As I begin writing this, I cannot help but thank our incredible community for nurturing this event and helping it grow into ways we never thought possible! Cathy, Michelle and I are so impressed with how everyone is jumping in, trying new ideas, and supporting the work of each person. Our weekly conversations and comments on our Google community have certainly brought us to new understandings as well.
My Thoughts on Chapters 3 and 4...
Creating an educational climate that elevates the level of thinking, discussion,
and performance is ideal when raising the next generation. (p. 54)
As I began reading chapters 3 and 4, I started thinking about how repertoire charts are the teaching tools I am probably most comfortable with. Most comfortable... and yet, I still haven't utilized them consistently with my 4th graders. While reading more, I continued to think about how those charts around the room really do support the work of my readers and writers. I'm excited to also try out the other tools as other means of scaffolding, supporting, and stretching our learning.
On page 42, Kate and Maggie list a few ideas for keeping a chart "alive" for students. While fairly common sense, these really stuck with me. I also really appreciated their advice for narrowing the focus and assessing whether the tools worked. The bookmarks will be an incredibly powerful tool for students as far as agency, independence and "stickiness" are concerned. They tie in well with goal-setting and keeping kids accountable for their own progress, too.
The focus on what rigor really means was incredibly helpful. Not only does it link to difficulty, but it also has a lot to do with motivation and kids' desire to work harder. I love the quote I listed earlier for this reason. Isn't that our ultimate goal? It ties in so well with another fabulous professional read I'm loving, which is Upstanders by Sara Ahmed and Harvey Daniels. We want our kids to want to learn and make a difference in this world.
The Conversation Continues...
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| Credit to Rachel Harder for creating this! |
I agree the section about keeping charts "alive"resonated. When I look back to past classrooms, it is an area that I need work on.
ReplyDeleteUsing bookmarks for goal setting and accountability of progress sounds like the perfect tool for my 4th graders. I am starting to think about using bookmarks to have students track how they respond to text (I have a menu of choices and find that many students repeat the same options over and over). With a bookmark, students can track their choices and have a goal to avoid repetition. Love what you point out about bookmarks being a tool for "stickiness", independence, and agency! That is sticking with me!
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