Mustang Musings
November 18, 2018
Three Questions Your Students Should Be Able to Answer
2. What is your power goal?
3. How do you practice your power goal?
What are YOU reading?
On Target for IRLA Reading Level
At this point in the year, our students should be at these points:
K-.20
1st-1.20
2nd-2.20
3rd-3.20
4th-4.20
HES creates readers!
On Target for Reading Practice
ARC Swimming Pool
Are Your Students Growing?
By now we should see at least 0.2 growth points for students. Things to think about if your students are not showing that growth:
- Have you given them credit in foundational skills for everything they showed they can do during entry?
- Do they have home reading and engagement down?
- Are you able to see those lower students often enough to capture their learning?
- Are they ready for the next level?
Steps calendar for this month
ARC Focus of the Week
- All students should have reader and writer engagement scores entered into School Pace
- Reading steps need to be entered daily.
- Every child should be conferenced with at least one time every 10 days. Students in emergency must be met with more frequently.
Turnaround Tuesday
Teach the Teacher
Thinking about how our environment affects our practice...
Reutzel and Clark (2011) explain that the physical arrangement and organization of a classroom can be powerful and supportive of effective literacy instruction. Literate environments should motivate students and emphasize the importance of speaking, reading, and writing (The Access Center, 2007). Creating a literate classroom environment where students feel well, productive, energized, and safe requires design knowledge (Roskos & Neuman, 2011).
Below you will find practical, helpful suggestions to aid you in designing a literate environment to benefit literacy development for your students. Suggestions are based on the work of Reutzel and Clark (2011), Roskos and Neuman (2011), and The Access Center (2007).
- Create a well-organized library of books of various levels and genres. Include a minimum of about 10 books per student.
- Provide students with other print resources, such as magazines, newspapers, recipes, signs, menus, etc.
- Set up areas with pillows or cozy chairs where students can enjoy reading.
- Use the walls! Display labels, word walls, anchor charts, posters, and student work that will be used and referred to by your students.
- Set up areas for literacy centers or stations. Organize materials in colorful bins that make use and clean up easy.
- Provide students with a wide range of engaging materials to promote reading and writing. Some materials may include colorful markers or pens, letter tiles, magnets, puppets, Play-Doh, learning mats, or games.
- Arrange a large rug to serve as a place for the class to gather, read, and learn together away from their desks.
- Incorporate technology. Consider using iPads, computers, or active whiteboards as tools for motivating students about literacy.
Great Idea!
On Monday, the morning message reflects the learning from last week.
Each day, the learning target is introduced.
The morning message for each day of the week is posted for the week.
Quote to Consider
What can I do for you?
- Modeling
- Side-by-side coaching
- Coaching and modeling of using the IRLA
- Round up resources
- Assist with differentiating lessons or materials
- Cover your class so that you can observe a colleague's class
- Cooperatively plan a lesson or series of lessons that meet best practices
- Serve as another pair of hands for a lesson
- Offer strategies for classroom management
- Help you connect with other teachers in the district
- Lend an open ear for a topic of your choice
- Reflect on student learning in your classroom through conversation and observation
- Work collaboratively to bounce ideas off one another to address a concern
- Evaluate new students to guide instruction
Hardy Elementary School
Email: lhenk@iwcs.k12.va.us
Website: http://hes.iwcs.k12.va.us/
Location: 9311 Hardy Circle, Smithfield, VA, United States
Phone: 757-357-3204
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hardy-Elementary-School-205065852892284/
Twitter: @Mrs_Henk