Tuesday Teaching Tips - 5 Helpful Hints for Close Reading

1. Number the paragraphs

The Common Core asks students to be able to cite and refer to the text. One simple way to do this is by numbering each paragraph, section or stanza in the left hand margin. When students refer to the text, require them to state which paragraph they are referring to. The rest of the class will be able to quickly find the line being referred to. 

2. Chunk the text.

When faced with a full page of text, reading it can quickly become overwhelming for students. Breaking up the text into smaller sections (or chunks) makes the page much more manageable for students. Students do this by drawing a horizontal line between paragraphs to divide the page into smaller sections.

3. Underline and circle… with a purpose.

Telling students to simply underline “the important stuff” is too vague. “Stuff” is not a concrete thing that students can identify. Instead, direct students to underline and circle very specific things. Think about what information you want students to take from the text, and ask them to look for those elements. What you have students circle and underline may change depending on the text type.

For example, when studying an argument, ask students to underline “claims”. We identify claims as belief statements that the author is making. Students will quickly discover that the author makes multiple claims throughout the argument.

When studying poetry, students could underline the imagery they find throughout the poem.

Providing students with a specific thing you want them to underline or circle will focus their attention on that area much better than “underlining important information”.

4. Left margin: What is the author SAYING?

It isn’t enough to ask students to “write in the margins”. We must be very specific and give students a game plan for what they will write. This is where the chunking comes into play.

In the left margin, ask students to summarize each chunk. Demonstrate how to write summaries in 10-words or less. The chunking allows the students to look at the text in smaller segments, and summarize what the author is saying in just that small, specific chunk.

5. Right margin: Dig deeper into the text  

In the right-hand margin, again direct students to complete a specific task for each chunk. This may include:

·     Use a power verb to describe what the author is DOING. (For example: Describing, illustrating, arguing, etc..) Note: It isn’t enough for students to write “Comparing” and be done. What is the author comparing? A better answer might be: “Comparing the character of Montag to Captain Beatty”.

·     Represent the information with a picture. This is a good way for students to be creative to visually represent the chunk with a drawing.

·     Ask questions. I have found this to be a struggle for many students, as they often say they don’t have any questions to ask. When modeled, students can begin to learn how to ask questions that dig deeper into the text. I often use these questions as the conversation driver in Socratic Seminar.

There are many other things students can write in the margins. However, we must model and teach these strategies so that students will have an idea of what to write when they are on their own.

Tuesday Teaching Tips - Setting up a Math Routine

Setting up a math routine that meets the needs of all students is crucial.  

This is one model:

5-10 minutes:   Math Energizer/Number Talks
*Tips for Implementing Number Talks in Primary Grades
*Tips for Implementing Number Talks in Intermediate Grades

10-15 minutes:  Whole Group Mini-Lesson
*Standards Based

20-30 minutes:  Guided Math/Centers/Learning Tasks
*Teacher meets with small groups during this time.

5-10 minutes:  Share
*Verbal or written response

Here is a great video of a 3rd Grade Classroom:



Here is a link to the Multiplication Motivation CD she uses in the video.
Here is another great video. Check out the "silent signals" that are used within the lesson.

Tuesday Teaching Tips - Who is talking?

8 Ways Teachers Can Talk Less and Get Kids Talking More
By:  Angela Watson

Who is doing a majority of the talking in your classroom? It’s the person who is doing the majority of the talking that tends to do the most learning, so what is the teacher/student talking ratio in your classroom? If you find yourself always talking more than your students, try and figure out some ways to empower your students so they are more involved in the learning.

Even when the learning has been turned over to the students, it’s still tempting to spend too much time giving directions, repeating important information, and telling students how they did instead of asking them to reflect on their work. Here are 8 ways teachers can talk less and getting students talking more:

1. Don’t steal the struggle.  It can be uncomfortable to watch kids struggle to figure out an answer, but they need time and silence to work through it. Resist the urge to talk students through every step of a problem and instead just observe. Letting kids think instead of rushing in to narrate or question builds anticipation around what’s going to be said next and increases participation as more kids are prepared to move into the conversation.

2. Move from the front of the classroom.  It’s easy to get in an instructional rut when you stand at the same place near the board all day long. Try occasionally sitting on the side of the classroom or in an absent student’s desk and say, “I need someone to go up and demonstrate ___ for us.” Because students are used to the person at the board facilitating the lesson, they are likely to talk for much longer than if you stay at the front and they’re in their seats answering you. (“What do all think? Is that an effective method–how do you know? Does anyone use a different strategy?”)

3. Teach students signals for your often-repeated phrases and for transitions.  Cut down on conversations about bathroom/water/pencil sharpening/etc by teaching kids to use sign language to request permission: use sign language to indicate your answer back: yes, no, or wait. Use music, a chime, or other auditory signal to indicate when it’s time to start an activity, pause, and clean up. The idea here is to give kids a break from hearing your voice: they are far more likely to tune in to a unique sound than to a 20 word direction.

4. Use non-verbal reinforcement for behavior whenever possible.  A lot of the talking most of us do throughout the day is related to student behavior, and most of the time, we’re wasting our breath. Resist the urge to lecture students every time someone forgets their materials, interrupts your lesson, or makes an inappropriate noise. It’s far more effective (not to mention easier and less disruptive) to give students “the teacher look” and keep the lesson moving. If you need to have a conversation about the behavior with a student or issue a consequence, try to wait for a break in your instruction rather than stop the whole class from learning while you discipline one kid.

5. Turn your statements into questions and prompts.  Instead of saying to a group, “Nice work over here, I like the strategy you used for ___”, ask the kids to reflect on their own work: “Tell me how your group has chosen to solve ___.” Instead of telling a child, “Take a look at #3, that answer is incorrect” say, “Would you tell me how you got the answer for #3?” Not only will these questions get kids talking instead of you, kids will also have the chance to reflect on and articulate their learning.

6. Instead of asking, “Does that make sense?” say, “Can you put that in your own words?”  If you’ve ever asked kids “Are you getting this?”, you’ve probably noticed you rarely get an insightful response. So, you either move on without kids understanding or you repeat something you’ve already said. Try inviting kids to put what you’ve explained into their own words, either repeating it back to you (if you were helping the child in a one-on-one conversation) or by turning and talking to a partner/doing a quick think/pair/share.

7. Stop repeating yourself.  It’s tempting to say important points and instructions a couple of different ways to make sure every child understands, but that strategy can backfire when it’s overused. Kids learn that it’s okay to tune you out because you’ll repeat everything you say. Instead, experiment with different strategies for getting kids to follow directions the first time you give them and use call-and-repsonse routines to get kids’ attention right away.

8. Notice moments when you summarize/review for students and instead get their input.  If you hear yourself saying once again, remember, as I said, as always, so to sum this up, or don’t forget, that probably means you’re about to drive home an important point for the second or third (or tenth) time. Practice making those moments a chance for kids to share: What’s the rule about this? Who can sum this section up for us? Who remembers the way to determine ___?

Tuesday Teaching Tips - Teaching Math Facts

Top 12 Tips for Teaching Math Facts

1.  Limit the Number of Math Facts you teach at a Time.

2.  Only add more facts to learn as the previous set has been mastered.

3.  Practice should be cumulative.

4.  Students should memorize facts in a way that forms a verbal chain (say the answers aloud).

5.  Mastery = automaticity (fact fluency)

6.  Students should have realistic, individual fluency goals.

7.  A routine for daily practice sessions should be in place.

8.  A routine for corrective feedback during practice should be in place.

9.  Practice sessions should be short. (No more than 2-4 minutes)

10.  A process for progress monitoring should be in place.

11.  If students are to keep up with their grade level math program, they must begin memorizing multiplication facts in Grade 4 at the latest.

12.  Celebrate success!

To find out more information on these 12 tips, visit:  http://www.teachhub.com/top-12-tips-teaching-math-facts.

Tuesday Teaching Tips - GRASPS: A Focus on Writing

What are GRASPS?
GRASPS are performance-based assessments intended to provide students with experiences found in the real world.  GRASPS can be used in all subject areas (a GREAT way to get kids writing).

What does GRASPS stand for?

G = Goal: The Purpose of the task

R = Role: Explains student involvement in scenario

A = Audience: The people the student addresses

S = Situation: Explain the scenario

P = Product, Performance, and Purpose: Tangible evidence of understanding

S = Standards and Criteria for Success: How to complete the task successfully

G	Design, teach, explain, inform, create, persuade, defend, critique, improve
R	Advertiser, illustrator, coach, candidate, chef, engineer, eyewitness,  newscaster, editor, news show host, politician
A	Board members, neighbors, pen pals, travel agent, jury, celebrity,  historical figure, community, school board, government
S	The context of the situation – Create a real life scenario.
P	Advertisement, game, script, debate, rap, banner, cartoon, scrapbook,  proposal, brochure, slide show, puppet show
S	What success looks like: Scoring guide, rubric & examples

- Grade Level Examples - 
Kindergarten Example:
Animal Action
You are a zookeeper at the Milwaukee County Zoo. You have been asked to write a
caption that describes one of the animals. Your description will help people who come to the zoo learn more about that animal.

First Grade Example:
My Menu
The cooks in the cafeteria at your school have invited students to submit items to be
considered for future menu selections. Your teacher would like each student in your class to submit several items. All of the items will be included on a school-wide ballot. The items with the most votes will be included on the menu. Your task is to create several items for the menu. Use sentences to describe each item.

Second Grade Example:
Pet Care
You are the owner of a pet shop. You will create a sign to help your customers know what they need to take care of their new pets. Choose a pet and write a description of the items a pet owner needs to care for his or her pet.

Third Grade Example:
Worth Remembering
A local bookstore is sponsoring a contest for third grade students called Most Memorable Characters. The organizers of the contest would like students to describe a memorable character from a book they have read. The contest entry should show why the character is memorable.

Fourth Grade Example:
Join the Club!
Your school would like to offer more after school activities next year, including starting several new clubs for students to join. Write a business letter to your principal describing a club that you would like to start at your school.

Fifth Grade Example:
Inside-Out
Select a picture from a magazine or newspaper and describe what is happening in
the picture using the voice of someone or something in the picture.

For other great GRASPS examples visit this link:  GRASPS: A Focus on Writing
For more information and organizers to create your own GRASPS visit:  GRASPS


Coaching Request Form:

Tuesday Teaching Tips - Number Talks

What is a Number Talk?
A Number Talk is a short, ongoing daily routine that provides students with meaningful ongoing practice with computation and mathematical reasoning. A Number Talk is a powerful tool for helping students develop computational fluency because the expectation is that they will use number relationships and the structures of numbers to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Number Talks should be structured as short sessions alongside (but not necessarily directly related to) the ongoing math curriculum. It is important to keep Number Talks short, as they are not intended to replace current curriculum or take up the majority of the time spent on mathematics. In fact, teachers need to spend only 5 to 15 minutes on Number Talks. Number Talks are most effective when done every day.

Article on Number Talks

Implementing Number Talks - Helpful Hints

What is the format of Number Talks?
1.  Teacher presents a problem.

2.  Students figure out an answer.

3.  Students share their answer.

4.  Students share their thinking.
The teacher asks questions: 
• Who would like to share their thinking? 
• Who did it another way? 
• How many people solved it the same way as Billy? 
• Does anyone have any questions for Billy? 
• Billy, can you tell us where you got that 5? 
• How did you figure that out? 
• What was the first thing your eyes saw, or your brain did?

5.  The class agrees on the "real" answer for the problem.

Why are Number Talks beneficial?

• Encourage math communication from all students
• Provide structured practice for mental math
• Promote the value in using mental math to compute
• Promote the importance of being flexible with numbers
• Use a variety of strategies for computation

~Using Number Talks to help build students' math reasoning:

Hand signals can be used to keep students engaged during Number Talks.

Here are a few examples:

Fist to chest = still thinking

Thumb up (to chest) = I have a solution

Thumb up and another finger (to chest) = I have more than one way to solve

Introductory Video on Number Talks and Hand Signals

Number Talk Examples:

Kindergarten

First

Second

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grades

And We're Off......

These first couple weeks of school are exciting and at times overwhelming.  If I can be of assistance, please let me know.

I will be meeting with grade level teams to discuss my role and how I can support you as an instructional coach.  I look forward to partnering with you throughout the school year!

Sheryl Sulima
K-5 Instructional Coach