Waiting For Superman

What is your reaction to Waiting For Superman movie?

http://coachingchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/09/waiting-for-superman.html

Seats

Awesome Seats for Kindergarten

Camping Bucket Seat Directions: 

http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/08/camping-buttckets.html

Being Kind

#1 Be Safe

#2 Be Happy

Mister Kindergarten writes about his third ‘rule’:  #3 Being Kind

http://misterkindergarten.blogspot.com/2010/09/being-kind.html

The rest of the rules…

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/mister-kindergarten-classroom-procedures-awesome/

The Worst is Kissing

According to this teachers’ students!  The WORST is KISSING!!!…………….. 

http://chocolateforteachers.blogspot.com/2010/08/writing-ideas.html

Chocolate For Teachers tell some FUNNY LAUGH OUT LOUD stories that only teachers’  or parents will appreciate.

Advice: Don’t Wash Your Cellphone!

Today I forgot to empty my pockets.  Cell phone and water doesn’t mix.  I bought a new one, but I have lost all my contacts….

Mister Kindergarten Classroom Procedures AWESOME

Classroom Rule #1 Be Safe

Physical Safe:   http://misterkindergarten.blogspot.com/2010/08/be-safe.html

Social Safe:    http://misterkindergarten.blogspot.com/2010/08/being-safe-part-two.html

Psychological Safe:  http://misterkindergarten.blogspot.com/2010/09/being-safe-part-3-psychological-safety.html

Classroom Rule  #2 Be Happy

http://misterkindergarten.blogspot.com/2010/09/be-happy.html

Classroom Rule #3 Be Kind

… I will post a link to his writing when he writes about it… coming soon! 

As I read Mr. Kindergarten’s posts about school climate, I bet you wish he was your kinder’s teacher!!!!

Rocks to Join Class

Everybody Needs A Rock First Day of School Activity

Read Everybody Needs A Rock.

Day 2:  Everyone brings a rock to school or teacher has rocks to select from.  Each student stands and introduces themselves to the class. They tell the class something special about themselves and the place their rock into the basket, saying, “My name is , and with this rock I join the class.”

Many ideas here: 

http://www.opencourtresources.com/ocr/links/units/first_day_of_school/everybody_needs_a_rock.html

Word Work

There are also tons of games dedicated to word work.  Scrabble, , Pictionary, Scattergories, crossword/word searches, and Guesstures are a couple popular word work games. Many teachers incorporate word games into their word work time, then include them as recess or free time opportunities.

How To Learn About A Word

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/word-study-how-to-learn-about-a-word/

Making Words

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/making-words-by-patricia-cunningham/

More Word Ideas

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/more-word-activities/

Word Book Ideas

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/07/26/working-with-words-read-alouds/

Word Families

http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/word-work-teaching-letter-patterns-with-picture-support/

Gradual Release – What Language Do You Like?

Authors Take a Concept and Apply Their Own Language.  What is the Gradual Release Language that works for you?

Linda Dorn and Carla Soffos writes in their book, Literate Minds (2005): 1. Modeling 2. Coaching  3. Scaffolding 4. Fading

Regie Routman writes in her book, Reading Essentials (2003): 1. Demonstration 2. Shared Demonstration 3. Guided Practice 4. Independent Practice

Pat Johnson writes in her book, One Child at a Time (2006): 1. Modeling 2. Scaffolding 3. Prompting 4. Backing Off 5. Reinforcing

Fountas and Pinnell writes in Guiding Readers and Writers (2001): 1. Show 2. Support 3. Prompt 4. Reinforce 5. Observe

Deb Renner Smith writes about  in Beyond Retelling and on this blog: I Do, We Do, You Do

P. David Pearson gets us thinking about automaticity

We need to accept our students for who they are.  “They are who they are. They know what they know.  They bring what they bring.”  says P. David Pearson.

I apply this by thinking about applying my teaching as I Do, We Do, You Do or gradual release.

I Do:  The students see me model a task, thinking through a strategy, or how to apply a skill.

We Do:  The students help me with the task, strategy or skill.  We share the work.  I honor their responses thinking about scaffolding on a building.  How can I remove my help so that the students will be able to do the task, strategy, or skill successfully alone?

You Do:  I remove my support or scaffolds.  The students are working independently while I monitor.  What does the student have automaticity over? 

When a student is not thinking about something and is able to work through the task independently, the student is working in Vygotsky’s  zone of proximal development. 

Practice makes perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect and leads to automaticity.  Teachers should consider what students can perform alone and what are tasks, strategies, and skills that the student is ready to learn with modeling (I Do) or with you (We Do).