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!
