Friday, November 24, 2017
Liz - UoS Reflection
This is my second year using the reading UoS, and the fourth with the writing. I feel like having a year of experience with the reading units behind me, and then coming back to them again this year has been helpful to my students. Because I already had some knowledge about each lesson, I was able to tweak and scaffold each lesson a bit better than I was able to do last year. My growing knowledge of the units and the most important parts of each have benefited all of my students, because I feel I'm able to support each one in more specific, targeted ways. Additionally, making more of an organized effort to conference with students, with more structured questions and prompts, helps to give me more information about my students' reading, and also gives them more ownership of their independent reading time. The use of assigned reading (and writing) partners has also been helpful in supporting students to always have someone with whom to share their thinking and ideas. Overall, I've seen growth in students who, at the beginning of the year, didn't really like sharing their ideas - now these students are beginning to open up during class conversations and turn and talks.
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I understand exactly what you mean when you talk about how experience with the units helps the instruction become better each year. This is my third year and it feels good to have an understanding on how the teaching points can build on one another. I feel like I can add more to the lessons because I know exactly what Lucy is driving at. I have also notice that conferring has also gave my students more ownership of their independent reading time. I hoping to continue to build this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. I had two years of the reading workshop, and I am currently only teaching writing this year. However, having exposure to and understanding of Lucy's is helpful because I am also teaching a new grade level this year. I too am working on conferencing with my students during writing time. I have tried it a couple different ways. But I like how you mentioned that it gives them a purpose and ownership over the time. I like that because if they know I am going to be coming around and asking them about their pieces, maybe they will be a bit more invested.
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ReplyDeleteLiz,
ReplyDeleteI love how you state how helpful it has been to come back to these units after teaching them for a full year. I can understand how that would be helpful, and I am looking forward to that myself! Some aspects have been a challenge, but your post gives me a lot of hope that it gets easier as time goes on.
It really does! It still feels like a lot, of course, but knowing the general format and goals of each lesson going into it allows for deeper understanding of each part. I think you'll feel really great about it next year, especially after all the work you've put in during this course.
DeleteLiz, I'm so looking forward to next year and having a year under my belt with these units! I'd love to hear more about your reading and writing partners. How do you help them manage their sharing time with each other? Is there a particular time in the RW when they can share or is it an individual/partner decision?
ReplyDeleteThere are times during the mini-lessons when students are directed to sit next to their partners, so that's the person they automatically turn and talk to. During writing units, their partners are the ones who they share their Google Docs with for comments and feedback. There are lots of times in the units that specifically call for students to converse or share with their partners, and also natural times when I ask them to do so. Once the task of assigning partners is done (that's always the tricky part!), the rest goes pretty smoothly!
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