Digital Conferring Notes

Conferring is a very important component of Reading and Writing Workshop. 

Conferring provides individualized instruction for each student. I gain valuable knowledge about students' reading and writing through each conference and gives students confidence as well. 

It is important to take notes while conferring. I am always tweaking the way I take and manage conferring notes. I have used many different ways like sticky notes, notebooks, OneNote. I recently created a Google Form for me to quickly fill out when I meet with the child. Click here to see my Reading Conference Form. 

My favorite thing about my digital form I love the most is that I can filter my Google Sheets by homeroom, student name, skill, reading level, etc.  This helps me see what area a majority of my students are struggling with and where growth is happening. Then, I can easily create a small group or mini lesson on what is needed for my students. I also have a record of conferences for the whole year in one place for student data.

Here is a copy of my writing form as well. You can add any questions you want to make the form personal to you and your class. How to you organize your conferring notes?

Student Book Challenge

I knew I want to come back from Christmas Break and hit the ground running with building stamina and creating excitement about reading new books! So, the Student Reading Challenge was born. 

We looked back at our goals for reading, accessed how we were doing, and reviewed good reading strategies. I challenged my students to the 20 book challenge to begin with. This will not be 20 individual books, per say, because I didn't want students to read just 20 picture books. I wanted to encourage a variety. Together, we created a point system:

Picture books= 1 point

Graphic Novels= 5 points

Chapter Books= 10 points

The only requirement I gave them is that they had to read at least one chapter book. 

Click here to grab a copy of the document students are recording their books on. 

After students earn 20 points they share the document with me, and we talk about the books they read. They earn a certificate and get to sign the 20 point sign in our classroom library. I love recognizing hard work with a positive note from me that can go home!

Click here to grab a copy of the certificate that students can earn. 

From there, students start working on the next challenge: 40 points, 60 points, etc! Let me know if you have any questions. 

Can they get to 100 "books" before the end of the year? That's the real challenge!

3-2-1 New Year Reflection

Happy New Year! 

I love the start of something new! In education, I love that I have two chances to reflect on my life and set new goals. 

With my own family, we sit down and reflect together and then talk about the year to come.

I am going to be doing the same thing with my students this year. They love our 3-2-1 FriYAY, so I created a 3-2-1 New Year Reflection. I'm excited for our conversations and the community it will help build for the remainder of the year. I will also model how reflecting and thinking about the new year will help me pick my ONE word.

Click here to grab a copy of the digital template of 3-2-1 New Year. 

You can have students fill out digitally, print a copy for each of them, or complete as a scoot.

For the scoot, print a blank copy for each student and place the 3-2-1 sheets up around the room. You could partner students up in groups and have them rotate and discuss as they go around. 

I'm excited to see my students in a few days and celebrate a new year and decade with them!

Happy 2020!!!