  With only 2-weeks notice about curriculum changes prior to the beginning of the school year, we have been literally planning from week-to-week, flying a little blind with the textbook, shoring up our teaching with what we know we do well from prior years, but never quite having the time to find rhythm and create flow.  We planned.  Oh boy, did we plan!  We took the new pacing plan and input what we knew worked from last year.  Booksnaps, novels, and DBQs ... OH MY!  The sparks were igniting.  Creating the lesson slides and preparing started to bring me the joy they always have once again.
3. I received an award.  Every month at our faculty meeting, our administrative team recognizes teachers for Inspiring Wonder.  Last year I received an award for Blazing New Trails, and honestly, it felt both right and deserved.  I was building something fantastic in our classroom, it was becoming a joyful place.  This year, I have struggled. I haven't felt worthy of any recognition other than for working hard.  Knowing that despite the struggle, the administration still recognized the spark, meant even more. 
   
4. I was observed by Mike, our Assistant Principal.  I love being observed.  Teaching is almost always a bit of a 'high' for me.  Oh, OK, there are THOSE days and those periods where it is a struggle to keep the energy high, but mostly, it's my happy place.  Add someone observing and I am on fire inside!  I love to be watched.  It brings out my best teaching and allows me to be the educator I always desire to be.  Even better was Mike's strategy of writing little notes and leaving them on my laptop to find later.  Such a fantastic way to give immediate feedback.  I need to do that with my students.  I will be starting that on Monday.  Who doesn't like to receive positive feedback?

And then, finally, this week, I got to share at our school collaboration.  I love to share.  Training peers is almost as much fun as teaching.  Well, except for the part where I am worried that no one will come.  That bit is always tough.  I even talked to Mike about whether the preparation it would take was going to be value for my time.  What if I spent hours creating and no one came?  He persuaded me otherwise, and I am so glad he did. Granted, the first session was only attended by Elizabeth, teacher friend who was there simply to support me (bless her!).  I got to practice and find my groove.  Second session brought in different faces and it fired me up.  Oh, how I love to share what I know and brainstorm what I don't!  The topic was on using social media to build pedagogical practice.  Since it was something near and dear to my heart, it was fun to put together and a blast to present.

Teaching my favorite lesson this week didn't hurt either!

She's back and she's got a HUGE smile on her face!

Cliches & Crises

Nope, I'm not going to be negative here - however, the struggle IS real.  This textbook business really got me down, there's been a 'tired and overworked' feeling throughout our normally extremely positive and optimistic faculty, and I am not quite sure why I thought that a leadership endorsement would be a good class to add to my weekly schedule.....

BUT, the only person who has control over my attitude is me - and I have taken the last couple of weeks to really focus on finding my positivity again.  It has been surprisingly difficult.  I mean, I love my kids, I adore creating lessons and adding those touches to keep the kids engaged and bright.  I live for those moments where I 'have' the students and we are learning as a team.  I am proud of Room 1113 and what we can create.

And yet.

This year just hasn't given that same atmosphere or emotion. And that isn't fair on my kids.  I can get by and be a better teacher NEXT year - after all, I already know what changes I am going to make to the textbook in 2019-20 (what? How did THAT happen?!), but this year's kids are the ones who matter right now.

So, it started with an already planned opportunity to facilitate a Twitter chat - my first time.  I volunteered on Joy Kirr's list to lead #shiftthis.  I knew that it would invigorate me, and it did.  Then I focused on listening to the podcasts I had been neglecting.  From ideas on Google Teacher Tribe to solid ideas and better teaching on Cult of Pedagogy, I started to make notes again and get excited about possibilities.  Oh, what a wonderful feeling!  

Fall Break has allowed me to take a break.  It let me catch up on grading and to think about what my students really need from me.  It took the pressure away and gave me time to think.

Tomorrow it's back to the classroom.  I'm ready.  I have my plans made and I know that it will all change - because it always does!  My focus is back.  My attitude renewed.  

The test will be real.  Meeting before school.  Class after school.  A 7am-9pm day.  But I chose to do this, and I can only be better by always making and seeking new goals.  

Last year's goal was to shift my classroom.

My word of the year was transformation.

This year's goal was to create a class of readers.

My post-fall break goal is.......

To Be Joyful

A Tough Start

I would say that one of my biggest positives as a teacher is....my positivity!  I truly believe that I can make a difference.  I know that my smile and laughter will help at least one kid today.  I work hard to create a happy environment in our room.  Room 1113 MUST be a positive haven.  Room 1113 HAS to be somewhere students feel joy in and ownership over.  That's how I will succeed in the long run.

I really believe that.

Working on shifting ownership of the room and encouraging students to feel comfortable and 'at home' has been an enormously positive change in my practice.

No more rows.
No more assigned seating.
No more teacher desk.
No more, "Sit and be compliant," rather, "Be respectful and learn."

It's been good.

But right now, it's a struggle.  So hard.

Not the shifting, not the doing what I believe is right.  No.  That's all good.  It's the day-to-day business of this semester.

Year 4 was supposed to be my 'thank you' for three hard years.  I guess that I need to get over that!  Year 4 is actually going to be the hardest year yet.  Is that why they say you have to last 5 years to know that you'll remain in the profession?  Is year 4 just a deep, dark, and dreadful secret that no one shares? 

Maybe it's a natural progression.  Perhaps it's the year that you feel confident so you bite off more than you can chew (and there I was, thinking year 3 was that year!).  After all, I was the one silly enough to sign up for an endorsement class.  Why?  What was I thinking?  I was the one who thought that I deserved to have two riding lessons a week instead of one.  Really?  Well, that booked up the week, didn't it?  It was my fault for being motivated to help start and then throw myself full-bodied into the PLC that is planning to change what we know about grading in our county.  Yup. All me.  It was my choice to implement daily reading to Room 1113, which puts more pressure on to manage the pacing guide, means more time out of the classroom to give feedback and support to the kiddos.  I made all these decisions that are taking over my life.

Am I moaning?

You betcha.

Would I have it any other way?

Heck no!

Now, the new textbook, change of curriculum, complete 'back to square 1' lesson planning, THAT I would change - but that's the one factor I have NO control over.  That's the one implementation I have to do, and so I will.  Because I might be a bold adventurer, but I'm a rule follower too. 

So, year 4 will be a challenge.  It is what it is.  My kids will benefit from my efforts, I have to believe that.  Will I find ways around this textbook to give my students the best experience I can create for them?  Yes, I will.  Might I need to refocus every week?  Yes indeed - and that's OK, because I love this crazy life, and I love my kids.

Go get'em Bryson!

Our Blog

Everyone advises authentic audiences.  It makes sense, right?  But here's the thing.  Much as I want the kids to think about their work as something far-reaching, more than just the teacher reads, there is also the reality of safety, district rules, teacher responsibility....and all that good stuff.

So, I have a class Twitter account and Instagram, but don't follow anyone other than Atlanta United, the Zoo, and DeSana addresses.  They haven't been very effective, although the kids have enjoyed the personal touches on Instagram.  They get to peek into my life, and they like that.   But it was time to up my game.

This year we will have a class blog.  My Publicists for each class will collect statements, anecdotes, and quotes, and share them with me.  These will be posted in the blog along with (hopefully) Podcast snippets and pictures.  I started the blog, Leadership Roles begin this week, and as our leaders get into action, it will become a team effort. Room 1113 belongs to THEM, not me!

My main goals are:

• Your room, not mine.
• Audiences are out there, reading your words, learning about what we do in Room 1113
• I listen to your voices, your words are what we'll share.

Let's go Room 1113!

https://forsyth.itslearning.com/Room1113/blog/