Reading in the Wild- Aha's Abound!

I went to a PD session last week and the presenter asked us to come with our "Aha's" and "Amens" about the book we would be discussing. I loved that phrasing! When I read "professional" books, that pretty much sums up my reactions- I either have an Aha! moment of new learning or a realization or I'm affirmed in what I already thought and want to say a big Amen!

So when my new teammate and friend, Lillian, surprised me with my very own copy of Donalyn Miller's new book, Reading in the Wild, I was ecstatic! Not only because she thought of me and I had my very own copy of the book and someone to share my reading obsession with, but I also had a new book to read and document my Aha's and Amens!

Buy it on Amazon!

So this past week while vacationing in South Padre, this was my view as I read through the book. Nothing like reading in the semi-actual wild!

I read and absolutely loved Donalyn's first book, The Book Whisperer (you can read about that here) so I knew I would love this one as well. I love her ability to be frank and honest about what hasn't worked in her literacy instruction as well as offer practical solutions and strategies to try. The fact that she's from Texas doesn't hurt either! Today I want to share just a few of the major Aha! moments I had during my reading.

Before I get into those, I want to share with you the definition Donalyn has for being a "wild reader." In her words, wild readers are "readers who incorporate reading into their personal lives along with everything else that interests them." My goal is to develop myself and my students into wild readers.

Research shows that children who read the most will outperform those who don't read much. Wild readers don't read because someone told them to or to answer questions on a quiz, they read because they truly enjoy it and benefit from the experience reading offers. If that is the goal, how do I get there? Donalyn and her colleague, Susan Kelly, polled adult wild readers to gain insight into their reading behaviors. Those findings provided the structure of the book. Now, with their help, we can identify those behaviors and help design our instruction to foster the development of these habits.

In my Aha's, I'm only sharing the things that spoke the most to me as a fellow reading teacher. Although the book is overflowing with great quotes, fabulous ideas, and useful tools, my Aha's are just that- mine. They may seem trivial or obvious, but they resinated with me long after my eyes left the page. My hope is that maybe some of my Aha's will resinate with you, too.

This one hit me right in the gut. I love to read. I have read lots of books over the last few years. I read stacks of books over the summer. I call myself a reader. But can I call myself a wild reader?  What happens when school starts? The same chapter book will sit on my nightstand unfinished for several days... weeks... ok, ok, months! My primary goal is to instill a love of reading that will last a lifetime, not just for the short amount of time my students are in my classroom. Along with that comes teaching and developing the habits of wild reading. If I am not a true wild reader and "cannot" find the time or energy to read during the school year, is it fair to expect that from my students? Of course not! I am the reading mentor. I have to start walking the walk.

In the book Donalyn cites study after study that prove the positive effects of having a teacher who reads. I know the feeling that I get when I read steadily- my imagination is piqued, my vocabulary is expanded, my knowledge base grows, I feel less-stressed. Why would I give this up during the year? Yes, I'm tired, have long days, the list of excuses goes on. But as Donalyn stresses in the book: wild readers make time to read. If I'm going to serve as the lead reader for my students, reading must become a priority. I have to make time to read. No more excuses.

Connecting right back to what I mentioned in my first Aha!, if I am the lead wild reader, I must also model and teach behaviors that support being a wild reader. I love that Donalyn calls the time in between the main events in our life "edge time." She heads this section of the book "Reading on the Edge." What a great way to think about it! And how true! I hate when I find myself sitting somewhere with nothing to do- getting my oil changed, waiting at the doctor's office- all of those precious moments that could be spent lost in a great book just simply wasted. I'm fairly good about remembering to bring a book along with me when I know I'll be sitting somewhere for a long period of time, but I need to be better about keeping books with me in the car and even in my purse. I never know when those unexpected delays will pop up.

The biggest moment of clarity came when Donalyn discusses how wild reading consists of behaviors and habits that require teaching and discussion. Kids can be taught how to take advantage of this "edge time" in their own lives. I had a student last year who had mastered the art of reading on the edge. I practically had to pull her nose out of a book so she would avoid walking in to a wall! But most of my students did not have this skill and it never crossed my mind to bring it up.

Donalyn shares a story about a student stating that he just didn't have enough time to read because of his sports practices and other responsibilities. When Donalyn asked if he could read for a few minutes in the car and then read a few minutes before bed his reply was, "You would let me do that? Reading a little bit here and there counts?" Reading that pained me. How many of my students felt that way about the reading time- all or nothing? I never imagined that they would think of reading as a time distinctly set away from the rest of their day. If I thought that reading time only counted when I was alone in the house and in my favorite recliner, I would never be able to fulfill a twenty minute a night requirement! I never discussed with my students that wild readers read at all different times during the day, in all kinds of places, for different amounts of time. Reading on the edge will become one of the many topics for discussion within the first few weeks of school from now on!

So...ask me how many Goosebumps books I've read... go ahead... I'm sure those of you who know me well will already know the answer... NONE! Pitiful. I have a bin overflowing with Goosebumps books, kids who read the entire series and beg for more year after year, and yet I couldn't tell you a single thing about them. Why don't I read them? I'm a scaredy-cat! Plain and simple. I go out of my way to avoid anything remotely sinister and that just so happens to include the bin of R.L. Stine's beloved books. This is a shortcoming I have shared with my students in the past. Reflecting back on that now, I want to shake myself. What kind of example was I setting for my students? The same students who I pass book after book to with the (what I thought of as) encouraging message to "Just try it! You never know, you may end up liking it!" are watching me purposefully discard a reading experience that could be quite exciting. 

I have my go-to genres and my not-so-favorite ones.  But if I have the mindset that I want to be a true reading mentor, a lead reader for my students, I simply cannot be that mentor if the only knowledge I have of the books they may potentially read comes from the front cover and blurb. As Donalyn says, "We must push ourselves to read widely in order to best serve our students- as role models who read for diverse purposes and reading advisors who know a lot about books that appeal to all types of readers." If this was a test, I would have failed miserably. 

I'm setting a personal goal for myself this summer. I'm going to read books from the genres I typically avoid- graphic novels, fantasy, and yes, even horror. I may be sleeping with the light on some nights or pep-talking myself to finish some of the books, but I will at least be able to engage in authentic conversations with my students who love them. I want my students to see me as a true member of their reading community instead of an outsider who offers inauthentic recommendations. 

I love talking about books with others. I love the conversations that ensue. I love hearing what another person took away from a book especially when they bring up a point I hadn't considered. There's a certain joy that comes with sharing the reading experience with someone else that fuels my desire to read even more so I can discuss even more! I read books based on recommendations from others and love seeing what my friends are reading. There's nothing quite like sipping on a hot cup of coffee and chatting about a book with a dear friend. That social factor of reading is a huge one for me. If I didn't have a circle of people around me to share and enjoy books with, reading would not be the same. 

So what am I doing in my classroom to set students up to experience this same joy of sharing books with others? Besides the standard book club meetings and book talk sessions, how am I exposing students to the rich benefits of being a member of a reading society? Donalyn states, "We are all social beings who seek affiliation with others who share common values and interests. Readers need other readers." I want to be around people who enjoy reading. I want my students to be surrounded by other readers so they are immersed in a culture of reading and are inspired to continue reading regardless of where they are on their "journey to become a wild reader."

Wild readers do not only read books for a book club nor do they write a review of every book that they read. I do not want my students to see reading as a chore or as an activity necessary to satisfy another requirement like a book report or quiz. So how do I promote wide reading? Donalyn discusses ways to use "epicenter readers," those students who are experts in a particular genre or author, as mentors for other students. She provides ideas like decorating a reading door, setting up a wall for "reading graffiti," and reading community-building read-alouds to help foster a community of readers. I'm going to critically examine how I structure my classroom and incorporate a variety of ways for students to share books with each other and help create a comfortable reading home for all types of readers.

This is the culminating idea. What do I do in my classroom day in and day out that fosters my students' growth as wild readers? Do my current practices align with what wild readers do? If not, what needs to be changed or removed? Do my instructional practices help develop the habits that transform my students into wild readers? This is going to require some critical thinking, but it must be done.

 I'm going to reexamine every aspect of my classroom from entry procedures, lesson design and each moment of edge time in between. I'm not going to do this part alone, however. Another great perk of being a teacher is that I'm surrounded my amazing people who have wonderful ideas and who push me to reflect and improve. I can't wait to sit around and chat (with a hot cup of coffee, of course!) with my colleagues about how I can improve my instruction to support the goal of developing every student into a wild reader.

So now I forge ahead- rethinking my instruction with wild readers in mind while I work on developing those wild reading habits myself. As I type the Goosebumps books beckon....

If you have any ideas for how to cultivate wild readers or any other comments about Donalyn's book, I would love to hear!

Rafe Esquith: Real Teacher, Real Inspiration

Several years ago as I was browsing the education section at Barnes and Noble, I came across an intriguing book called Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire by a guy named Rafe Esquith. I had no idea who he was but the title intrigued me, so I decided I had to have it. Little did I know that Rafe, as his students call him, would become one of my most inspirational teacher role models.

Rafe teaches in inner-city Los Angeles at a school with a poverty rate above 90%. Most of the students speak a language other than English at home and the area has earned the nickname "The Jungle." Yet none of these things have deterred him from working hard to help his students be successful. He is most known for his student group called the Hobart Shakespeareans. Each year this groups performs a full Shakespeare play and mixes the classic language of Shakespeare with contemporary rock and roll. The result is something truly remarkable and memorable. You can read more about them HERE. 

Rafe has had tremendous success- the kind of success every teacher dreams about-students who return years after leaving his classroom to thank him for making such an incredible difference in their lives. Despite his success, he is the first to say that his failures have been just as important to his career. He is humble and acknowledges that although he has done lots of things right, he has made mistakes and suffered heart-wrenching failure. 

Rafe is outspoken. He's a straight shooter. He's honest and real and doesn't beat around the bush about any issue. He has won many awards, been recognized all over the world, and could easily be a principal, instructional consultant, or anything else, but he still chooses to teach fifth grade at the same school, in the same room, that he has for the past 31 years. He has no plans of leaving his classroom anytime soon and has plays picked out for his students to perform for the next several years! That is so amazingly admirable to me.

He has written several books during the course of his career. In the books he describes what happens behind the doors of his classroom, room 56, and offers practical advice, tips, and techniques. In order for me to do the books justice, I've included reviews of each book that I found on Amazon. To see each book on Amazon, click the link listed above each book's image.

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire 

 Esquith might be the only public school teacher to be honored by both Oprah Winfrey and the Dalai Lama; he is the only school teacher ever to receive the president's National Medal of the Arts. For the past 25 years, Esquith has taught fifth graders at Hobart Elementary in central Los Angeles. Like most progressive educators, Esquith is outraged by the tyranny of testing, the scripting of teaching under "No Child Left Behind" and the overwhelming bureaucratization of the education industry. Still, he's done wonders with the basic curriculum—developing a hands-on arts program, a money-management curriculum and a sports-based statistics unit. Esquith and his Hobart Shakespeareans are world famous for the rock opera they create every year. Throughout each school day, Esquith teaches life skills: how to think about problems, how to plan a strategy to solve them and, most important, how to work together and be nice to each other. While his goals are inspiring, he's also practical—most chapters include affordable, how-to directions for a variety of his most effective classroom activities; he's even got a few tips for revamping those inescapable "test prep" sessions. (from Publisher's Weekly)

There Are No Shortcuts 

What's a Los Angeles middle-school teacher to do when charged with a bunch of fifth and sixth graders, none of whom speak English at home and most of whom are eligible for free lunches? If you're Esquith, you have them read Twain, perform Shakespeare, play classical guitar and study algebra. You take them camping and to concerts and the theater. How do you manage to do that? If you're Esquith, your school day doesn't run from the usual 8 to 3, but from 6:30 to 5, and you're available on Saturdays and during recess, lunch and vacation time as well. You take on extra jobs and go into debt to pay for the supplements. "I have never claimed to be rational," says Esquith in this intimate, lively account of his 17-year career at an L.A. public school. Part memoir, part manual, but primarily a call for action, Esquith's book is explicitly directed to parents and "concerned citizens" as well as teachers. Esquith has known "anguish and disheartening failure," but hasn't given up. For him, education's "bad guys" often occupy the district, union or school offices and frequently the classrooms. Despite his struggles, Esquith's account is upbeat, witty and usually good-humored. There's rewarding professional success-college for his former students and honors bestowed on him-and refreshing personal achievement: his own development and transformation as he moves from saving the world to setting limits on himself, even though, of course, "there are no shortcuts. (from Publisher's Weekly)

Lighting Their Fires 

In his follow-up to Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, elementary school teacher Esquith focuses on financially disadvantaged but scholastically ambitious fifth-graders from Hobart Elementary School, located in the middle of a critically poor Los Angeles neighborhood. Directed primarily at parents, educators and administrators, this volume offers anecdotes and suggestions for inspiring and encouraging each child to live up to his or her tremendous promise. Framed by the story of a Dodgers baseball game to which he brings a small group of students, Esquith notes the values of his students in contrast to many of the adult ticket-holders: punctuality, focus, confidence, selflessness, humility, and others. He then probes the meaning of each value, like the way being on time reflects a belief in control over one's destiny, as well as a sense of responsibility. Celebrating his young students' everyday accomplishments, Esquith outlines the struggles and stakes that face them all, while making teaching (and learning) look easy. (from Publisher's Weekly) 

This month his latest book, Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: No Retreat, No Surrender!, will be released. I am so excited to read it.

Real Talk for Real Teachers

There’s no one teachers trust more to give them classroom advice than Rafe Esquith. After more than thirty years on the job, Esquith still puts in the countless classroom hours familiar to every dedicated educator. But where his New York Times bestseller Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire was food for a teacher’s mind, Real Talk for Real Teachers is food for a teacher’s soul.

Esquith candidly tackles the three stages of life for the career teacher and offers encouragement to see them through the difficult early years, advice on mid-career classroom building, and novel ideas for longtime educators. With his trademark mix of humor, practicality, and boundless compassion, Esquith proves the perfect companion for teachers who need a quick pick-me-up, a long heart-to-heart, or just a momentary reminder that they’re not alone. (from Amazon)

The other night I came across this interview on KPCC Radio's channel on YouTube. Even though it is just an interview, it's one of the most inspirational videos I have seen. Rafe talks openly and honestly about teaching in general and about his own successes and failures. This video a great introduction to him, but for me, it was a breath of fresh air and helped me to remember my purpose as a teacher. 

If you have time (it's a little over an hour long) I highly recommend finding yourself a yummy snack and a quiet comfy spot. You won't want to miss a minute of this interview. 

I often find myself asking, "What would Rafe do?" His passion and dedication inspire me to stay passionate and dedicated even on the most difficult days.

Who are your teacher idols? Who do you turn to for inspiration and guidance? I would love to hear from you!

Tunes on Tuesday- A Class Favorite!

I want to share an idea with you that my students and I loved this past year!

Nick over at Sweet Rhyme Pure Reason came up with a great idea to incorporate music in the classroom and connect popular songs to academic skills. He calls it Tunes Tuesday.

When I first read about this last summer, I loved it and I knew I wanted to incorporate it in my classroom. I ended up calling it 'Tunes on Tuesday' (I didn't add the 'on' for any reason, it just came out that way when I introduced it to the kids- and it stuck!) and it became an absolute favorite in our classroom.

Each Tuesday I would choose a song for my students and I to listen to and analyze. I started out using songs as a way to practice specific skills, but over the course of the year I started using them more as a general text for us to practice a variety of reading and word study skills with. Poetry is a tested genre in third grade so it worked beautifully!

We would first read the lyrics without listening to the music and look for the same poetic devices we would look for in any other poem.  I gave each student their own copy of the lyrics so they could track their thinking as we went. We would discuss the meaning of the lyrics, point out specific vocabulary words, discuss powerful lines or stanzas, and look for a theme. I usually had some questions or specific things I wanted the students to notice in the text, but those mainly served as conversation starters. It always interested me to see what meaning the students derived from reading the lyrics without the music, especially when it was a popular song they knew the words to but hadn't given much thought to the actual message or meaning. We would then listen to the song and discuss how the music influenced the mood of the piece. I would not allow anyone to sing along with the song while we listened the first time. I wanted the students to really focus on the pace and tone of the music and pay close attention to the words. After some additional discussion and/or clarification, we would listen to the song a second time and I would allow the kids to sing along quietly if they knew the words. The whole process took no more than fifteen minutes.

Below is a list of some of the songs I used. We didn't do a song every week and I didn't save all of them (boo), but I'm sharing the ones that I have. Just click on the title to download the lyrics. They are PDFs and will have my questions on them, but you can at least get an idea of how I used them with my students.

"You'll Be in My Heart" - Phil Collins (Disney's The Jungle Book)
"Wide Awake" - Katy Perry
"When I Was Your Man" - Bruno Mars
"Stand" - Rascal Flatts
"Skin" - Rascal Flatts
"Let it Go" - Disney's Frozen
"Lean On Me" - Glee cast
"I've Got a Dream"- Disney's Tangled
"I'll Make a Man Out of You"- Disney's Mulan
"Concrete Angel"- Martina McBride
"Colors of the Wind" - Disney's Pocahontas

Toward the end of the year I realized what an absolute gold mine Disney songs are! They have great vocabulary and valuable themes and a vast majority of the kids knew them.

Depending on availability and time we would also watch the music video for the song. Doing so allowed my students to further grasp the meaning of a song and provided additional evidence to support the overall message.

My students loved Tunes on Tuesday and it was a wonderful way for me to sneak in some additional practice of our reading skills in a unique and engaging way. I also loved the flexibility of it. I could focus more on vocabulary or word study skills or go deeper and discuss skills like tone and theme. And of course, I LOVE to sing and so did most of my students, so it was always fun to sing along with them that second time around! It is definitely something I am going to tweak and improve and continue to use in the future.

Several other bloggers have shared their ideas for this strategy on Nick's Tunes Tuesday Linky Page so be sure to check that out!!

Hope you are enjoying your summer!!

The Book Whisperer- My Thoughts and Reflections

Donalyn Miller's The Book Whisperer has been on my nightstand unread and covered by my other reading selections since last summer. I purchased it after seeing multiple bloggers mention it but never had the burning desire to read it. I think there was a part of me that expected it to be another book advocating for a teaching method that I would try and then eventually abandon. I just couldn't find the motivation to start.

Now after being captivated with the book for two days, it has become the newest addition to my personal reading library- underlined, written-in, and coffee-stained. I know this will be a mentor text that I refer to often and Donalyn Miller has been added to my list of teacher-idols.

Miller offers common-sense and practical arguments for what students need more of in a reading classroom- reading!! She discusses how she creates an inspiring environment and culture of readers in her sixth-grade classroom and helps students genuinely fall in love with reading. She talks teacher-to-teacher, heart-to-heart, on what she has found that works. I was finally ready to listen.

Reading this book has come at a very significant time in my teaching career. I have been teaching reading to third graders for five years now and it seems that every year I struggle to balance what I think is best for my students with the expectations of others. I have tried a little bit of everything but found myself falling back on one constant every time- extended segments of self-selected independent reading time, no matter what reading level my students were on. Nothing else seemed to engage my students more, give me more insight into their reading habits and personalities, and allowed me to connect with my students reader-to-reader.

Despite knowing that this was what worked best with my students, I still forced them to engage in other activities because of the expectations others had for what should be going on in a reading classroom. When I think back now on how much time I stole away from my students, and from myself creating activities, it almost makes me physically ill. All of those other activities were supposed to lead students to the ultimate goal of successfully reading independently and here I was taking that time away from them!

As I was reading the book, I felt those twinges of guilt when Miller discussed common classroom practices like whole-class novel studies, book talks, reading logs, and popcorn reading. I did them all. These practices were not expected or endorsed by my colleagues, so why did I do these things when I knew in my heart that they weren't working?

The following quotes from the book spoke directly to me and prompted deep self-reflection:

"Are we teaching books or are we teaching readers?"

"Reading has become schoolwork, not an activity in which students willingly engage outside of school."

"The relationships I build with my students are predominantly those of one reader to another. I am so enthusiastic about reading, so joyful about books, so willing to share my opinions and my reading experiences that my students are swept up in my love of books and want to feel it for themselves."

"...the instructional edge goes to the teacher who sees reading as a gift, not a goal."

"Instead of falling into a book and traveling on a journey with the characters, readers float on the surface of the story and cherry-pick moments they predict they will be tested on later."

"The reality is that you cannot inspire others to do what you are not inspired to do yourself." 

 "I want my students to learn what life readers know, reading is its own reward."

"The only way you will know that your students read every day is to watch them read right in front of you."


The book made me step back and analyze my choices as a reading teacher much more closely. What practices was I using and why? Should I continue or discontinue them? What is the real instructional goal?

Yes, I have my class read the same book at the same time once in a while, but for valuable reasons (in my personal opinion). I love that when we read a book together it gives us a common language and literary experience that we can build on and connect to throughout the year. I never quiz my students on the book or expect them to write a report at the end. I can assess their comprehension, or lack thereof, based on their participation in our discussions and sometimes just the look on their face. I also have students read the same book to expose them to authors and genres they may not have chosen otherwise. I have many boys who discovered they love Judy Moody after we read one of the books together.

Now, popcorn reading? That's another story. Yes, I have used this method and yes, I knew deep in my heart that it was ineffective. Why did I do it? Why does any teacher use it? To ensure that every child is staying with the class and is paying attention, of course! Reflecting on when I have used this with my students, I realized that I mostly used this when reading expository text. Reflecting even deeper, I realized that it was because of my own insecurities and my fear that the students would walk away missing valuable information, or worse, misinterpreting information, that drove me to use this method. Even though the students were reading, I dominated the conversation probing and explaining to be sure everyone understood the information being presented. Did it accomplish my goal of keeping everyone on task? Nope. The same kids who always played with their tennis shoes still did, regardless of my efforts. Did the students truly comprehend the text we were reading? Some did, some didn't. Are there better ways to go about reading and assessing comprehension of expository text? Yes!

It's very easy for me to get caught up in trends. But at my core, I am a reader, I love reading, and I want to pass that passion on to my students. Any activity that I have my students engage in that does not directly align to that goal needs to be critically examined. I love that Miller so boldly explores popular methods and debunks them. But more importantly, she urges teachers to examine the reasoning behind their methods and to not be afraid to do what is best for students.

Whatever your level of familiarity with the book, I urge you to read it or reread it as soon as you can.

Thank you, Donalyn Miller, for fearlessly advocating for our students.

You can read more about Donalyn Miller on her website, bookwhisperer.com.

International Reading Association National Conference 2014- Heaven on Earth!!

Oh. My. Goodness.

I cannot even explain to you how excited, uplifted, motivated, re-energized (the list could go on) I feel! I just experienced my very first ever International Reading Association National Conference. It has absolutely been the BEST professional development I have been to thus far in my career.

I wish there was a way for me to capture the energy from the conference in a blog post, but I just don't think it would be possible and I would fail miserably if I tried. Being there, it was palpable. The conference was the perfect mix of professional sessions, networking, product-sampling, and author-meeting. I have never been this inspired and felt so supported to really reflect on my practices, refine my philosophy, and take the actions to improve my teaching. It was such an inspiration to be surrounded by so many highly respected researchers, professors, and educators who are passionate about literacy and children. And to top it off, the entire exhibit hall was filled with books- professional books, children's books, young-adult books- books everywhere! I mean really, it was heaven on earth!

My teammate and I were preparing a PowerPoint to show our students and I realized that the slides would work perfectly as a way for me to give you a little picture evidence of our trip. With all the information swirling around in my head right now, pictures are about all I can manage!

Here we go!

Because we are showing this to the kids, we called her 'Mrs. Pinnell.' :)

I'll address the alphabet issue in another post. It's a very interesting story. 

While standing in line for Dav Pilkey, I was able to get my book signed by another author, Marissa Moss!

Brod was so amazing! He even videoed a message just for our kids! He is truly a fabulous poet and he cares about kids. Check out his MUSE Project! He has vowed to write poems that hit content standards for grades K-8. It's pretty amazing. I'll do a separate post on that later. Here is the awesome video he made for our kids:

And that wasn't all! I didn't get any pictures, but we heard great speeches from Mary Pope Osborne, author of the popular Magic Tree House series, Debbie Diller, Dr. P. David Pearson, Dr. Tim Rasinski, and more!! It was a whirlwind!

Debbie Diller

Mary Pope Osborne

Tim Rasinski

Dr. P. David Pearson

My head is just spinning! I might come back and do some separate posts on some of the highlights from the conference later, but for now I'm just going to relish in the fact that I was able to have this amazing experience and relax before I'm back in my classroom tomorrow!

IRA 2014- an experience I will never forget!!

Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures- My Top Five!

Today I want to share with you some cooperative learning structures that I use in my classroom and absolutely love. They are great to use anytime, but they sure come in handy during testing season when you have a lot to review! 

If you haven't heard of them before, Kagan has come up with ingenious "structures" to increase engagement, practice social skills, and provide academic practice all at the same time. They use the term "structure" rather than activity or game because they really are very structured. Each one is designed to maximize engagement and provide a structured opportunity to use social skills. Rather than just "working together," each student has a role in the structure. 

My kids enjoy the structures and ask for them by name! How great is that? I truly would be lost without them! I've put together a list of the top five structures that I use most often to share with you. 

So here we go!

First up and my absolute favorite- Quiz-Quiz-Trade! 

(I have blogged about this before you can read about it more in detail here). 

Materials Needed:

 Quiz Quiz Trade Cards

You can make cards out of anything. I have some fancy ones that I have typed up and enhanced with clip art and some that are hand written and falling apart. Whatever works! The cards need a question on one side and the answer to the question on the other side. Each side needs to be labeled with 'Question' or 'Answer' for clarity.

How it Works:

Quiz-Quiz-Trade is an active structure in which students stand up, partner up, and quiz each other with questions. It seems simple at first glance, but social skills are embedded in the structure. :) 

1. Students find a partner, high five them and say, "Hi, partner!"

2. Student one quizzes student two using the question on their card. They hold the question side of the card to their partner and keep the answer side facing them. If the partner answers correctly, they receive a praise. If they answer incorrectly, they get a tip. 

3. Student two quizzes student one using the same process described above. 

4. When both students have quizzed and answered, they high-five and say, "Bye, partner!" and they find a new partner. 

This structure is my absolute go-to. It's easy, quick, gets the kids moving, and allows me to get some good informal data by listening and observing. It's also great to use in times of transition and when materials need to be passed out or taken up. I honestly could not live without it!  

I sometimes use this structure as a class builder. I throw in some get-to-know-each-other-questions and leave the answer side off. The students learn a lot about their classmates this way! 

Showdown 

Materials Needed: 

-Question Cards (1 set per team) OR 

-paper and pencil or dry erase boards and markers

Like the Quiz-Quiz-Trade cards, these can be simple or fancy. It's best to have some sort of answer key for the team to use to check for accuracy. 

How It Works:

Showdown is a team activity. Students work alone to answer a question and then have "show down" with their team to share their work and discuss. 

1. Teams stack their question cards in the middle of the table face down. 

2.  One partner is designated the Showdown Captain for the round. They flip over the top card revealing the quesiton to the team. 

3. All teammates read the question and record their answers on their recording document (dry erase board or paper). Students keep their recording documents hidden from their teammates' view and there is no talking during this time. 

4. When the showdown captain notices that all students are finished, they call "Showdown!" All team members show their answers to their teammates. 

5. Teams discuss their answers and must come to an agreement on one answer. (This creates some great conversation!)

6. The Showdown Captain checks the teams' answer for accuracy using the answer key. If correction is needed, the team corrects. If not, the team celebrates! 

7. The role of Showdown Captain rotates around the table so each team member has that opportunity. 

I love this strategy because all students are engaged and it creates some wonderful discussion. Because each team member must show their answers to their teammates, it creates a subtle sense of urgency and responsibility but still allows for coaching and correction. The teams are completely independent once they learn the structure, so it frees you up to listen in, observe, or correct and reteach as needed. 

This is also a great way to differentiate. You can easily create a different set of question cards for each group.

Before the students attempt this structure, it helps to discuss some phrases your students can use when they disagree. Phrases like, "Can you explain your thinking please?" or "What evidence do you have to support your answer?" can help students clarify their thinking and defend or sometimes change their answers. I never want a student to just write an answer and not give a genuine effort. My students know that their classmates and I will be questioning their answers- even if they are correct! 

Another bit of advice- if your students are lacking on social skills, this structure needs to be highly monitored. Be as proactive as you can and provide the students with words or phrases for problems you anticipate. Simple phrases like, "I disagree" or "I solved it this way" can help ease those tension-filled moments when students disagree. When you are just starting out, keep the questions basic. As the students  become more familiar with the structure and improve their coaching skills, you can increase the rigor.

Numbered Heads Together

Materials Needed: 

-Teacher-created questions to project to class

You can use written questions, oral questions, or questions or problems you have typed from the computer. PowerPoint is my best friend for this structure

-Something for students to write on

Dry erase boards work best for this, but pencil and paper works also

-Visible numbers for students

Arrange your students in groups and they will number off. So, in a group of 4 students you will have a number 1, a number 2, a number 3, and a number 4. You can use smaller or larger groups as needed. 

How it Works:

This structure is very similar to Showdown, but is a whole class activity. 

1. The teacher gives a question or problem to be answered. 

2. All students in the team answer the question on their own recording document making sure no other teammates can see their answers as they are working. No talking during this time! (We hold our boards in our arms)

3. When all teammates have recorded their answers, the teacher says, "Heads together!" 

4. All students share their answers and discuss, correct, coach, or celebrate. The team must agree on one answer. 

5. When an answer has been decided, all students erase their answers or flip their papers over if writing on paper. 

6. The teacher calls on a particular number. The student with that number from each group stands. The teacher decides how they want the selected students to respond. All students can answer at the same time, one of the students can answer, the students can rewrite their responses on their recording document, it's up to you! 

7. A new question is given and the steps repeat! 

This structure is great for those concepts that the whole class needs practice with.  It's different than Showdown because it adds the additional layer of sharing answers in front of the whole class. Even if a student originally gives an incorrect answer, they can still correct it during the team discussion and it takes away the anxiety of sharing wrong answer with the entire class. 

Because this structure requires students to agree, they will need some phrases to use when they disagree. These structures are wonderful teaching moments for politeness, handling frustration, expressing disagreement, etc. Lots of teachable moments! 

I love using this structure with vocabulary- especially shades of meaning and choosing precise language. We have had some very deep discussions! I also love that you can use this structure any time. We keep our dry erase boards and supplies in our desks so they can be pulled out in a few seconds. I can give a question orally and we are off! It's a great time filler when you have those awkward five or ten minutes when an activity finishes up faster than you anticipated. 

Fan-N-Pick

Materials Needed:

-Question cards with an answer key

-Optional: role cards with descriptions for students

How it Works:

Fan-N-Pick is a card game teams of students play together. Each member has a very specific role, so until the students feel comfortable with the roles, it helps to have them visible. We use a mat that came out of the Kagan Cooperative Learning Book.

1. Student #1 fans the cards to student #2 and says, "Pick a card, any card!"

2. Student #2 chooses a card and reads the card aloud. 

3. Student #3 answers the question aloud to the group. 

4. Student #4 checks the answer for accuracy and gives coaching if needed or a praise if the answer is correct. 

5. The roles rotate clockwise. Student #1 gives the cards to student #2 who fans for student #3 and so on. 

This structure does take some practice. Kagan developed these handy Fan-N-Pick mats that give brief descriptions of each role and then can simply be turned when the roles rotate. 

The students love this structure mostly because they get to use a silly voice to say, "Pick a card, any card." It's the small things! I love it because it provides great practice and everyone is engaged!  Each member has a specific role, so no one can sit out. 

This is another structure that's great to use as a class builder. Use generic get-to-know-you questions and change the role of the checker so they have to restate what the student who answered said and it serves a new purpose!

Rally Robin

Materials Needed: 

None- just an oral prompt given by the teacher!

How it Works:

Rally Robin is a partner activity that is similar to an oral tennis match. 

1. Pairs of students face each other.

2. The teacher gives an oral prompt or question. 

3. Students alternate giving answers as quickly as possible, back and forth, back and forth. 

This is one of my favorite structures to review math skills. I can simply say, Rally Robin- start at 50 and count by fourths and off they go! It's great for skip counting, rhyming words, giving examples of words with a certain prefix or suffix, synonyms, etc. It gets students talking, they love to challenge themselves to see how fast they can go, and it's great practice. Best of all- it's no prep, quick, and easy! 

Well there you have it! These structures are truly a part of our classroom culture. We use them every single day. I can guarantee that when we do a structure the whole class is engaged and that makes my heart happy! I honestly cannot imagine teaching without them!

If you would like more information about Kagan, check out THEIR WEBSITE. They even have a new mini-book focusing just on their structures!

(This picture is not linked to the website. Click HERE 

 HERE to be taken there)

Have a great Thursday!

Celebrate the Not So Small Things :)

Tonight I have to share a celebration that is just warming my heart.

I have a student, we will call him Sam, that has been a struggle for me all year long. You know the type- withdrawn, unmotivated, would basically sit and do nothing all day if you let them. The kid who keeps you up at night as you think of how you can reach them. I have worked hard all year long trying to figure Sam out, get in his head, and we have had lots of little moments over the course of the year. We've had our good days and bad days, and he has been making steady progress.

But today, he absolutely blew my mind.

It all started a few weeks ago with an idea from one of my amazing teammates.

The boys in our school need role models, solid positive examples of what scholarly men should sound like and look like. So my teammate, who happens to be male, thought of a brilliant idea- Tie Tuesday. Every Tuesday he wears a necktie and chooses students to wear one of his 'magic ties' in class to be a model of scholarly behavior. In order to wear one of his ties, the student must take an oath and promise to behave and follow all directions. This idea caught on quickly with the boys and soon several of them throughout the school were wearing their own neckties from home and truly improving their behavior.

On a whim one morning a week or so ago I talked with Sam about trying out a magic tie. I explained that if he chose to wear one he had to exemplify all the characteristics of a scholar- all day long. He thought about it, but said he wasn't quite ready.

Today Sam walked in the door with a smile on his face, came right up to me, and said, "I'm going to wear a tie today." I tried not to let him see my surprise and just said, "Well go and get it!" I was a little nervous at how this was going to play out, but I kept my smile strong when he came back in with the tie neatly around his neck.

Let me tell you - I have never seen that child work the way he did today! Not once did I have to remind him to start his assignment, tuck in his shirt, find a pencil, or turn in his paper. He did everything- every single thing all day long! He even showed all of his work on his math assignment when he normally does it all "mentally" AND he shared his feelings at our class meeting!

At one point during the day he asked me for an extra journal to practice math problems in. As we were standing next to the cabinet and I was feverishly searching for the extra journal praying that I wouldn't somehow ruin this precious moment, I was telling him just how proud I was of him. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, I'm having a really good day. I don't know if it's me or just the tie." I stopped digging, put my hands on his shoulders, looked him in the eyes and told him that he didn't need a magic tie. He was amazing all on his own. I gave him the biggest hug I could give (and held back my tears). I couldn't get on the phone fast enough after school to gush to his grandma about his awesome day.

If you were to know Sam personally, and we all have a Sam in our classroom, you understand how huge of a deal a day like today is. These moments of absolute joy when you see a child bloom in front of your eyes - they are priceless. This is why I love my job. We do whatever it takes- even if it means creating the idea of a "magic tie" to bring out the best in a kid. I will be forever grateful to my teammate.

In the midst of testing season, it's very easy for us to overlook the little things that are sometimes the most important things. Today was a milestone for Sam, hopefully one of many more to come.

Tonight I'm not going to worry about how to better explain summarization or how to find multiple lines of symmetry. I'm not going to stress about my kids continuously ignoring the word NOT in a question or failing to see the word OPPOSITE. Tonight, I'm going to celebrate the small things - the small things that are actually very big things. I hope that you will, too. :)