Greetings, and welcome! I have been teaching for 33 years, and want to share some insights and tips. I learn something every time I attend a PD, or even chat with colleagues. Teachers should be learning as much as they can; I think it keeps us fresh. It must be working for me, because I look forward to every day with my students, miss them over the summer, and eagerly anticipate each new school year. Have something to share? Let me know!
Read to a Tree: Writing Revision
I am a huge proponent of student -ed revisions. This can be difficult when most humans, particularly children, don’t know what they don’t know. Poor grammar or spelling just comes out in writing, and if it looks right to a ten year old, then it must be right.
I rely on conferencing a few times a week. Pairing students strong in one area with those who can use support is time-consuming, but worth it in the end. How often can teachers meet with all (31) students on a daily basis? Not as often as we’d like. Group conferences are helpful, if we are purposeful on how we group them. I must say, the first month of writing gives me a lot of data to draw from, and again, worth the time.
One other tool is reading work out loud. It started with the tree outside my classroom. I named it Groot, as I am a Marvel fan. At any point in their writing, students could step out and read to Groot. They did so with a clipboard and pen in hand, and were instructed to read slowly so Groot understood. I encouraged them to count the errors they found and report back. I also inquired about how well Groot listened, and if he offer feedback. These would be the insights they gained as they read their work aloud, to a totally different audience. Years later, some favorites are CPTreeO, R2Tree, Harry Logger, and a few more Marvel buddies. Each year we take inventory, generate a list of names, both new and from years past, and attach name tags to the trees on campus. My kids begin to understand puns a bit better, too.
Students can sit on the grass, on a bench, or just stand as they share their work with a tree. I try to ask what type of feedback they receive, what they were able to correct, or what questions they have for me, as their writing mentor. Knowing their teacher has published four books doesn’t actually carry as much weight as knowing I go through this process myself, and learn each time I revise my manuscripts. Nothing is foolproof, and teaching writing isn’t exactly easy, but providing a variety tools to our students will make a difference. And if it’s raining? We have a dozen plants in my classroom who could use a healthy dose of carbon dioxide!
Monday Mingle
Have you every started the week frustrated and irritated, because your students just wouldn’t stop talking? It’s challenging, for sure. This is why I started Monday Mingles! For the first 5-7 minutes of each Monday, my students are allowed to talk, laugh, joke around, and essentially catch up with their classmates. After an extended break, this time might stretch to 10-12 minutes.
Why spend precious class time on this? If it is introduced properly, it’s a HUGE time saver in the long run, and an irritant deterrent! The expectation is they catch up while they mingle, and once their mingling is done, they should focus on the school day and all of the tasks we must complete. I remind them of this each Monday in the beginning, and as the school year progresses, they need fewer reminders. It’s been a great way to build class community, and I get to catch up with my kiddos at the same time. If it’s a holiday week? Well, it’s then a Tuesday Mingle. No one has come up wi a catchy title for this one yet, but one day, a student will strike gold!
Mrs. Freels Writes! 