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!!!

Encourage Reading and Writing Over the Break

As teachers we know the importance of reading each day and that regression can occur over breaks. I like to encourage my students in fun ways to read and write over the Holiday break. 

Here are 4 ways you can encourage your students:

1. Reading Incentive- 

This incentive encourages students to read 30 minutes a day. You could set it for less if you have younger students. You can send the letter home to parents along with the reading mug. The top readers will get to have breakfast with me when we return in January. We will eat and talk about the books we have read. Yes, I will be reading over break and keeping track too to show my students.

Click here to grab a copy of my letter and mug that I will be sending home with my students next week. 

                  

2. Who's Reading What?-

I am also going to share a collaborative document with my students in Google Classroom so we can see in live time the books being read and get ideas and recommendations over break! I am excited to see all the books being read and the pictures that will come in! Click here to grab a copy!

3. Christmas Break Journal-
If I'm encouraging reading, I am definitely going to encourage writing too! I love hearing from students over break. I will share this Christmas Break Journal in Google Classroom with my students. I can easily respond back to them and show I care even over the holiday. (I will not respond everyday. I will take time to enjoy my break and family too.) Even if you don't respond over break, students will be collecting writing ideas and can share with one another when we return in January.
Click here for a copy.

4. Reading Bingo from Capstone- 

This is another cute option to share with students over break that I found from Capstone Reading on reading that makes reading fun. It offers several creative ideas for reading!

I already have a stack of books I'll be reading over break! Remember to model what you teach and preach. :) How do you encourage reading and writing over the break?

Light Up Your School

Similar to my Gratitude Challenge, I am going to encourage my students to Light Up Wells by writing notes to share how those around us make our school a better place. I loved seeing how happy it made my students to deliver their thankful notes last month. 

I will kick off our Light Up Wells initiative by giving students a light bulb with handwritten note when they walk in Monday morning that shares with them how they light up our classroom. Then, we will string the light bulbs to create a festive decoration for our classroom.

Click here to edit a copy for your students and campus.

I will print the suggested calendar and light bulbs for students to write notes two to a page. 

I want to focus on the positives that are happening on our campus. I believe it is worth a few minutes each day to allow students to think of who they could encourage and practice lifting LIGHTING others UP! 

Using Book, Head, Heart to Support Reading Comprehension

Are you looking for ways for your students to think deeply and differently about texts? I have found one that I love and that has changed the way my students think about the texts they read. In Disruptive Thinking by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst, they introduce us to a reading strategy called Book, Head, Heart (BHH). This strategy helps students think deeper, synthesize their learning, and make real life connections. 

Book, Head, Heart has specific questions for students to think about while they read. It moves them beyond the text and ignites critical thinking skills. Beers and Probst suggest that "Reading is about growing, about changing who we are, about helping us see ourselves in the world from a slightly different perspective." pg. 69.

I start by introducing Book, Head, Heart during Read Aloud. This way students hear me modeling my thinking about BHH before they try it on their own. Students are also able to have collaborative conversations and self discovery during this time.

My favorite questions from Book, Head, Heart:
Book-What does the author want us to know?
Head- What surprised me? 

Heart- How will this book help me become a better person?

These questions are also great when conferring with your students to see their thinking and what area students are struggling. 

Click here for a copy of this BHH handout for your students to use.

I added Signposts because we also talk about Beers and Probst' Signposts and how they can help us as reader to Notice and Note when we are reading. If students Notice and Note a Words of the Wiser it often ties into the life/heart lesson and add we add that quote to our Reading Graffiti Wall

This helps students dig deep to find the the theme/heart lesson of the book they are reading. 

Have you heard of Book, Head, Heart? How do you implement this strategy in your classroom?

Gratitude Challenge

Gratitude is a trait I have been trying to help my students cultivate this year. Each day when they check in, they reflect and share one thing they are grateful for. I love reading what they are thankful for! It is easy to take what we have for granted. 

I am initiating a Gratitude Challenge for my students starting tomorrow. I am going to "challenge" them to write a note to one person each day saying thank you for something they do for them.

I created a calendar with a different person each school day until Thanksgiving break. I am going to print one off for each student. They can color in the box after they complete that "challenge". The goal is to spread an attitude of gratitude throughout our classroom and entire school.

Click here to grab a copy of this Gratitude Challenge!

 I will print out leaves for students to write their notes on and encourage them to write and deliver one a day.

Teachers and other staff members can join in too! Let's grow our own gratitude and thankful attitudes while encouraging those around us. During a time of year that can be stressful and busy, let's model for and teach our students what really matters.

I hope you will participate in the Gratitude Challenge!