...mad shredded cheese in here."
----student in hallway a minute ago (from another high school in the building)
Here are some more quotes, from Mrs. W., a math teacher. This should provide more insight into what teachers do during Unison Reading time. Statements were made on Wednesday, Nov. 21st. Three boys were in this Unison group: B., from Kosovo; R., from the Dominican Republic; M., from Bangladesh.
"That's okay. You can explain by pointing."
>>M. points to paper.
He soon asks, "Do you understand?"
"If you understand something, you need to share. Right?"
"Wait, wait, wait. When you asked, 'Do you understand?' I'll always say, 'I understand.' How can you rephrase your question?"
>>B. asks, "Can I give a suggestion?"
"Wait, wait. If you are answering this question, you want to ask him (R.) this question, right?"
"You asked, 'Do you understand?' Who did you ask that question to?"
"He (B.) just rephrased and you (R.) were about to say because..."
>>Students go back and forth discussing strategies for solving linear equation: y= mx +b
_______________________________________________________________________
Mr. S. just now to one of our students in the hallway:
"I'll let you in on a little secret: Your teacher's not going to like you buying Dorritos during class. Put those away, all right?"
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
High Tension
My first period class today was stacked. During the mini-lesson, Principal N. asked if it was okay that C.M. and two teachers came in to help coach my Unison Reading groups. I was happy about the prospect of getting extra coaching. Students in groups A & B, on the other hand, may not have been so excited.
Instead of just me in their faces during Unison Reading, they had the originator of the theory herself there with them. Rather than speaking with the students directly, however, the professor communicated with a teacher coach who then communicated with me who then communicated with the students. It was an interesting process of "active coaching."
Personally, I wouldn't have been stopping the students as much as the coaches do, nor for as long.
But the coaching is teaching me a lot about how to better check for understanding and the social processes therein. As it turns out, the processes are more critical to the Unison format than the reading itself.
Meanwhile, consternation exists among teachers regarding Writing CBM's. These assessments are not fun to grade, to say the least, and debates are in motion relating to how important these assessments are. I was just told the next round are to be graded by next Monday, which seems like a very tall order indeed.
**
Something new I learned today:
Nearly 80% of people in upstate New York live within 25 miles of the Erie Canal.
Instead of just me in their faces during Unison Reading, they had the originator of the theory herself there with them. Rather than speaking with the students directly, however, the professor communicated with a teacher coach who then communicated with me who then communicated with the students. It was an interesting process of "active coaching."
Personally, I wouldn't have been stopping the students as much as the coaches do, nor for as long.
But the coaching is teaching me a lot about how to better check for understanding and the social processes therein. As it turns out, the processes are more critical to the Unison format than the reading itself.
Meanwhile, consternation exists among teachers regarding Writing CBM's. These assessments are not fun to grade, to say the least, and debates are in motion relating to how important these assessments are. I was just told the next round are to be graded by next Monday, which seems like a very tall order indeed.
**
Something new I learned today:
Nearly 80% of people in upstate New York live within 25 miles of the Erie Canal.
Friday, November 16, 2012
We Are Back...Hurricane Sandy has passed
Well, that's that.
Not for everyone, of course. A lot of suffering continues.
But our school campus escaped the wrath of Sandy.
I should have probably updated readers during the storm and its immediate aftermath.
But we are okay. The vast majority of our students and staff were not impacted directly. Three teachers lost power, one of whom was evacuated from her place on the Lower East Side. One student I know of lost power for several days.
These past few weeks have been really crazy with Parent-Teacher Conferences (I met with the parents of 28 students), the hurricane, and then grades due. But a certain sense of normalcy is returning as we head into Thanksgiving.
My primary goal now as it relates to this blog is to get anecdotals weekly from fellow teachers. I want to share their stories with the wider world.
Stay tuned and get ready for a ton of great stories--as well as part II of the principal interview and an upcoming interview with the mastermind behind this entire operation of a school...
Not for everyone, of course. A lot of suffering continues.
But our school campus escaped the wrath of Sandy.
I should have probably updated readers during the storm and its immediate aftermath.
But we are okay. The vast majority of our students and staff were not impacted directly. Three teachers lost power, one of whom was evacuated from her place on the Lower East Side. One student I know of lost power for several days.
These past few weeks have been really crazy with Parent-Teacher Conferences (I met with the parents of 28 students), the hurricane, and then grades due. But a certain sense of normalcy is returning as we head into Thanksgiving.
My primary goal now as it relates to this blog is to get anecdotals weekly from fellow teachers. I want to share their stories with the wider world.
Stay tuned and get ready for a ton of great stories--as well as part II of the principal interview and an upcoming interview with the mastermind behind this entire operation of a school...
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