Chapters 5,6, and 7 - Math, Social Studies, and Science

Please share with the group the most important information you gained from your content area.  What will you do differently with your students this year based on what you read?

Chapter 4 - Best Practice Writing

I am adding this post coincidentally on the day before our Lucy Calkins training.  I am wondering how the training tomorrow will coincide with what I just read in Chapter 4 and thinking it will probably mesh very well.  As I have each chapter, I enjoyed chapter 4.  Writing instruction was a challenge for me as a teacher and huge emphasis was not placed on portfolio type writing in 5th grade.  That being said, I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the various writing classrooms and the writing workshop structure makes sense to me.  I was drawn to the last few pages of the chapter.  I like the chart titled Recommendations on Teaching Writing on page 155 and again wondered if this is something to share with all teachers at this point.  Strangely, one of my favorite parts of this chapter were the parts about grading/marking student work.  It is nice to read that it is not best practice to try to grade/mark each student's paper each time they write and that this can actually hinder their writing.  As a teacher, I think this would encourage me to allow students to write more and not get so caught up in feeling I need to grade/mark each paragraph in each piece.

What did you like most about this chapter? 

Courtney, Jodi, and Britt,
How can you take a step in the right direction toward being an even better writing teacher this year?  Did this chapter prompt you to want to work on something specific?

Heather & Jim, what is our role in supporting teachers as they weed through all that is "writing instruction" and make it the most effective for students and the most manageable for teachers?  

Chapter 3 - Best Practice in Reading

Well, I must start by saying that I LOVED this chapter.  I have enjoyed the whole book and have appreciated that it has allowed me to think about school and the goals I have for our reading program.  It has been nice because this book has not caused me to feel stress or anxiety (as many do) but rather it has made me excited!  :)  I think that is likely because (as we have been saying) we are well on our way with many of the best practices shared in this book. 

I particularly loved this chapter because I love to learn about reading instruction.  When Heather and I started in our current positions, we knew we had a long way to go in improving our reading program at NES.  We have come SO far over the course of the last few years.  It is nice to read that what we believe to be "best practice" is affirmed in this book.  I love that the book talks about the importance of the thinking/comprehension strategies and I love the emphasized importance on read aloud time.  I really enjoyed looking inside the classroom of a great teacher and I think my favorite part was the detailed description of a solid reading program.

After reading chapter 3, what were your big "take aways"?  When you think about yourself as a reading teacher, what do you feel are your strengths and what is the area you want to learn more about and/or become more masterful at this year? 

Chapter 2 - The Seven Structures of Best Practice Teaching

Chapter 2 discusses the seven structures of Best Practice Teaching.  I loved reading about these strategies and realizing how many of them are already in place in our classrooms and are already considered "best practice" at NES.  Look at the list below -
1.  Gradual Release
2.  Classroom Workshop
3.  Strategic Thinking
4.  Collaborative Activities
5.  Integrative Units
6.  Representing to Learn
7.  Formative-Reflective Assessment

Looking at this list also helped me make a "priority list" of areas we need to work on.  Which of these practices do you feel like will be your top priority in your classroom when school starts back?  After reading about each one, which did you feel brought about the most urgency/desire to make changes in that area?  Choose one or two and share your thoughts.

Chapter 1 - What Do We Mean by Best Practice

Chapter 1 opens by comparing educators to doctors who do not update their practices and describes the importance of seeking out the most up to date "practices" for teaching and learning in order to give our students the very best.  We have all heard veteran educators comment that nothing is really "new", but rather all things come back around in education.  How do we balance the two - new "best practice" ideas and tried and true instructional strategies?