This year I tried to pull together lots of different pieces of learning that I’ve had over the last few years, dig into them deeper, and be intentional about implementing them to try to design my classroom to live out my teaching mission every.
I tried to run my classroom as much as possible throughout the day as a workshop, empowering kids through work menus and choices. I continued to use and build better self-paced learning and blended learning environments. Because of extenuating circumstances, my class was in the middle of 2 PBL units and we were not able to complete them. We were planning a school-wide Makerspace Monthly Challenge and also planning to build a fence for Noah’s Garden. The thing I am most proud of is that my MA 1-2 team gamified a Social Studies unit during our PLC time to give students real life experience in trading, natural and man-made resources, regions, and supply and demand. This was no easy undertaking but we all really thought it was worthwhile and am already thinking of a game for next year.
This goal is never-ending and will never be perfect. Next year I want to continue the workshop models, but make them more manageable for the teacher. I need to remember to go slow when teaching the workshop routine; model, support, and scaffold expectations and how to problem solve. I will continue to teach thematically, bringing out Science and Social Studies concepts all through the day and continuing to reflect on Kavolik’s big ideas. I will continue to implement PBL units (possibly another garden focus and Makerspace Monthly Challenge) with intention as well as self-paced and blended learning to meet students where they are and to help them own their learning. I will continue with the goal of taking students TO the Makerspace once a month next year, but I will also remember to bring makerspace materials TO the classroom (maybe in a big tub) and teach students how to manage that independently.
One exciting next step is that I recently ordered a book called, The Curious Classroom: 10 Steps for Teaching with Student-Directed Inquiry by Harvey Daniels. I am ready to get reading and planning for integrating his steps next year. I'd also like to collect absenteeism data to see if my attendance rate is going up because of the changes I'm making in the classroom. I also want to give a likert scale to kids 3 times per year to gauge their feelings toward each subject and school. Next year I want to create rubrics for thematic projects and also continue to be intentional when planning for learner outcomes and 21st century skills.
10/1/20 -- Decided to have spelling tests every 2 weeks this year instead of every week
10/22/19 -- Without prompting Ss are moving forward with their self-paced fall unit. It’s so great to have
2nd graders be able to show the first graders the way. I am not needing long for the first unit, Ss could
be done in 2 weeks but I’m giving them 3. Need to get Level 3 geometry ready. Ask Carrie how to copy
so I can use it.
2nd graders be able to show the first graders the way. I am not needing long for the first unit, Ss could
be done in 2 weeks but I’m giving them 3. Need to get Level 3 geometry ready. Ask Carrie how to copy
so I can use it.
11/6/19 — Introduced self-paced level charts. Told kids to look at who is in group and if have questions,
ask someone in their group because they are going through it too. 2nd grade student did! Looked up at
chart and then turned to a 1st grade student and asked for help during work time!
ask someone in their group because they are going through it too. 2nd grade student did! Looked up at
chart and then turned to a 1st grade student and asked for help during work time!
11/12/19
Picture of kids doing a puzzle together and a STEM challenge in class.
This is the first day it really ran the way I envisioned it. I introduced Eiffel Tower building challenge for the
week with a 1 minute video. I also put it on Canvas they could watch longer, but they weren’t interested
yet. This is the first time 2nd grade boy and 1st grade girl have EVER put together a puzzle. They really
did NOT understand the idea of making a frame or looking for straight side or similar colors but they
worked on it for 30 minutes and cheered when they finished it! 2nd grade boy and 1st grade boy used
Tangram Osmo when they finished their work time for nearly 30 minutes also.
week with a 1 minute video. I also put it on Canvas they could watch longer, but they weren’t interested
yet. This is the first time 2nd grade boy and 1st grade girl have EVER put together a puzzle. They really
did NOT understand the idea of making a frame or looking for straight side or similar colors but they
worked on it for 30 minutes and cheered when they finished it! 2nd grade boy and 1st grade boy used
Tangram Osmo when they finished their work time for nearly 30 minutes also.
New ideas: Kids DO have focus, attention, stamina, problem solving skills when it is something they are
interested in and motivated to do .
interested in and motivated to do .
1/2/20 Coaching Corner - 2 yoga ball chairs in the corner
Picture of 2nd grade girl waiting for a coach
1/6/20 Decided to change the format for responding to building challenges to Flipgrid. Took some time
to learn exactly how to use Flipgrid and I think students will enjoy 1 place they can go to to see all of the
challenges and responses. The next step is that I’d like the kids to take ownership of sharing out the
challenge with other classrooms. Maybe talk to them next week about who they’d like to invite to the
uilding challenges and have them go to the classrooms to explain. Maybe have the student of the week
pick the challenge? Would like to introduce a new challenge every new work menu, so about every 2
weeks.
to learn exactly how to use Flipgrid and I think students will enjoy 1 place they can go to to see all of the
challenges and responses. The next step is that I’d like the kids to take ownership of sharing out the
challenge with other classrooms. Maybe talk to them next week about who they’d like to invite to the
uilding challenges and have them go to the classrooms to explain. Maybe have the student of the week
pick the challenge? Would like to introduce a new challenge every new work menu, so about every 2
weeks.
Bring the makerspace materials TO the kids and they will build!!
My goal was to make it to the Makerspace at least 1 time/ month this year and I announced this goal to
the class with the hopes that they would help keep me accountable. This one was in January with a
challenge to make the vehicle go the farthest. We DID go every month that we had school this year,
sometimes with a challenge, sometimes with just free range of the materials. If it was getting late in the
month, 2nd grade boy was always the one to remind me of my promise.
the class with the hopes that they would help keep me accountable. This one was in January with a
challenge to make the vehicle go the farthest. We DID go every month that we had school this year,
sometimes with a challenge, sometimes with just free range of the materials. If it was getting late in the
month, 2nd grade boy was always the one to remind me of my promise.
1st and 2nd grade MA teachers worked to gether to create a game to address Social Studies standards.
It was called Community Survivor and involved natural resources, scarcity, regions, and trading. We
implemented the game for 4 days before spring break.
It was called Community Survivor and involved natural resources, scarcity, regions, and trading. We
implemented the game for 4 days before spring break.
Other goals/ ideas
Summer 2019 - plan for integrated Science and Social Studies
Year Long - implement 1 PBL project
Year Long - pick out big concepts, revise year-long theme essential questions and big ideas and implement
Year Long - revise math canvas units and implement a spelling self-paced unit
Year Long - continue to evaluate use of blended learning in the classroom
9/2019 Research Phase
1. Kavolik opens the books with a list of mismemes about education. The one that stuck with me the most is; "Acquisition of Knowledge and Skills is the goal of education" instead Kavolik believes . . .
The purpose of Public Education is the Perpetuation of Democracy - our country would be better served by schools that produce caring, intelligent, wise citizens who willingly engage in the work of a democracy, rather than schools that produce graduates that do well on isolated subgoals. The main goal is to show Ss how to connect learning with the real issues of their surroundings, than solve problems. Education for citizenship, teachers need to orchestrate opportunities for doing the real work of a community. I believe Kavolik would support Project Based Learning and Authentic Intellectual Work.
2. Focus on a year-long theme, continue to come back to the essential questions and key points often. I've done this for nearly 18 years, but this year would be more than ever. To do this I first had the theme wall in a corner of the room and decided that it wasn't easily accessible to students or myself so I moved it front and center to the whiteboard by our whole group area. I put up big concept words for each essential question and have taken pictures to make our learning more visual. We talk about it almost daily and I intentionally plan for the connections to theme more than I have before.
3. Kavolik focused a lot on the importance of relationships with students, another reason for me to slow down and make sure I'm continuing to do the essentials of Capturing Kids Hearts in my classroom everyday.
4. Kavolik devoted a chapter to teaching life skills, many of which are our Nevada Learner Outcomes. I had all of them on my year long plan to teach except pride. Need to think more about this one.
5. Kavolik suggests eliminating regular schedules with their specified time blocks. I've begun to blend my literacy and math work times to give students choice about the tasks they complete. I use a work menu that allows students to make choices and practice responsibility and prioritizing. I began the year with a station rotation model, but sooner than years before, we quit the rotation model and moved to the work menu. We've had to have lots of discussions about work time expectations and practice those again and again.
Some things I need to continue to grow at;
1. Dig deeper into writing key points and inquiries and assessment of them.
Lasting thoughts from the book; Anything less than preparation for life is a waste of both student and teacher time and effort.
Other resources I used this year:
Summer/ Fall 2019 - reread Susan Kavolik’s ITI: The Model, Integrated Thematic Instruction
Nevada PhD - writing workshop session with Amanda and DebbieSummer 2019 - PBL training
Nevada PhD - Canvas session by Carrie HIllman and Joe Wakeman to learn about badgr and mastery pass
Nevada PhD - Makerspace session with Carrie Hillman
Teach Outside the Box - Enlightening Young Engineers blogFewer Things Better by Angela Watson
Best Practices at Tier 1 - Daily Differentiation for Effective Instruction by Mike Mattos
Teach like a Pirate by Dave Burgess
11/17/20 ICDP Goal Creation and Why
A few years ago on a TLC professional development day, we began to learn about creating a teaching mission statement and given time to create a draft and share it with colleagues for feedback. For years it sat in a frame on a shelf in my classroom. I looked at it when I'd have a bad day to remember the big picture and what my "why" was. This year I decided to focus my ICDP goal on trying to live out my teaching mission because the last few years I've been attending professional development on SO many great strategies and models and trying to make them all fit has been such a struggle. This got me to take a step back and begin to think about what I believe is most important and this led me back to my teaching mission statement. This statement is the lens that will help me decide what is valuable to have and use in my classroom and what to begin to do less of and even leave out. This is the first blog post of my journey toward living out my teaching mission statement.
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