DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

I know some PE teachers do not like to dance, but it is one of my favorite units! I have attended a zumba class at Lifetime in Lakeville. We dance to a lot of the songs our students listen to. I decided to teach one of the zumba dances to my students. They seemed to really enjoy it. We danced to the song Dynamite, and now some of my students want to perform it for the talent show.

I think it's important that we modify our lessons and try new things to spark our students' interest. Simply changing the old music to music the kids are familiar with increases their interest.

Weighing our students

Fitness testing is around the corner...

Again, we're facing the issue in PE about taking the weight of our students for the Fitness Gram. There have been concerns about this issue through all ages of our Shakopee students. I teach at two different schools, one school does take the weight measurement, while the other school does not.

I'm just curious what everyone's opinion about weighing our students in PE class is? Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Do you think this is damaging to their self-esteem or a valuable tool for an evaluation of fitness? If the test requires it, do we need to stop using this test and go back to Presidential Fitness testing?

Preparing Literacy Lessons for LTS

I've worked so hard all year on an assessment binder, reader's and writer's workshop, building students' reading stamina, and so many other enriching literacy things that I'm finding it hard to let go of all I've done and hand over the reins to a long-term sub! I know my sub will do just fine, but I know there are limitations as to what their experience is in balanced literacy. I've offered many materials and ideas, so I feel like I did what I could and can only hope for the best! I know I'll be very busy this spring, but I'll still be thinking about my students and their progress (not to mention MAP tests, DRA's, etc.)

Does anyone else have experience with preparing a long-term sub for not only literacy lessons, but other academic areas?

I started giving each group a Literature Cirlce packet. I meet with each group at least 6 times. This allows each job to be completed by everyone at least once.  I grade this packet and it is part of their reading grade. This has helped with discussion too.  I was running into the problem, that no one would say anything. It was like pulling teeth to try to get some of my students to discuss the book. This has helped and has added more organization in the cirlce.  Here are the jobs that each member can choose from:

Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book you are reading and

the outside world. This means connecting what you read with your own life, to what

happens at school or in the community, to similar events at other times and places,

or to other people or problems. Once you have shared your connection to this

section of the book, each member of your group will also relate their own connection

to the book, although they may refer to a different passage.

Describe the part in the book, page number, and then explain your connection.

Discussion Director: Your job is to write a list of questions that your group might

want to discuss about this part of the book. The best questions will come from your

own thoughts, feelings, and ideas about this section of the book. You also need to

write your own answers to these questions.

Story Illustrator: Please illustrate a detailed picture of an important scene in your reading that you were able to make a connection with.  Be sure to tell why it is important and your connection to the picture. Label your connections as T-T, T-S, T-W, or T-M.

Literary Luminary: Your job is to choose a paragraph or sentences from the book

to discuss with your group. Your purpose is to help other students by spotlighting

something interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important from the text. You

can read parts aloud yourself, or ask another group member to read them. Include

your reasons for picking the paragraphs or sections you did. Please record the page

number and paragraph.

Passage Finder: Your job is to choose a paragraph or sentences from the book

to discuss with your group. Your purpose is to help other students by spotlighting

something interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important from the text. Please write a response explaining your reasons for picking the passage or sections you did. Along with your response tell what strategy you used. Please record the page number and paragraph.

Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a summary of the reading. Don’t tell the whole

story, just focus on the important parts. The other members of your group will be

counting on you to give them a quick statement that tells about the story (the

summary), and the key points.

Vocabulary Enricher: Your job is to look for a few important words in your reading. If

you find words that are puzzling or unfamiliar, mark them down on this page while you are

reading. Later, you can look them up in a dictionary and write down their definitions. You

may also find words in the reading that are significant to the story. Mark these words too,

and be ready to point them out to the group. Be sure to add your connection to the word.  How does the word relate to you and your life? Code your thinking!

What do you have you student's responsible for in their Literature Cirlces?

Forming Groups for Literature Cirlces

In the past, I have given book talks and formed my groups based on student choice.  I have also just picked books and told the groups what they would be reading.

From doing both, I have found that I enjoy giving book talks better and then having the students vote on their top 2 books and go from there.  The only problem with this that I ran into this year was my literature cirlce groups were all reading at different reading levels. Sometimes I noticed the higher level readers getting fustrated with the lower level readers because of their reading ability, not coming to group prepared, etc.. In a way, it helps everyone learn patience and how everyone reads at different levels.

Is it okay to have literature circles with mixed levels?

One thing that I would like to try after the MCA's for one last literature circle before the year ends in having students give the book talks.  I will select 5 students to give book talks. Each one at a different reading level. This will help accomodate all readers in the classroom and have a variety of choices. I will form groups on student's choice based on student book talks. I will also tell students that they person giving the book talk is just giving the book talk. It doesn't mean that person will be involved with that book.  I am hoping this will elimintate kids voting for a book based on the presenter.

Literature Cirlces

I found this in an article that I was reading on Literature Circles and wanted to share. I have been struggling with trying to do them the "right way" and trying to figure what way is the exactly "right way". This made it more clear to me that the way I am doing it will work too.

"there is no one way to do literature circles.  Literature circles look different in every classroom; they change from teacher to teacher, grade to grade, student to student.  Literature circles have no recipe, they are not a specific "program", and they never look the same from year to year -- or even from day to day.   The reason?  True engagement with literature within a community of learners can't possibly be prescribed -- it can only be described. 

This year my literature cirlces look more like guided reading groups. However, the needs of my students require this setting more than an independent group literature circle. I have 5 groups and each group has been involved in 2 literature circles that look like guided reading groups.

Are you doing literature circles in your classroom and if so what do they look like?