Classroom Management

Over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on the advice given by Marzano's chapter on classroom management. There are three areas that I have been working on. Through the grid below, I will let you know the goals that I had, how I tackled those goals and the results that I saw.

Goals	Strategies	Results
Stay Consistent with Daily Routines	On the whiteboard I always list everything that will be done throughout the day. I made a point to stick to that list as much as I could. I was also very observant of the order that I wrote it in. I tend to shove too much into the day. Some of my students become overwhelmed. Last week I made sure that I was teaching with quality over quantity.	The students of mine, who read the schedule daily, loved that we were following the schedule how it appeared on the white board. They are very observant and find comfort in a daily schedule. I also felt more relaxed at the end of the day when I wasn’t trying to rush them through something that was added sporadically. They are already totally overwhelmed with the holidays, so sticking to the plan helped with classroom behaviors.
Set Classroom Goals	Timed Test Meetings – I met with all of my students before their weekly timed test to go over their past score/time. We talked about their goal for the next timed test. Writers Meeting – I met with each students after they had written their sloppy copy for their Holiday Traditions paper. We talked about ways to explain the RDF a little more and found some grammar errors that could be fixed.	These meetings gave each one of these lessons/assessments a purpose. I feel that my students just, “do the work” without thinking about the importance of the activity most of the time. They enjoyed the individual time that they spent with me and I felt that they tried harder on the final writing project and timed test. After the timed test, I could see them counting their problems to see if they had actually met their goal. It did take a large chunk out of my day to have these meetings, but I think that they were worth it.
Set Expectations	I set up a behavior plan for one of my students who struggle to follow classroom expectations and who also struggle with respecting his classmates.	The first week went ok, but the following two weeks were a struggle. He did fine in the areas that were set up on the plan and moved his behavior struggles to other times within the day that were never problems before. Almost every student struggles with behavior right before winter break, so this was not the right time to set up a plan for him. I will make changes to his plan after break.

Educreations App

For the past three months, our Power Half Hour has focused on Foundational Skills. Our grade level did not have power half hour last week, so I did a little review project during that time using Educreations. I instructed my students to have five pages in their slide show. They had to make an individual page for synonyms, antonyms, verbs, adjectives and nouns. On these slides they included a picture and some sort of writing. When they recorded their voices, they had to explain each element. I was very impressed with the results of this project. They were able to explain the skill, and went a step farther by giving examples of each skill. Most impressively, they were able to find/take pictures, add text and voice, and save their slide show. They enjoyed every minute of this project. Some students chose to work together while, some preferred to work by themselves. I liked using this app as a review project. I will definitely use it again. They catch on to the technology side of things so quickly! I included an example of one of the slide shows that was created!
Example of Slide Show

New Tech Tool

Animoto Book Report

Over the last week we have been reading holiday stories during our regular reading block and I have also been reading a short picture book during teacher read time. The kids love it and they enjoy learning how others celebrate! Today I put every holiday story out for them to create an Animoto book report. We only have the free version on our Ipads, but they still enjoyed creating a small book report! On the SAMR model, this is only a substitution for learning the reading concepts. I do feel that my students are gaining technology skills through manipulating the Ipad with this app. Making a video is very technical and it requires my students to follow many steps in the correct sequence. For these skills I defiantly feel like I am moving up the SAMR ladder. These are the steps that my students followed to create their holiday book reports. I also included a sample of a quick book report!  

Step One - Go to the ANIMOTO App

Step Two -Press Create

Step Three- Take PICTURES

·         Cover, Main Character, Setting, Problem, Solution

Touch the pictures you are using so they have a green check mark .......Press USE

Step Four – Select Style and Music ......Press Next
Step Five – Name Video (Your Name) Open Up the Middle (TRICKY)
Step  Six  – Add 5 Text Slides  - Make sure that they are in the order you want them in! Include Jot Dots!

Character  ___________________

Setting __________________________

Problem ________________________

Solution ________________________

Rating ______________________

Step Seven – Press Preview then Save Video – Press Play
Holiday Book Report

 

Favorite Holiday Lesson

I love teaching the kids about Hanukkah! We read Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel. This is a fantastic book. Hershel travels to the haunted synagogue at the top of the hill to save Hanukkah! He tricks several goblins along the way into lighting the menorah candle! The kids love that this holiday story includes scary goblins! I accompany this lesson with letter writing. My students create their own "good" goblin. They create the goblin with construction paper adding as many eyes, ears, arms, etc. as they see fit.They glue their goblin to one side of a large piece of construction paper. On the other side my students write a letter to Hershel, coming from their created goblin. They love naming their goblin! We also play the dreidle game when everyone is finished. I will post some pictures when my kids complete this assignment next week.

Example of Letter
Dear Hershel,
       Thank you for saving Hanukkah! I would like to tell you that I am nothing like my brothers and sisters. They are naughty and I am nice! I love celebrating Hanukkah! Eating potato latkes and playing the dreidle game are my favorite traditions. I am so embarrassed that my brother tried to steal your gold! I am so happy that you tricked him! Thanks again!
                                                                    Your Biggest Fan,
                                                                      Buck the Goblin

Tech Tool

The new tech tool that I have integrated over the past two weeks is the app, Fluency Pro. Lori shared this app with me and showed me how she uses it class. I love it! This is a very simple app, which makes it very easy to integrate, and my students have been able to do it independently at a center. This app focuses on fluency. Last week, I shared the four main components of fluency with my students; punctuation, accuracy, rate and expression. We talked about the importance of each component and practiced what they sounded like. The students took turns throughout the week visiting the fluency center. They recorded themselves using Fluency Pro for one minute. They then listened to themselves with a self evaluation form that Lori gave me, and evaluated themselves in each area. At the bottom of the sheet there is a spot for a reflection goal. It was very cool to see what area they felt needed to be worked on the most! This will become a fluency tool that is used weekly or every two weeks throughout this year, and probably on to the next!
I progress monitor 6 of my students using the FAST progress monitoring system. When they read, I recorded them on Fluency Pro too. When they were finished progress monitoring, we listened to the recording. It was so cool to see them listen and actually think about where they can make improvements in their reading.
Fluency Pro = Very Simple and Cool App!

Instructional Strategies

Marzano's list of instructional strategies was a helpful reminder. I liked the comparison of strategies to a chess game. There are so many moves that we can make as teachers. Three strategies that I need to make improvements on are...

•  Asking students to generate mental images and draw pictures to represent what they are learning
• This type of strategy would be great for all students. Through this type of reflection and generation of ideas, I will be able to tell if they have fully grasped the concept and if they are able to go a step farther, making connections.
• Providing feedback and learning goals throughout a unit
• This strategy is so important, but I always find myself saying that we do not have any time! I need to make time! The value of setting goals and knowing where your expectations are is very important. I would like to set goals at the beginning of large projects and units.
• Asking students to assess themselves throughout a unit
• I rarely ask my students to reflect on how they are doing. I would like to set up graphs for their timed tests. I would also like to show them how their writing and reading fluency has been improving throughout the school year. They will be proud of their accomplishments and will be able to see the value in learning. These reflections will help them become accountable for what they are learning and hopefully drive them forward.

Teacher Level Factors

I totally agree with the factors that Marzano identifies as significant. Before reading chapter eight, I thought that the school environment would have a greater impact on student achievement. I am partly relieved that as a teacher I have a high level of control. I am the one who has the choice to be an effective teacher to my students. I feel that the factors that I am the strongest in are classroom curriculum design and instructional strategies. I have wonderful classroom management with “good” kids but I do feel that I struggle with students who have behavioral issues. This is an area of weakness for me. I wonder if I am an effective teacher to those students. I need to find and work on strategies to help these students, so I can be equally effective with them.  Curriculum design is a passion of mine. I love to create and make new lessons. At times, I feel stressed that I cannot use the “regular” curriculum with most of my students. For example, I have two students in class who are testing out as an average second grade learners. Most are far above grade level and six students need extra accommodations to learn second grade curriculum. This factor is my strength, and I truly love finding a way to teach students at their level.  I would have added goal setting to the teacher factors. I feel that we need to know where we are going to reach our learners.  I like that Marzano focused on three factors. They are huge, but I totally agree that teachers need to be strong in these factors to be effective.

AGAPE - Presence

Presence – Through Relationships

I believe that in order for a student to reach their full academic and social potential, they must have a teacher who shows a great deal of presence. Teachers must be committed to showing love and compassion for their students daily. Their students must feel a true bond to feel safe.

In my classroom I try to provide a loving environment. I greet the students daily and provide a positive atmosphere. When students are struggling to follow classroom routines of respect and responsibility I try to redirect them in a positive way. We have positive reinforcements within our class. My students earn points for participation, positive behavior, and kindness. They get to turn their points in at the end of the week for a community building game. The group with the highest number of points gets to pick the games and takes turns being “it”. This type of incentive is risk free and helps build a climate of acceptance.

In my personal life, I feel that my presence is weak. I hardly have enough time to reflect on my actions or decisions. I feel like I am in a constant whirlwind. I need to slow down and find time for self-reflection. I do feel that I have a very loving and open relationship with my husband and kids. We spend a lot of time enjoying each other. I just with that things would slow down!

November BLOG - Favorite Reading Strategy!

One of my favorite reading strategies is incorporating VOICE!
Kids enjoy reading with expression. It brings the stories to life and helps them get involved in what they are reading! I use this strategy with readers theater or with teaching expression. At the beginning of the year I split my kids into groups of four. I give each group an emotion. Every group takes turns saying the simple sentence such as, "I see a mouse," with their emotion represented through their voice. The kids love it! As the year continues I give individuals cards such as the one below. Every student has the same sentences with different emotions. This teaches them that voice is everything! The same sentence can have so many meanings!

Student 1

·     I just saw a mouse. (scared)

·     My cousin is coming for a visit. (angry)

·     There are three cookies left in the jar. (jealous)

 

2013-14 Technology Goals

 

Technology Goals - 2013

·         Goal One - Move from Substitution to Modification/Redefinition 

o   I will use the I Pads to modify lessons with the use of technology.

o   I will teach with intention as I think about the lessons that use the ipad. If the students can complete the lesson on a piece of paper, it is not modified enough. If the students need their device to add pictures/links/voice than they are modifying the lesson.

o   Example – Cause and Effect Lesson

o   Educreations App – The students will be given an example of a situation. Andrew does cannot find his homework. The students will search for pictures that represent the possible causes for this problem.  Causes -sister took it, dog hid it, left it on the bus. The students will then find pictures for the possible effects. Effects – Teacher is upset, Must stay in at recess and do it again, Mom finds it and brings it to school. Students complete the slide show with voice throughout each slide explaining the causes and effects.

o   Augmentation! Students share these on Schoology so their peers can see several cause and effect slide shows from their peers.

·        Goal Two – Field Trips

o   I will travel to different places/environments as much as possible. Through the projection of the web, students can explore different places. They can travel to an apple factory, watch stars in space, see the Golden Gate Bridge, explore the west and discover any place they can imagine.

o   I would like to use Google Earth as much as possible. Through these field trips, students will experience a deeper understanding of what they are being taught. This type of technology allows them to see places without the travel expensesJ. 

·        Sharing

o   Sharing a project/ lesson or point of view is so important. That leads to many discussions about what they are learning and why it is so important. Students feel proud of their final production and enjoy sharing it with their parents and peers.

o   Schoology – I would like to post several examples of projects and lessons to schoology. Parents can view and discuss their projects. Their peers can also view their projects to gain more knowledge/interest too.  Schoology is a great place to share and it is limited to our classroom.

Marzano Reflection - Best and Worst of Times

Before I read Marzano’s chapter one of What Works Best in Schools, I reflected on what I thought were the worst parts of public school today. The first thing that popped into my head was my colleague’s comments of, “Remember when.....” When I first started teaching, I was on a team with four others. They each had over twenty years of experience. Two of them have already retired and one is retiring this year. They talk about how parent involvement has changed and how the freedom to teach what you think is beneficial has diminished. Another negative comment has been how kids do not have the creativity and work ethic like they used to have. On the positive side, they have shared how the kids know much more information and are academically advanced compared to where they used to be. The biggest complaint of all is that public schools and parents are not letting kids be kids. It is hard for me to judge what I have seen over time, because I have only been in the system for 8 years. In my opinion, I feel that the worst part of the times that we teach in are the influences of standardized testing. We put such an emphasis on these tests that we forget our main goal; to build lifelong learners. We are in the best of times because of the information that is at our fingertips. We can expose our students to any culture, place, animal, etc. with the click of a button. We are able to share strategies and concepts with each other and there is never enough time in a day to teach all of the creative lessons that we have access to.

            Marzano’s chapter helped me realize that during every time period people have thought that we are in the worst of times. Research in the 60s identified that public schools account for only 10 percent of the variance in student achievement leaving the other 90 percent up to background characteristics. This data was shocking to me and totally contradicted what I thought home life looked like fifty years ago. The TIMSS study was thought provoking also. I don’t understand why our 4^th graders performed moderately well compared to the 12^th graders who performed poorly. What changed in education for those students between those years? I do agree with Marzano that teachers and schools must use data and specific strategies to build successful curriculums that lead to successful students. We should use what we know to do our best to be highly effective. Figure 1.4 on page 10 was the most influential piece of this article for me. I completely agree that schools, parents, and students must come together to value those factors. If each one of those factors is met, our students will have a better chance of being successful. I feel that judging our schools is similar to judging our bank accounts.....we always want more. J

Technology Connections!

The SAMR model is very familiar to me. Our media specialist introduced us this model last year. I was very disappointed when I realized that I was stuck in the substitution phase of technology. I was substituting math apps for flash cards, educreations presentations for poster creations and so on. I made it a goal for myself to change my lessons so the technology involved was not just a substitution for the techniques that I already use.

We have added two more I pad carts this year. Second grade now has their own cart! That is probably the largest obstacle at this time. If you do not have the technology to use in your classroom daily, it is hard to make huge daily changes. We do use the projector with splash pad every day. The kids can be taken to different worlds through the internet in one click. My students love the connections that can be made through internet access. We play skills games, watch brain pop videos, visit author pages, glace at different cultures and connect with each other. I received a projector in my class about five years ago. The kid’s jaws dropped to the floor the first time we explored the internet on the big screen! Now, this exposure to everything so quickly is the way these kids have grown up. This is the way they were introduced to learning, so it is not new or special. All information is at their fingertips!

Teaching new technology is fun and exciting, but also frustrating at times! When each child has their own device, it is very challenging to get them all on the same page. On Tuesday we created book reports through Animoto. The kids loved it, but several things went wrong. There are so many steps and it is so hard to make sure they do not click or save the wrong way. We made it through the first one and I know the kids will have awesome success the next time that we do it! I included a sample of my example if you would like to try it too! The wrote their ideas on the worksheet before we got the ipads because we had limited time with the ipads. This animoto video is once again substituting a written book report. Although it is a substitution, it also teaches them so much about using technology to share. They had to pick their own music, write in their text in a creative way, take pictures and arrange their slides in a specific sequence. They shared these videos with their parents and I asked for a few volunteers to post on schoology. They can share these with their classmates to build knowledge and connections.

 

Book Report - Sample

My favorite technology addition is Schoology! I love connecting with my parents and students through this blog program. It is so easy to share pictures, updates, spelling lists, websites, homework and so on! Such as easy and quick way to connect! A parent just told me at conferences that she feels so connected to what her child is learning daily. It is so important for parents and teachers to be on the same page!

Connections

The most meaningful piece of the fall conference was the opportunity to make connections. I enjoyed the time; surrounded by others with the same teaching passion. It is nice to talk with other colleagues from different areas and schools. We can see how much we have in common and the differences that we experience. We all have the same goal in mind, and that is to support and teach kids!

The Action Research sharing was the most beneficial for me. As I was learning about my group’s topics of concern and interest, I realized that I could make some of those same changes within my classroom. One teacher talked about the importance of choice. Her students can work and learn in their choice spot. She has several different seating choices for her kids. They pick where they feel the most comfortable to learn. Another teacher is working on fluency within her classroom and she is using reader’s theatre to tackle that skill. She had some very useful ideas to share. Another learner from the cities is studying how boys learn best. At this age, boys and girls are SO different! I hope to learn more from her too! She said that boys learn best through repeated reading strategies. I had never thought of that!

We worked together in a community to share and learn. The environment was safe and welcoming and I am excited to learn from these other teachers!

Differentiation Tool

 

 

 

After reading the differentiation articles, I realized that I differentiate by ability most often. I rarely use learning styles or interest inventories to teach my students. That is why I decided to create a menu that focuses on several different learning styles that my students might have. The articles also stressed the importance of student choice. This menu offers nine different choices for my students. I teach our new vocabulary words every Monday. I usually assess their knowledge of the new words through sentences, a vocabulary grid or a vocabulary journal. This routine seems very dry and I can tell that my students feel that this process is very repetitive. I hope that this menu will boost my student’s interest in their new vocabulary words!

At the second grade level, I feel that it is very important to demonstrate and guide my students through new types of lessons. I have decided that I will show and assign one menu option a week until I have covered all eight. I have already covered four of the options, so I only have four left! My students will then use the menu for the rest of the year. I hope to see some creative projects come out of the student choice option! I showed my kids the menu and explained that we are moving towards student choice vocabulary work. They are very excited!

Backwards Design Plan

The best part about my backwards design plan is that it helps me teach with intention. I am focused on the BIG idea. My backwards design plan has pushed me to plan for higher order thinking to take place. Through this BD plan my students are moving past the remembering skills and moving towards skills such as analyzing and synthesizing. I feel that the literature that we reading is more than a story that they are reading from the outside. They are becoming a part of what they are reading. They are connecting to the characters in the stories. They are finding similarities and differences between characters and themselves. They are putting themselves in the same situations and exploring how they would have solved the problem or reacted to a strong part in the story. I feel that my excitement for teaching has increased. I am eager to hear their reactions and interpretations of the stories. I really want them to gain true, deep knowledge from the stories we are reading. This is a change from my past goal of having them find success on the Thursday comprehension test. It is enjoyable to teach intentionally!

I have a hard time fitting in all of the activities/lessons on my BD plan. How do you fit it all in?

How do you get all kids to participate in meaningful book discussions?

Action Research Abstract

How will the implementation of literature studies affect comprehension among “gifted and talented” second grade readers defined as those students reading two grade levels beyond their chronological age?

The question guiding my research is as follows: How will the implementations of literature studies affect comprehension among “gifted and talented” second grade readers defined as those students reading two grade levels beyond their chronological age? Through my review of literature I found that gifted and talented student’s comprehension skills improve with 1) focused discussion groups 2) high order questioning 3) literature logs and 4) appropriate literature giving students choice. Skill development for me includes the organization of literature studies which focus on the six levels of Blooms Taxonomy. Discussion questions along with literature logs reflect each level. Students are focusing on one level every two weeks. Each week their literature log and discussion questions build in complexity. The students will be assessed through their literature logs and through their discussions with their literature groups. A take home piece is also included in this study. Students take home the discussion questions from each level to help increase their comprehension of the books they are reading at home.

Through my research I hope to increase my student’s comprehension of literature. My hope is that when they discuss or write about their literature without any prompts, they reflect using the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy such as analyze or synthesize. I hope to build their love and interest as well as their comprehension of literature.

AR Plan Questions

When is the final report due, and when do all of my collections need to be found by?

Can I show a video of my students discussing books during the spring conference?

 What are some suggestions you have on how to build on this concept when the 12 weeks are over?

Important Parts of the Principles

My ultimate goal as a teacher is to create a positive learning experience. My second graders should have daily opportunities to feel safe, comfortable, and challenged. Each principle below is very important to me. In order for learning to take place a child must feel like they are a part of our classroom community. They need to feel comfortable with their peers, their learning environment and their teacher. In my classroom I try to meet these needs with a positive outlook and smile. I feel that my students know that they can come to me with any questions or concerns. I gain this trust through constant involvement. I am at their lockers to greet them every morning. I walk around the classroom and offer assistance or encouragement during work time, I dance with them and participate in classroom games and activities. As a class we build our classroom community through games, sharing and goals. Our class only has positive incentives. The kids earn points to play a game of their choice on Fridays. This incentive works for me! I think the kids feel safe and comfortable with positive incentives.

Another one of my principles states that all kids should feel challenged. Learning should take place for every child in class. It is my goal to provide lessons and activities at every level. I do this through literature groups, leveled games, and mini lessons with specific groups! The kids are constantly provided with different lessons and activities. I want them to be comfortable with themselves. I want them to understand that we all need different things to grow.

CHALLENGES!

At this early stage, my students already understand who is getting the high level work. How do I make every child feel good about what they are working on and what they are learning? I try to give each level something exciting, but they are still looking at the work of the other groups around them!

Recess and Lunch!! My kids respect each other for the most part in our classroom. I rarely see conflict in our class. The reports that they give me from recess and lunch are different! Some negative decisions and attitudes are coming out at recess and lunch. It is so hard to deal with these conflicts, because I am not there.

As the year goes on, I hope that our principles within the classroom will over flow into recess and lunch.

Children's Principles of Learning (Second Grade)

Eight Ways to LEARN in SECOND GRADE!

I am learning when I feel….

·       Safe

o   This is a safe room! In this classroom, you should be yourself! You can make your own choices! We all have different strengths and weaknesses! Your friends should not tease you or make you feel sad. Our class is cool, because we are all different!

·       Comfortable

o    We are all different! It is ok to ask questions! If you do not understand something, Mrs. Perius will help you. She will try to explain it in a different way! She might write it down, act it out, or find another way!

·       Interested

o   We all enjoy many things in our classroom! Sometimes, Mrs Perius will give groups of people different things to work on. She is trying to make sure everyone feels good about what they are learning. She wants everyone to feel like they are learning something new! Sometimes kids will go to other classes to learn. We want everyone to love learning! Not too hard, not too easy, but JUST RIGHT!

·       Challenged

o   In this class, you will not know everything. We are here to learn new things! It is ok to ask questions and to try again. Try your best, and don’t sweat the rest!

·        Involved

o   You are a part of this community! We are here to work together. We will all have jobs in our classroom. We are here to make friends, to keep our classroom safe and clean, and to learn!

·       Warm

o   When we are “On Target,” our class is respectful, responsible, and ready! If everyone is following the three Rs, our class is working well together. When everyone works together it creates a warm feeling. We will try our best to make others feel warm.

·       Excited

o   School is exciting! Every day will be filled with new things to do, games to play, and fun times with friends. You will have time to be creative and to share!

 

·    LIKE A SECOND GRADER!

o   Welcome to 2^nd Grade! We are going to have a GREAT year!

Persistence

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2013/09/18/lessons-in-perseverance/?utm_source=Teaching+Channel+Newsletter&utm_campaign=89db8a843c-Newsletter_September_21_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_23c3feb22a-89db8a843c-291647637

 Persistence is a powerful tool that each teacher must have. Every teacher has had several students who require multiple strategies for success. The above blog entry helps me reflect on the situations and students who required a large amount of persistence and grit!

• Teaching students who have a lot of persistence can be very challenging. These students are very bright and push all conversations and situations forward. I am awed by their drive to learn new things and their energy. Pushing and providing these students with the curriculum they need is a passion of mine. I am intrigued by their strong will. On the flip side, these are same students who NEVER GIVE UP! They often feel that they are right and sometimes have a hard time listening and following classroom routines. These types of students have pushed me to become a better teacher. They keep you on your feet and are constantly expecting you to find strategies that work.
• I do feel that kids are born with a certain amount of persistence. My oldest son came out strong willed. We named him Will, so I guess we had it coming. He has challenged me almost every day for the past five years! He is so persistent and will not forget or pass any opportunity. Although I am frustrated most days, he is one of the most interesting kids that I have ever met. He makes unbelievable connections to real life situations and provides us with deep conversations. I hope that he uses awesome GRIT to his advantage in the future.
• I do feel that kids should be taught persistence. I think that we are all born with different levels, but teaching the importance of pushing towards your goals is important. Kids should know that making mistakes is a part of life and that we learn from those mistakes. We must model persistence in our classrooms daily. We should allow them to see our failures and to see how we don't give up. They need to also feel that we will not give up on them. We should be a constant cheerleader for our students. They need to know that we are always cheering them on.

Imagination

It isn't shocking that my most prominent virtue is Imagination....I do have a blog titled Imagine!

My Virtue at School

Truthfully, I am very happy that this virtue came out in the lead. I am usually totally confused by where I end up on behavior and interest inventories. I probably would have picked out imagination as my strength. Thinking of new ideas and lessons comes very naturally for me. I love creating new lessons and activities for my students. I enjoy trying new things in class and I very rarely do things the same way. I have a difficult time following my lesson plans the way that I have them written. The virtue that I scored the lowest in was courage. I do have a very hard time sharing my opinion. I am always afraid that I will step on someones toes or upset someone. I am constantly worried and I would rather hide under a table than deal with conflict! My lack of courage gets in the way of sharing my imagination. I need to develop stronger leadership skills which will strengthen my courage. I shouldn't avoid conflict if I believe certain strategies will improve student learning!

Imagination at Home

I don't feel that I use my virtue as much as I should at home. I don't plan creative birthday parties for my kids, or spend time creating anything special for my home. My kids and I do play and dance a lot, so that is where some of my virtue is used. I LOVE to read! Reading is one of my all time favorite things to do. This is where I can travel to many places through the words on the page and my imagination.

The P in AGAPE stands for Presence. Teachers must be present with their students. They must show and share knowledge that grabs their student's attention. More importantly a teacher must make sure that their students are present. Lessons that are created with new ideas and the use of imagination will pull students into a creative world where learning is inviting and interesting. My main goal as a teacher is to help develop the love for learning. I want each student to enjoy school just as much as  I did as a child.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.
      - Albert Einstein

ROL Highlights

Reading for Gifted and Talented Students

What every teacher should know.....

·         Four Important Myths of Gifted and Talented Students

o   This summer I ran into a YouTube video created by gifted and talented students in Maryland. They explained the myths associated with teaching gifted and talented students.

o   One: Gifted students don’t need any help and are fine on their own.

§  Just because they understand the concepts quickly doesn’t mean that they don’t need coaching to enrich what they know.

o   Two: Gifted students need to participate in the regular classroom as role models.

§  Students should not be used to teach other students. Often, these students are not great at explaining concepts to their peers.

o   Three: It is not fair to label kids as gifted, when all kids are gifted.

§  100% of me believes that each child has a special strength. I do believe that some children have an extreme talent in reading. I think that it is ok to label them as GT in specific academic areas.

o   Four: Gifted education costs too much.

§  Finding enrichment opportunities does not need to cost very much. We can access materials from different grade levels and teachers. Online materials are also available.

·         It is important for teachers to think about how their gifted and talented students are learning each day. Through my ROL research I discovered many tools to help enrich my reading curriculum. Providing literature studies with focused discussion groups will benefit my students greatly. Students should be exposed to specific discussion tools to enhance their reading.

·         Although we have only been in school for seven days, I have thought very deeply about how I am going to challenge my students this year. I think about the myths associated with gifted and talented readers as I am teaching with intention. I am providing many opportunities for these students already. I will start my specific literature studies in two weeks, when they are done testing. I hope that I find a plan that works well with these students. I want to give them opportunities to grow. I am excited for this adventure!

Houston and Sokolow - Leadership

Reflection  of Houston and Sokolow's Chapter Five, Leadership

• Favorites from Five
• "Earth School is different from regular school. In school, you get the lesson first and then you get the test, whereas in life, you get the test first, and then you get the lesson."
• This is so very true! We are constantly tested by our reactions to challenges and struggles that are presented to us. That is why it is important to bring "regular school" into the classroom. We need to talk about ways to handle challenging situations with peers, teachers, and family members. 
• "We are inveterate pony finders. People like us are always looking to find the pony and overlooking the horse manure while others just focus on the horse manure."
• I learned this summer that we do need the manure seekers. They keep us thinking. The problem is that we currently have too many people looking for manure. I hope that others view me as a pony finder. This is a great way to think about it!
• Challenges with Chapter Five
• Throughout this chapter Houston and Sokolow explain that it is best to find the silver lining in all life challenges. I agree that looking for the positive benefits in most bad situations is the best way to go. I would have completely agreed with this entire chapter, if I had not listened to someone who had lost her husband in a tragic way, explain why she despises the phrase, "Everything happens for a reason." I know I am blessed to say, that I have never experienced loss. Of course I have had difficulties with friends, family members, and work situations, but I have never been through something as horrible as losing a loved family member. I know that this will inevitably happen at some point. I hope that I will eventually move on and continue to grow, but I do not know if I will be able to find the silver lining.
• Leadership
• "Leaders have to cultivate optimism, which is why this principle -seeing problems as opportunities - is so important. It is the possibility behind the problem that offers hope."
• As I think about the leaders who I have worked with, the GREAT ones were positive. They identified the struggles but focused on the positive ways to improve them. It is very difficult to be around  others who are always negative. I know that I find myself in a negative path at times too. Great leaders are not scared of challenges. They embrace them as obstacles to learn from.

Roadblocks and Successes

Roadblocks
What might get in the way of completing my goals?

• TIME - As teachers, we have so much to complete in a small amount of time! I hope that I make time for all of my must haves! I always feel that a person can FIND time if something is truly important. Building a class community and organizing a plan for my gifted and talented readers WILL happen.
• Participation - I would like my co-workers to participate in the backwards design lessons that we created for our reading themes. We can do great things if we all work together. I also need parent participation to help my students grow through discussions.
• SLOW DOWN! I need to slow down and pay close attention to my action research project. This research process will take a lot of time and require a lot of attention. I want to track my data very accurately.

Successes
What successes might be seen when my goals are met?

• A STRONG class community! All students feeling like they are an essential part of our class!
• POWERFUL discussions! Discussions in literature studies that allow the students to dig deep and use high order thinking!
• COMPLETE lesson plans that incorporate all types of learners. ESSENTIAL questions are answered!
• Nikki Perius with a HUGE smile! Implementations that improve my style of teaching!

Impacts of Non-Negotiables

A Non-Stop Plan......Strategies, Lessons and Ideas that I learned this summer that I will definitely use in my classroom.

· Community Building Games

oGames, laughing, and playing builds relationships.

oI will try to play games every 40 minutes to build relationships within my classroom.

oEach day will begin with a game to encourage my students to start the day on the right foot (it will also get my kids in the classroom faster).

oThe games will not have a winner, loser, beginning or end!

Impact : Students will build relationships with each other. Laughing together brings students closer and helps them get connected. I want them to feel like they are a part of our classroom. Academics will not be the center of each game. I want every child to feel successful and safe. I hope that other teachers see these games and use them to build relationships in their classroom also.

· Gifted and Talented Myths

oThrough my ROL research, I read about a lot of myths related to teaching students who are gifted and talented in reading. I will be an advocate for those students. I will share the myths that I learned about with my team. Gifted and talented readers should not be used as tutors; they need materials and experiences at their level!

Impact: The gifted and talented readers in my classroom will not need to worry about the myths that are associated with their "group" this year! I will not use them as pawns, give them extra paper work, assume that they like to teach others, or ignore their special needs. Just yesterday, a teacher told me that she likes to put a very "high" reader at each group, so they can guide the other students. I didn't say anything! This year I want to speak up and share the impacting fact I learned through summer research!

· Discussion

oI will encourage higher order questioning and discussions to take place in my classroom daily! I learned about the importance of discussion this summer!

oIntense Discussions = High Levels of Comprehension

oLiterature Group Discussions

oBook Lunch Discussions - One day a week, I will offer lunch in the classroom. We will read a story together and discuss it together.

Impact: Discussion will impact how my students think. They will be invited to take their literature studies to new levels. I want them to dig deeper! I would like my guided discussions to lead to spontaneous discussions throughout every subject and topic!

· Literature Studies

oI will implement structured Literature Studies.

§ 1 - Non-fiction Study per week using text codes

§ 1-3 - Fictional Studies per week using Literature Logs

§ 1 - Lunch Book Study

Impact: Literature studies will impact my students. They will be exposed to different types of literature. They will then be able to dissect the literature in many ways. I want to build their love of reading and learning. Literature studies will also help me feel organized and ready. I want to challenge my students in a specific and intentional way.

· Backwards Design

oAlways encourages deep questioning and true knowledge!

oI will use the backwards design plan that we made for the Being ME unit!

Impact: These specific lessons are focused and ready for in depth thinking. My students will benefit greatly from the essential questions and focused learning. I will share these with my team, so they can see the benefits of backwards design.

I learned so much this SUMMER! I am excited to put my research in action!