Wendy Sheets, Intermediate Literacy Collaborative Trainer
Summertime…Aaaah!
You’ve worked hard all year long and now have time to take a breather. Finding
rest and relaxation is important, but we all know that teaching is a way of
life. Sure, we may leave the classroom for a time, but summertime is a hiatus
that includes reflecting upon the last school year and planning for the next. A
new year brings with it a myriad of potential and possibilities. As you enjoy
summer vacations, extra time with the family, and catching up on household
projects, you might contemplate adding a few of the following suggestions to
your list:
Read a
Few Novels Summertime is not all work and no play!
Reading novels for pure enjoyment feeds your soul, expands your thinking and
your vocabulary, and provides simple satisfaction. I sometimes get so busy that
I have to give myself permission to spend time reading a novel. Sound silly? I
think so too. You have my permission to indulge. Check the public library,
spend an afternoon at the bookstore, or pick up some new finds at yard sales. I’m
just finishing “The Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo” and am looking forward to beginning the sequels!
Dip Into
Old and New Professional Books I bet your shelves
contain numerous professional texts, some of which are your go-to resources.
Get them out and peruse the pages with new eyes. I am amazed how my thinking is
lifted every time I dig into “Teaching for
Comprehending and Fluency,” for example. You can’t go wrong with anything
written by Fountas & Pinnell, and there are many other great authors out
there as well. Even if you read just one or two new professional texts this
summer, your thinking will surely be expanded.
Set Goals
For the Upcoming School Year
·
Review
plans for establishing Managed Independent Learning (in primary classrooms) or the
first 20 days of the Reading Workshop (in intermediate classrooms).
o
What
materials will you need to establish independent work?
o
You
may dip into “Guiding Readers and Writers”
or “Guided Reading” for some great
support.
·
Consider
your classroom and its physical environment.
o
Do
you have areas for whole group, small group, and individualized teaching and
learning?
§ Consider materials and resources you
may need in each area. An easel with chart paper in the whole-group area will
support work during minilessons.
§ A table for guided reading groups
will be necessary for meeting the needs of your readers. That same table may be
used for pulling occasional guided writing groups. What supplies will you want
to have handy?
§ How will you arrange student desks or
tables? Be sure to include adequate space for student movement and for easy
access to individuals.
o
Is
your classroom library organized effectively?
§ Have you provided a wide variety of
books in various genres with a balance between fiction and nonfiction?
§ Have you arranged books in baskets
with covers facing outward for easy access?
§ Are baskets labeled by genre, author,
topic, or series so that students know where to find the books they are
seeking?
§ Shop bargain bins, garage sales,
library sales, and thrift stores to add to your collection!
·
Think
about possibilities for Interactive Read-Aloud
o
Do
you have favorite books you will want to read to your students?
o
Expand
your repertoire by sharing a wide range of genres, structures, and authors. Choose
books that will engage your learners and provide opportunities for constructing
meaning.
·
Take
an inventory of your systems for organizing your plans.
o
Consider
guided reading. Was your organizational system effective? Were you able to document
reading behaviors of all of your students in ways that drove further
instruction? Did your data include benchmark assessments, running records, and
anecdotal information regarding word-solving, fluency, and comprehension?
o
Consider
the collection of writing data. Were you able to keep anecdotal records based
on observations during writing conferences? How did you use those records?
o
Consider
word study. How did you organize developmental spelling assessments and plan
for systematic word study?
·
If
you are a Literacy Coach, reflect upon your role.
o
How
effectively were you able to support teachers through coaching and professional
development? What would you like to do differently to increase your
effectiveness?
o
How
did your data collection support the work you do with teachers?
o
Your
Fidelity of Implementation Tool will also be a great guide for you to further
examine LC implementation in your building/district.
As you anticipate
beginning a new school year, it is my hope that these suggestions have been
helpful. Thinking through the possibilities will increase your preparedness for
the very important work you do each day as an educator. Enjoy your summer!
