K-5 Curriculum Newsletter
September 2019
#HTSDPride
Enjoy!
Questions to start the school year
As we begin a new school year with a new group of students, it is important to build a welcoming classroom community that aims to value student opinions and ideas. During those first few days of school, ask questions to get to know your students and make them feel important and like a valued member of the classroom.
Beginning of the Year Questions
What makes you comfortable at school?
What can I do as the teacher to make you feel welcome here?
How do you like to start your school day?
What is your list of pros/cons for school?
As the school year progresses, it is important to continue these conversations with students and ask them questions about their feelings. Once the school year starts rolling, it is easy for us to get lost in daily routines and these things can be overlooked. Making sure their social and emotional needs are met, however, is just as important as their academics.
Questions to use through-out the school year
Is there anything that happens in school that makes you feel fear, anger, or sadness?
What motivates you to do well in school?
What do you feel you contribute to our classroom and/or our school?
What can we do to make our classroom a better place?
I wish you all a wonderful school year! Feel free to use these questions to help build and grow trustful relationships in your classroom. Getting to know our students allows us to help them find solutions to these questions and grow as productive learners.
Advocating for the Arts: Looking at the World in a Different Way
During one of the professional development workshops this summer, it was my pleasure to work with a small group of our Arts Education faculty to begin work on a district “philosophy” of why the arts are important. My intention was for us to sell to others why it is important for every child to study music, visual art, theater arts, and dance. During this presentation, we viewed research on how the arts affect the brain, and we viewed presentations given by neuroscientists and advocates for the arts along these same lines. A link to one of these presentations is included in this newsletter. While the subject matter of neuroscience is somewhat heavy, I believe this moderately short (20 minute) video will keep you highly engaged.
What took me by surprise during this workshop were the personal stories that were shared in regard to how we became artists and musicians, and how and why we became educators in our sub-disciplines. It seems that while all of our stories are different, we all share a passion for our art, and some kind of turning point that sent us in the direction that lead us here. Many of these stories were quite emotional--not surprising, given the obvious connection between the arts and emotional expression.
Finally, three points that I have gleaned over years of discussing this topic:
While the arts may truly enhance performance in other disciplines, we should not justify the study of the arts due to those peripheral effects.
The most important reason to advocate for the arts is the emotional connection. Creating and performing are the most appropriate activities that our children can do to express themselves.
As the speaker in the video points out: “The purpose of the arts is to allow us to look at the world differently than we did. If you are engaged with a painting or a sculpture or a film or a piece of music, and you feel the same way at the end of your engagement as you did at the beginning of it, I would say that work of art has failed you. It’s purpose is to recontextualize reality in some way, to change the way that you feel.”
Next month: Specific benefits of an Arts Education! Have a great 19-20 school year, and believe in what you do!
Using Read Alouds to Teach Class Rules, Routines and Procedures
Every September teachers get the chance to meet and learn about a new group of students, as well as the opportunity to create a vibrant classroom community where learning and growing can take place. Spending the first few weeks of school explicitly teaching students about the class rules, routines, and procedures is time well invested. In teaching kids what the rules and expectations are in the classroom you not only provide students with security and consistency, but you are helping to create an optimum learning environment.
Teaching rules, routines and procedures doesn’t have to be tedious or boring. Using the right read aloud can make this fun for both you and the students. Using books aid in the explanation and setting of the rules and procedures.Read alouds happen during whole group time, with the teacher taking on most of the responsibility of reading out loud.
Here are some tips to make your read aloud purposeful and fun for you and your students.
Preview books to decide if they are suitable for the lesson and for your students.
Mark passages in the book that may work for “think alouds” or reading strategy lessons.
Choose books that you enjoy! If you don’t like a book, you won’t be able to convince your students that you enjoy it.
If prior knowledge of specific concepts is necessary for understanding, introduce those ideas before reading.
If you have a document camera, place your book under it so your students can follow the words.
Be sure to read with expression and enthusiasm...don’t be afraid to act silly and ham it up with sound effects!
For more information on read alouds check out Rocking Your Read Aloud!
Launching Math Workshop (and Guided Math groups)
Many teachers know setting up routines at the beginning of the year is one of the most important keys to a successful year. Launching the Guided Math Workshop is no different. Having a solid structure is essential! Since math workshop has many flexible components, establishing clear structures with procedures before, during, and after each rotation is a must. The first step to establishing a successful guided math workshop model is understanding the key components of a successful math classroom.
Warm-Up: The warm-up routine will set the stage for the rest of the day for your students. This routine should include number talk or some other number sense routine for students to engage in, calendar activities, or estimations. This is the time to review skills and strategies that require many repetitions to master. It should not take more than 5-10 minutes or be a review of homework and should be used as a transition for students into the world of mathematics.
Mini-Lesson: Moving into the mini-lesson, a typical mini-lesson should hit on 4 components. Your mini-lesson should be used to entice, excite, and engage your students. It should be a concise, targeted lesson lasting only 15-20 minutes. Be mindful that the mini-lesson is very focused and centered around a single objective. Students should be called together in an area of the room conducive to engaging students in math talk. Students can bring manipulatives, whiteboards and markers, notebooks and pencils or any other materials they may need to engage in the lesson. Modeling an example problem, creating an anchor chart, or showing a video can all occur during the mini-lesson.
Active Engagement: During this time, students should be given the opportunity to engage in doing math. This is the time the teacher can gather data to help determine which students need additional support or enrichment. This component can include students turning and talking to each other about strategies they used to solve a problem. Students should be engaged in math talk and encouraged to use pictures and specific math language to share their understanding.
Math Stations/Small Guided Math Groups: The next important component is the math stations. The rotations or stations are where the magic happens in the math workshop model. The bulk of student learning takes place during this portion of the lesson. This 30-45 minute component can make or break a student's experience with the workshop model. Clear procedures are imperative and must be practiced over and over again.
Each station should target a current or past objective and should include problem-solving, fluency, math games, and independent practice. Assessment, kinetics, inquiry-based lessons, and much more can also be incorporated into the math rotations. Students can be grouped heterogeneously based on many different data points including student learning style and personality. It is important that students be grouped so all members can be productively engaged in the learning station.
Keeping students engaged for the entire rotation is important. Introduce each station slowly in the beginning of the year so students understand what is expected of them. Having students constantly interrupt your small group lesson will be counterproductive to the workshop model being successful. Slow and steady wins the race!
While students are working in math stations, the teacher should be either working with a small group of students or conferencing with individual students. Small group lessons are the time for teachers to address errors and misconceptions from the mini-lesson. This is also the time to extend the lesson for students needing extra enrichment and engagement. The teacher should meet with groups of 3-4 students or one on one conferences. The groups may correct errors from a previous assignment, set goals for upcoming tests, or do extension activities using previous skills/strategies to demonstrate mastery. These groups must be homogeneous as opposed to the learning stations that can be more flexible.
Whole Group Share/Reflection: The last component to successful math workshop is the whole group share/reflection. Students should come together to wrap up the day’s activities. Students can engage in a quick turn and talk or quick write reflecting on their learning about what they learned. The final words of the lesson are the conclusion to the day’s workshop and a chance to remind students of the mini-lesson’s original objective.
Math workshop is a great way to meet the needs of all students in the classroom regardless of their incoming math ability. Students are shown to be more enthusiastic about math and feel more confident about their math abilities. Setting routines for math workshop at the beginning of the year can take some time and effort but soon your workshop will be running smoothly and everyone (including the teacher) will be excited about the math block.
Data Tip - iReady Resources
There are a ton of resources for iReady so in this guide I will highlight the most important ones for you to take a look at.
For the purpose of analyzing data
For administrators, the iReady Spring Navigator Reports were shared with you. They provide you with a district, school, class, teacher, and student analysis.
The most important question you should ask is whether or not your students showed growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. If the student did not show growth, then go through your data protocol to identify the issue and come up with a solution.
iReady has also created a couple of 1 pagers that explain how to locate your growth reports. Additionally, a historical report will be released after the first benchmark.
Typical and Stretch Growth
Typical Growth: The Typical Goals represent the median growth made by students (i.e. growth for students at the 50th percentile); which also means that 50% of students nationally made typical growth in any given subject/grade/placement level.
Stretch Growth: Nationally, roughly 25% to 30% of students achieving stretch growth.
Setting Developmental Levels
iReady places every student at grade level at the beginning of the school year. The first question the student receives is one below grade level. From there the test is adaptive to the student responses. If you have a student who you know scored at least two grade levels below in the previous year, you can set his/her diagnostic one level below grade level to help build confidence and get a more accurate report of student performance. This information can be found on page 74 of the teacher success guide.
iReady Central
iReady Central is the best location to find resources for iReady. Focus on these resources first.
iReady Central Ideas is the webpage within iReady Central for user ideas.
Nuances
Screen readers are now an option. Please check with the Special Services Supervisor or ESL Supervisor to see whether it is appropriate.
The math diagnostic is now available in Spanish. When turned on, it should be turned on for the whole year or it will skew the data. (Must be turned on by account manager too). The instruction is not available in Spanish.
Curricular Resources
P.E.: SEPTEMBER’S START THE SCHOOL YEAR “WRITE” FITNESS CHALLENGE
World Language: Elementary Spanish- Middlebury Interactive Languages Google Share Folder
Math/Science: Math Workshop Model Videos
English: 10 Read Alouds to Teach Classroom Rules and Expectations
ESL: Academic Vocabulary Development for ELL's
Data/Assessment: Reviewing Existing Data and Asking Questions
Art/Music: Art, Music, and the Brain: The Benefits of Musical Training
Notes from Mr. Scotto
Welcome Back to the 19/20 School Year!
Once again, the Office of Curriculum & Instruction coordinated the Summer Institute for Professional Development. We offered 43 workshops and had over 190 registrants attend sessions facilitated by teachers & staff, administrators, and some of our product vendors. As we prepare for the October and November In-Services, we anticipate running "choice sessions" again; in the coming weeks, look for an email asking staff to consider being a presenter.
By now, you should have received an email from your curriculum supervisor(s) regarding any changes/updates/revisions for the 19/20 school year. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the curricular enhancements linked to your program. Many staff (including teachers) worked very hard over the summer to strengthen/improve various areas within the curriculum.
HTSD Curriculum Department
Anthony Scotto, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Supervisors of K-5 Staff
Alejandro Batlle, Health/PE and World Language
Kevin Bobetich, Testing/Assessment
Sandra Jacome, ESL K-12, Title I Pre-K, & Family Engagement
Jeffrey Lesser, Art and Music (Interim)
Heather Lieberman, K-5 ELA and Social Studies
Katie Mallon, K-5 Math and Science
Email: curriculum@hamilton.k12.nj.us
Website: https://www.hamilton.k12.nj.us/
Location: 90 Park Avenue, Hamilton Township, NJ, United States
Phone: 6096314100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreHTSD/
Twitter: @HTSDCurriculum