Oh, Jennifer, I wasn't offended at all. I'm just confused. I'd love to give these two the benefit of our learning AND learn from them, but I'm just not sure how to go about it. I like your suggestions! I'm asking for help! Do you think it's too hard to start reading To Understand as their first step? I do like the idea of tying that in with ONE strategy. Thanks! Hmmmm, Judy
-------------- Original message ---------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Wow, Judy! > When you say green, you mean GREEN. I didn't mean to insinuate that you are > leaving these new teachers to their own devices...I know better! :-) > > I just thought you might kill two birds with one stone. If you study > comprehension strategies WITH the newbies, they get the background knowledge > and > you > get the professional development that comes from the discussion as well. You > know how you learn more about something by talking about it with peers? > Well...maybe they are not ready for all that yet. Maybe what is best is to > find > out what the newbies think they need and start there. > > I still think that the tenants of Ellin's new book, To Understand, could and > should be shared with them when they start to learn about teaching > comprehension. Suppose, when they are ready, they learn to teach > visualizing...couldn't they learn to teach some of the dimensions of > understanding at the same > time? Couldn't it be integrated into the lesson? I really don't know these > new > teachers, and I can't say I have tried to teach these dimensions of > understanding to many of my own staff yet...so maybe I am really off base. > It > just > seems to me that what Ellin is arguing for is NOT an add on...it should be > an > integral part of strategy instruction to begin with, shouldn't it? I think > that > the What's Essential model would be the best place to start with new > teachers > since isn't that the biggest problem new teachers have??? They never know > what to teach first.... > > Please understand, Judy, I didn't mean to offend you! When I post a > response, I can only respond to the information you include in each post. > From > hundreds of miles away, all we know is what you have originally written. > Thanks > for > clarifying...and good luck! > Jennifer > > > In a message dated 9/28/2008 2:25:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > LOL, well, I didn't want to mention it, but you're right...classroom > management is the #1 challenge for these darling newbies right now (and one > is > being > criticized by parents for lack of). The coach began modeling lessons for > them last week with the intention of showing how we manage our kids. Of > course they're teaching, but there are so many hurdles just on Step #1. > > For those who think we two vets aren't helping the newbies, LOL, my district > has been a forerunner in Collaboration and the collaborative model. We meet > as a grade level for 3 hours once a week (kids at art/music/PE) with one > meeting a month coached (used to be 2 coached before this year's budget > cuts). > We do lesson study and read together and learn together, but, ladies, these > new teachers are GREEN. I work in a WONDERFUL school--believe me I know I'm > blessed--where all teachers are very very very hard-working and dedicated. > The new teachers work long hours and are trying very hard, but they don't > even > know what priorities are yet because they're so busy pedaling. Are we > helping them? You bet! In addition to Collaboration time, we meet once a > week > to > help them...and they're in my room daily with questions. We had 175 > applications for these 2 positions and we value our newbies; maybe I'm wrong > in > thinking we can only pile on so much, but we didn't want to have them start > te > aching comprehension strategies when they haven't read ONE text yet. My > friend and I revere (and use daily) Keene, Miller, Harvey/Goudvis, and > Fountas/Pinnell. Daily. How can we expect these new teachers to teach > comprehension > strategies WITH NO BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE? > > Lest you think I'm not trying, we had our first Collaboration on Thursday > and we came up with our first cycle's focus: How does shared reading deepen > comprehension? We plan to work on it with them, but it's hard for all of > us. > Do you think we should just push them into comprehension strategy > instruction > when they have NO prior knowledge and have done NO reading? Do you think > they'll learn better by doing? > > Thanks, > Judy > > > > > > > **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial > challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips > and > calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > [email protected] > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
