Thanks for understanding. I really think I bit off more than I can chew this year, but I'm figuring it out.
Like I said, I felt really bad putting a grade on the organizer. I knew it felt wrong. I feel a lot better about approaching it again next Wednesday in small groups. This way I'll be able to address their issues more individually and have something more substantial to assess afterwards. It's hard with this teacher retiring. We're approaching the class in completely different ways and it's hard for me to find the balance. thanks again. On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 7:46 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > I really sympathize with you. You have 4 different preparations. Plus you > seem to be working with someone who doesn't really understand the prompt > response. > > Students are never assessed on a graphic organizer in a formal testing > situation. When I was in the classroom, my rule was to only ask students to > do "assignments" they would meet in real life, I needed to assess them, or > they would encounter in a testing situation. Our state requires an "extended > response." I taught a graphic organizer as a way to help them organie their > thoughts before they wrote. But I would never grade it. If I required it, I > would give them points for including it, as you have done. > > You sound like a very caring, and research based teacher. Stick to your > guns. Your previous experiences count! > Hang in there. > > Carol > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "reading" <[email protected]> > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" < > [email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 3:22:14 PM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] extended responses > > The graphic organizer is usually used to "organize" the response. The > teacher who teaches the other classes suggested we just grade the graphic > organizer if they do a "good job" on them. My kids did not. I think I > didn't > model it very well when I did it as a whole class. > > I'm hoping Wednesday to come back to them in small groups. Have them > complete the organizer, and actually write it out. Then re-asses and give > credit for completing the organizer. I think assessment/grading is one of > the hardest things. I was almost in tears earlier. > > I've had plenty of years in school and in the classroom. But now that I'm > in > charge, I feel like I know nothing. > > Thanks again for the responses. It really helps put things in perspective! > > > > On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 1:03 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I'm a little confused. Is the graphic organizer the response? My > > understanding was to use a graphic organizer in order to organize the > > information to write a response. If so, there should be a rubric for > grading > > the writing. > > > > Carol > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "reading" <[email protected]> > > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" < > > [email protected]> > > Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2009 9:29:33 AM GMT -06:00 US/Canada Central > > Subject: [MOSAIC] extended responses > > > > I don't know whether or not to call myself a first year teacher. But I > > really feel like one. I taught two years as a Spec. Ed. teacher in a full > > inclusion school. I have a masters in Literacy. Last year, I was a > literacy > > aide. This year, I am teaching a 7th grade reading, advanced reading, > > strategic reading, and a health class. > > I feel stretched and exhausted. Even though it's not technically my > "first > > year", it's my first year as a full classroom teacher. With four > different > > preps, I feel like I'm struggling to stay on top of everything and I'm > > thinking I will be turning to this list serve quite a bit for guidance! > > > > My issue today is with these extended responses to a prompt. They filled > in > > a graphic organizer to answer a prompt from the a short story. I started > > grading them this morning and they are very hard to assess and put a > grade > > on. I feel as though, the organizer is a draft, so putting a grade on it > > doesn't seem right. If many of the students didn't do well on supporting > > their evidence, should i reteach it? have them do it again? or move on, > and > > reteach it with a different prompt next time? I have already put a grade > on > > them though. > > > > Part of the problem is - I teach one of the classes and another teacher > > teaches the other two reading classes. We are supposed to stay together > and > > consistent in grading, planning etc. She's retiring and primarily an > > excellent art teacher. > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > [email protected] > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > [email protected] > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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