Common Core and Citing Evidence

Common Core requires students to find proof of their answers and opinions within the text. We've been doing something like this for many years. However, the biggest difference is that now kids must cite evidence correctly from the text. This is brand new territory for us.  This fact hit me as soon as  I first started working with the new Common Core standards.  I knew our students would be able to find proof in the text, but I also knew they had never been taught how to cite evidence directly from the text, nor the guidelines for paraphrasing their proof.  So, I came up with some simple steps for our kids to follow to do just that.  

These steps were copied and placed in the students interactive journals.  Our amazing, 5th grade teacher, Ms. Christian is the most diligent and thoughtful interactive journal-keeper I have ever seen.  She had her kids paste them on the right side of the journal, and as each step is explained, students interpret what they heard and take notes around the copied page.  

After, students were shown examples of direct quotes.  These direct quotes were purposely written incorrectly.  Students are asked to work in collaborative groups to determine what was wrong with the example shown.  Then, a representative from each group shares their findings and it is marked directly on the interactive whiteboard.  Students had a great time playing this little "game."  The best part was that they didn't realize they were reinforcing the newly learned material.  

The answers were revealed on the next slide.  After working in small groups for a few examples, students were asked to work on their own to follow the same steps they used in the groups.  They directly quoted an example from one of the slides and wrote it on the left side of the journal.  Then, each child exchanged journals to review each other's work and determine if anything was wrong with the quote.  They provided great feedback and were able to correct their own work once the journals were returned.  

Paraphrasing was taught on another day.  The teachers followed the same procedures.  First, they added a photocopied sheet with the definition and guidelines for paraphrasing and students took notes.  Then, they looked at real-life examples to determine what was wrong with the paraphrasing, and finally, students were given the opportunity to work on their own and peer edit each other's work.

This PowerPoint is a wonderful resource!  It simplifies direct quoting and paraphrasing of the text for our elementary-aged students so that they are able to cite evidence from any text. It includes kid-friendly definitions, step-by-step instructions that may be printed out or used as an anchor chart, and several real-life examples.  And, if you leave a comment on this blog along with your email, I will send you a mini-copy of it.  

As always, you may purchase the entire resource in my TPT store:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-Citing-Evidence-for-Kids-712847

Happy commenting!

Student Game Day Lesson Plan

Summer is around the corner.  Our kids are going crazy, anxiously waiting for the last day of school.  Administration tells us we need to keep teaching.  What do we do?  I've come up with a great activity for having fun with a purpose. This is an educational activity the will surely keep your kids engaged at this time of the year.

The student Game Day Lesson Plan is an extremely fun and interactive way for your  students to review stories they have read in your class throughout the year.  It is written so that you can use any story, novel, or play you have taught throughout the year.  Students will have the opportunity to plan, design, create, use a rubric to review their own work and PLAY!  Not only will the kids love it, but you will be able to teach your kids to use a rubric and get a grade from the entire process.

The rubric is written in a clear and concise way.  Students will easily understand how their final product will be graded and the explicit teaching directions show you how to teach your students how to use it.  Students are encouraged to review the rubric before presenting their game and even score their own project.

Teachers may choose to project the sample game boards to show some of the options they can use to create their games.  Students will use the events in the plot, the setting, and the characters to build their games.  This will help them review previously taught material.  And, when they play each other's games, they will review many more books or stories they may have already forgotten.  This is a great lesson to wrap up the year with!

Included in the Student Game Day Lesson Plan:
• Explicit Instructions for the Teacher
• Game Day Planning Sheet:
• Game Day Rubric
• Sample Boards
• Game Pieces

You may purchase the entire Student Game Day Lesson Plan in my TPT store:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Student-Game-Day-Lesson-Plan-712539   You're going to love it!

Career Day Planning Pack

Over the last 3 year, our Career Day has become a wonderful way of inspiring our students towards the careers they wish to have in the future, and also a great way of encouraging influential members of your community to become a part of your school’s culture. 

This Career Day Planning Pack has everything you need to invite, schedule, and implement a powerful event.  It takes all of the guesswork out of what you need to do.  I have used this system for the last three years to schedule over 50+ guest speakers and vehicles.  This will be a Career Day your kids will remember forever.

It is now available in my TPT store:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Career-Day-Planning-Pack-706674

I walk you step by step beginning with how you can find noteworthy guests and more importantly how you can get them to come to your school.  Everything you need is included.  

I've taken all of the guess-work out of it.  Everything matches and looks professional. You're going to love it!

Implementing the Baby Steps

So far, in my last five posts, we have learned: 

Dream AND Act:  This brings us to today’s post: Implementing the baby steps.  

I have a little plaque on my refrigerator with one of my favorite quotes.  It says, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe,” by Anatole France.  I believe each of these suggestions go hand in hand.  Implementation is the most important step of the vision-making process. 

What are the baby steps?  How do you know what the baby steps are?  Your plan will reveal what most of them are, but if you still have difficulty recognizing them, talk to other coaches, and respected teachers.  They will provide insight as to what methods work best in your school and which strategies the teachers at your school prefer.  List all suggestions.  Then, put them in order of implementation. 

Examples of baby steps:  Baby steps may involve lesson studies, workshops, book talks, modeling, make and takes, creating resources, think tanks, and small focus groups. This may sound challenging.  That's because it is!  But, that's also why it is so much fun.  At first, you may “strongly encourage” participation.  When a person is so close to a situation, he may not see the urgency of the change.  It may take some encouragement on your part.  Once the teacher sees a positive change in the instruction and the data, he will want to continue implementing the plan.  Just remember, you're not all alone in this.  

Literacy Coaches Share the Vision with Administration

Share your vision:  Once you have your plan of action written out, go to your administration and discuss it.  This ensures your vision aligns with your principal’s.  This is key.  You want the support of your administration.  You want your principal to be aware of the goal for your teachers.  And you want her to know what to look out for, encourage, and correct when she does her walk throughs.  

Don’t be intimidated:  Some may feel intimidated with this step.  This is completely normal.  When you put your goals out in the open, someone may not agree with them.  What’s wrong with that?  Not everyone has to agree with your goals.  If you have conducted focused observations, assessed your current situation with data, studied what successful implementation looks like, and planned out your baby steps, then your goals are thoughtful and purposeful.  You have been wise with your goals.  No need to fear.

Feedback:  You have to make sure not to get defensive if your administration does not agree with your plan.  The purpose of this meeting is not to have your principal agree with everything you present.  The purpose is to present your data and goals and then receive feedback.  Notice, I wrote feedback and not criticisms.  This is key to not becoming defensive.  Ask questions for clarification.  You are each in the position you are in to improve student achievement.

Reflect:  After the meeting, reread your notes.  Add your principal’s feedback to your plan.  If there were any concerns with your plan, take a couple of days to reflect as to why your principal shared those concerns.  Don’t throw away your plan and don’t ignore the concerns of your principal.  Your principal is the ultimate authority of the school.

Coach/Principal Relationship:  I personally have a great working relationship with my principal.  Many have commented that we are very close.  We are friendly and professional, but this does not mean we have agreed on everything that goes on in the school; however, I understand her position and the amount of responsibility she has on her shoulders.  I also understand my position and my job.  My job is to lead the curricular initiatives in the school.  She is my boss and her job is to lead the school.  I support her.  

Baby Steps to Successful Implementation of your School-Wide Vision

In this series of posts, I've been walking you through how a literacy coach casts a curricular vision for their school, and turn it into a reality.  This is not a process that will be done overnight.  How will you lead your teachers to excellence?  What next steps would make the biggest impact in this area?

Only the best: Dream a little.  Think about what would be the ideal demonstration of this area.  What resources would be involved?  What components would it have?  What would the teachers sound and look like?  What would the kids be engaged in?  Write all of this down.  This is where you want to take your teachers.  This is the goal.   You will lead your teachers towards this goal.

Baby Steps:  Next, come up with the baby steps to help your teachers reach that goal.  These baby steps could take years.  Once you have these written down, you will be able to divide them up into a yearly plan and then a quarterly plan.  My personal plan is every 3 months.  The next time you conduct school-wide walk throughs you will assess if the baby steps you implemented in this time period have been successfully implemented.  You will determine if the current plan of action has been effective or not.  Writing down your plan of action ensures that you will remain focused and it allows you to go back and check to see what if your current goals were attained or if further instruction is required.