The Yuletide Villager
Week of April 30, 2018
The vision of GCS is to inspire success and a lifetime of learning.
This Week Let's Keep It Short And Sweet
“Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. Capture the good times. And if things don't work out, just take another shot.”
― Ziad K. Abdelnour,
We will discuss this VIDEO in PLC
Classroom Libraries
In PLC I will bring your grade-specific list formulated by Follett based on the first conversations we had with your grade level needs. We will take a few minutes to eliminate things we know we don't want or need from the list.
Thanks
LRR
Putting an End to Fake Reading
Five ideas on how to get students to really read books—and enjoy themselves while doing so. By Jori Krulder
All English teachers want their students to develop a love of reading, but this is anything but a simple endeavor. Although I used to give students time to read once a week in my English classes for several years, I always knew I wasn’t making the impact I was aiming for.
After a few years, I was able to get the whole class to be silent during the reading period, but I realized that not all of the students were actually reading—and that my reading program was anything but a success.
A few summers ago, I read Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer, and it made me rethink everything I did when it came to choice reading. Now, not only do I have far fewer students “fake reading” but I’ve had several students tell me that they’ve read their first book ever by themselves in my class.
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While I’m still constantly on the lookout for better ways to help my students find books they love and develop a habit of reading, I’ve put together a toolbox of concrete ways to make choice reading work in my class.
5 Tips to Get Students Really Reading
1. Make time for what’s important: One crucial understanding I gleaned from Miller is that real readers read every day. Of course I knew this from my own reading life, but somehow I had failed to realize that I was ignoring this essential fact when it came to my students. I meet with my students for 54 minutes every day, and every last second of instructional time is precious. But making the decision to give my students 10 to 15 minutes a day to read choice books was easy once I thought about my priorities for learning.
Without a love of reading and the opportunity to practice reading skills, nothing else in my curriculum matters, and choice reading every day is one of the most effective ways I’ve found to support students in developing these skills.
2. Give students ready access to books: There’s something powerful about having a good book immediately available to hand a student. I’m constantly on the lookout for books from yard sales, thrift stores, used bookstores, and student donations, but last year I discovered DonorsChoose.org, and it has vastly improved the health and appeal of my classroom collection of books.
I asked my students to list books they’d like to read on my classroom whiteboard and tapped into the young adult book recommendations of my teacher friends on social media. In less than half an hour, I set up a DonorsChoose project, and with a little bit of social media sharing and the help of some generous donors, I had boxes of crisp, new books for my students to open with great anticipation.
3. Make reading visible: Students don’t always see the reading that’s going on all around them, so I’ve made it my mission this year to make reading more immediately visible.
At the back of my room, there’s a whiteboard labeled “Books We’ve Read” that’s divided into four sections. There’s one each for the three periods of sophomores I teach, and one for the teachers—me, my student teacher, and the resource teacher who assists in one of my classes. Everyone adds the titles of books as they finish them.
Recently, a student from one of my two sections of AP English asked me why their class wasn’t up on the board. These more advanced classes don’t have as many struggling readers as my sophomore classes, but it’s just as important to celebrate reading with them, so I’ll be adding two more sections to my board.
At the start of each month, I take a picture of the previous month’s books and then clear the board to begin again. Students are getting a little competitive—even though I’ve told them we all win in this scenario—and they’re very interested in what my co-teachers and I are reading.
They’re also fascinated with a bulletin board in my room covered in pictures of educators on our campus holding some of their favorite books, from the shop teacher with his copy of Catcher in the Rye to the vice principal holding Stephen King’s Christine.
4. Talk about books: Another way to make students aware of the reading all around them is to talk about it in the classroom. In addition to regular book talks, I make it a habit every day to ask the class, “How many people finished a book last night?” and “How many people read their choice books yesterday?” Although I know this isn’t a scientific measure of growth in my classroom, it does give students a quick, daily opportunity to see the reading happening among their classmates, and it’s a reminder of how much we value reading.
I’ve also started conferencing individually with students about their reading. Before we start our daily reading, I ask students to tell me what page they’re on in their book. Since I write this down each day, I can quickly assess which students may want to discuss a book they’ve just finished and which students aren’t making much progress in their reading—we’ll discuss their thinking about their book, and if necessary I can suggest another that might better engage them.
I meet with approximately two to four students per day during our reading time. These discussions not only help students enjoy their reading more but also help me develop stronger relationships with them.
5. Be patient and relentless: The most valuable realization I’ve had in this decades-long endeavor to help my students learn to love reading is to just keep trying. There are so many brilliant teachers out there with so many good ideas for making things better in our classrooms, and if we stay connected and keep suggesting new books, talking about books, and trying different techniques—both new and old—our students will respond.
Quote:
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
LESSON PLANS are needing your review
Please review your plans.
Some are fantastic others need to include more of your plan for the day. Let's move to the next step if we want to move students learning forward.
What do you do?
What do we do?
What do they do?
Yes, the standard is important but it is not the plan....
REFLECT and be prepared to discuss in PLC
June 1st
PBIS
Bus and Schoolwide PBIS coming soon...
Class Dojo
- List Pros and Cons to share with the SIT
Pierce Group Benefits
The annual enrollment period for our Flexible Benefits Plan will be April 2, 2018
through June 12, 2018. Our school date will be announced as soon as we are contacted.
Benefits
Good Morning,
The Open Enrollment period for our Optional Benefits is quickly approaching. Please take a few moments and review the attached document. The enrollment period runs from April 2, 2018 - June 12, 2018. Benefit Counselors from Pierce Group will be providing individual enrollment sessions at each location and employees will have the option to enroll or make changes to their current plan.
Employees 50% employed or more are eligible to participate in Colonial, FSA, Dental, Vision, Voluntary Group Term Life and Basic Term Life.
Please note: The Basic and Group Term Life Insurance will need to be re-enrolled during this year's open enrollment period. If you do not take action, your current contribution will stop effective September 30, 2018.
Please note: In order to participate in Medical or Dependent care FSA both new and existing participants must enroll. If you do not take action, your current contribution will stop effective September 30, 2018.
Joey Clinton
The Pierce Group Meeting for ALL STAFF 5-21-18 @ 3PM
DUTY WEEK C
School Events Agenda
- Observations are almost complete.
- PDP's should be signed by this afternoon.
- EVAAS roster verification underway!
- Monday- mCLASS begins
- Tuesday -
- Wednesday - DLCs w/T.Thomassen @ 3pm
- Thursday
- Friday -
- Saturday - Cinco de Mayo
Looking Ahead:
- Resturant Night - Monday 5/7 @ Chipotle
- Classroom Contest - Encourage participation!
- National Teacher Day
May 8, 2018
May 7-11, 2018
Tentative Schedule for your planning needs
- Monday – Panera breakfast
- Tuesday – dessert bar
- Wednesday – Chipotle
- Thursday – Sub tray with pasta salad, chips
- Friday – candy apples
If you haven't heard... there is a new local podcast
ARE YOU RENEWING THIS YEAR 2018?
See me if you have questions...
PLEASE, by all means, do not let your teaching license expire!
New SCOOP from DPI
Make Referrals Here:
MES Social Worker - Whitney Hill
Please use this referral form for student Social Work Request.
MES School Counselor - Eric Otis
Please use this referral form for student School Counselor Request