Week One: Introduction to course: Hi and welcome to our course! Please remember that one of the benefits of a blogging course is to have communication between participants. Be remember to respond to other participants' comments each week.
Assignment #1: Introductory paragraph. Please post your introduction to the course blog in the blog archive under the posting: Week One: Introduction - Please tell us a little about yourself. Where do you teach? What grade and how long have you been teaching? How many students are in your class and do you have instructional support? What does your current literacy program look like? (If you aren’t currently teaching let us know what your educational background and experiences are.) What is your knowledge/training in the area of literacy? Does your district provide literacy training? If so, what exactly have they offered? Also, let us know a little about you outside the classroom: Interests/ Hobbies/ Family Life.
Also please read: Classroom Instruction that Works - Chapter 1 – Applying the Research on Instruction: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
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o Click on the comment link below. If you do not have a Google account you will need to create a free one. Underneath the “leave your comment” box – click where it says “no Google account? Sign up here.” Then follow the direction to create an account.
o After you create your account you can just type in your user name and password from when you created the account and then click the button “publish your comment” and it will be posted. You should post Assignment # 1 explained below as your first comment.
(Please Note: In addition to posting your first assignment (Introduction) to the blog, please email it to us. This is to enable us to contact you individually should the need occur. Please also make sure that you label your assignment with your name when posting to the blog to ensure that you receive proper credit for your work.)
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18 comments:
My name is Lindsay Walker and I just completed my 10th year teaching third grade in Sherwood, OR. I have the unique opportunity to be on a core planning (advanced planning) team opening a new school in our district (our 4th elementary) this fall. I will be teaching third grade there in the fall. The building is complete and the moving in process has started! I typically have between 26 and 30 kids in my class, but this last year I only had 22, which was an absolute blessing. We have literacy instructional assistants who help us during our 90 minute literacy block. They help out with our "intensive" and "strategic" level kids. We use the Houghton-Mifflin reading progam (this will be year 3) and have a required 90 minutes of reading instruction. We do 45 minutes whole group and 45 minutes small group (Walk to Read model) where the kids rotate to the appropriate level classroom. Our district has a reading initiative that requires all students to have a certain amount of literacy instruction each day at all levels (K-12). We have Literacy coaches in our buildings and we also have a Literacy Coach for the distict who brings us great staff development and ideas and is easy to reach whenever necessary.
Outside of the classroom, I enjoy traveling, reading, relaxing and being with my friends and family. I am a proud aunt to a four year old nephew and 3 year old niece who I love to pieces! This summer I will be busy with the Core Planning Team and moving into the new building. It's an exciting time!
Welcome to the course Lindsay! It definitely sounds as though you have a great opportunity ahead of you. What types of decisions did being on the core planning team allow you to make (ie. curriculum, building design, staff hires???). There are at least five members signed up for the course, so hopefully they will be on the blog soon!
Most of the decisions we make on the core team are around having a smooth opening in the fall. We've planned several events with the new kids and families, as well as lead a mascot campaign. We have developed staff and student handbooks and have done some professional reading (a few chapters from Marzano, as a matter of fact!) We've been doing professional reading to help us define some of what we hope our school will be because ultimately, education is the most important part! We have been a little involved in the design and we've been involved with some of the hiring of key people. We have a lot ahead of us this summer, but we have done so much already. It's been a great experience!
WOW! It does sound like a great experience!
Hi!
My name is Kelly Carlson and I am entering my 9th year teaching at McMinnville High School (MHS) in McMinnville, Oregon. I teach in the Social Studies department and have been part of the reform movement at MHS to create smaller learning communities at the 9th grade level. In addition to teaching 9th grade Social Studies, I also serve as a team leader of one of our four 9th grade teams. My team is called Team Cascade. Teams consist of around 120 students, an English teacher, a Science teacher, a Pro-Academic Ways to Success (PAWS) teacher, a Social Studies teacher, an administrator, a dean of students, and a counselor. We began teaming about 6 years ago and I was fortunate to get involved the first year and witness first hand how far we have come. Although we continue to monitor and modify our program, we are all very proud of the work that is going on at the freshman level at MHS.
As a classroom teacher I teach four year-long sections of 9th grade Social Studies to the 120+/- on Team Cascade. Our curriculum will change next year from “Social Issues” to “Global Conflict of the 20th Century”. Besides teaching 9th grade, I taught three (semester) Government courses to about 110 seniors last year. Even though the curriculum wasn’t really in my comfort zone I did enjoy working with the older kids. I do not receive much instructional support in ELL or SPED unless it I make a specific request for a student to receive 1 on 1 help.
Next year I will be teaching two (year long) sheltered ELL Social Studies classes in addition to my 9th grade curriculum. I’m not ELL certified but have taught sheltered ELL classes in the past and really enjoyed them. It will be a challenge but I am excited about the potential for the class. I believe that I’ll have an ELL Ed Assistant for these classes next year.
Outside of the classroom I enjoy spending time with my husband (Ryan), friends, and our two dogs – Mack & Maddy Lou. Playing basketball has always been a passion, and although I don’t get to play as much as I’d like anymore, I do work as a volunteer assistant coach at Linfield College during the winter. When I can find time I also enjoy crafting- beading, quilting, etc. I’m currently pursuing my Master’s Degree through PSU and have completed ½ of the cohort classes.
Welcome Kelly - it sounds as though you've been able to enjoy a great experience at your high school. I've seen teaming be an amazing advantage to both students and staff in a building!!!
My name is Bonnie Pasquarelli and I started my dream job this past April at a high school in Woodburn, Oregon! I am considered a teacher, though my job has three components to it.
1. Teaching Child Development classes
2. Teen Parent Coordinator
3. Director of the Child Care Center on the high school campus
Entering at the end of the year had its challenges, but the staff I work with are amazing and have all been there for many years at the child care center. I had pretty good support, though the high school is split into four small high schools and there is an alternative high school as well. Since I am considered a shared service teacher, I serve all the schools and that can be confusing when each school has a slightly different bell schedule.
I entered into a position that has had a hard couple of years. The long term teacher of fourteen years left two years ago, they had a first year of transition with a new teacher and then entered into this past year with high hopes. Then that teacher gave 2 weeks notice in January! They had a long term sub and I started in April. Wew!
The great thing is that I managed to get to know many students and was able to establish some good relationships in a short 3 months. The enrollment in the child development classes has dropped significantly and the main goal is to just bring the numbers up. To do this we have made significant changes in how the classes have been offered in combination with lab requirements and changing them from full year to half year.
So this course is great to help me not only as a first year teacher, but to take a fresh look at the curriculum and make the courses my own. Looking forward to it!
My name is Bonnie Pasquarelli and I started my dream job this past April at a high school in Woodburn, Oregon! I am considered a teacher, though my job has three components to it.
1. Teaching Child Development classes
2. Teen Parent Coordinator
3. Director of the Child Care Center on the high school campus
Entering at the end of the year had its challenges, but the staff I work with are amazing and have all been there for many years at the child care center. I had pretty good support, though the high school is split into four small high schools and there is an alternative high school as well. Since I am considered a shared service teacher, I serve all the schools and that can be confusing when each school has a slightly different bell schedule.
I entered into a position that has had a hard couple of years. The long term teacher of fourteen years left two years ago, they had a first year of transition with a new teacher and then entered into this past year with high hopes. Then that teacher gave 2 weeks notice in January! They had a long term sub and I started in April. Wew!
The great thing is that I managed to get to know many students and was able to establish some good relationships in a short 3 months. The enrollment in the child development classes has dropped significantly and the main goal is to just bring the numbers up. To do this we have made significant changes in how the classes have been offered in combination with lab requirements and changing them from full year to half year.
So this course is great to help me not only as a first year teacher, but to take a fresh look at the curriculum and make the courses my own. Looking forward to it!
Sorry I posted my assignment twice!
New at this blogging thing:o)
I'd like to take a minute to introduce myself, although I know that it is July and the course is fully underway! I just now registered for this course and am excited at the prospect of learning various strategies to motivate my students and improve achievement.
I am currently teaching at an elementary school in Woodburn, OR. I have been teaching for three years, and feel fortunate to have taught bilingual 3rd grade all three years. The school at which I work is as diverse as the community. I teach 60% of the day in Spanish, and 40% in English. This year, I expect to have about 24 students in my class. With regards to literacy, our district follows a balanced literacy approach that emphasizes gradual release of responsibility. However, I was fortunate to have been on the literacy adoption committee this year at the elementary level and participated in the task of selecting literacy material that best suits our reading philosophy.
Outside of the classroom I enjoy having fun with my husband and camping.
Welcome to both Bonnie and Sarah! Bonnie - what a unique teaching position. I think it's the first time I've come across that job description :) How lucky you are to be able to be considered as a full-time teaching position even though you have some administration type jobs. I hope the course supports you as you analyze your teaching curriculum. Sarah - I'm curious as to what your literacy adoption committee in the district is looking to purchase. Are you looking towards just purchasing guided reading books and leveled classroom libraries, or are you looking for a program of sorts? Our district just bought Making Meaning (reading workshop) and Being a Writer (writing workshop)from the Developmental Studies Center. We are currently rewriting our curriculum and are using them as one of our primary resources.
Hello,
My name is Kimberly Lewis and I am beginning my 5th year of teaching in the Hillsboro School District. I have taught Kindergarten, a 1/2 blend and now I am starting my 2nd year of first grade. I just had my first baby (a boy) in March so I am adjusting to motherhood and integrating that into my career as a teacher. I am really excited about taking this course and learning how to use this information in my own classroom. Marzano is an author we hear a lot about in our school and I can't wait to get into it deeper and get a better understanding of the instructional strategies so that I can use them effectively. I am also excited about the blogging...this is new to me so I hope to learn something there as well.
Welcome Kim! Congratulations on your baby! Are you going back to teaching in the fall, or did you go back after 2/3 months in the spring? Once you have kids, you definitely learn to become more effective! :)
Hi! My name is Katie Bryant, and I realize I am very late in signing up for this course, but I'm here now so that's all that counts right?!? I am entering my third year teaching in the Hillsboro School District, and my fourth year teaching overall. I have taught 5th grade for the last three years, and am moving to 6th grade this next year which is very nerve racking! I've never taught in a school district that goes up to 6th grade, so I really don't know a lot about it, but I'm looking forward to a new learning experience!
Our district teaches from the Houghton Mifflin adoption and just last year went to the 90 minute a day instruction. We are moving towards a walk to read model this next year which I am very excited about. We have several reading coaches/TOSA's in our district, and I have had the pleasure of working closely with one in particular who taught me a lot about effective reading instruction. I have been to several Houghton Mifflin trainings as well. but not many others.
Other than teaching, I love traveling, photography, scrapbooking, and working out. My boyfriend and I just rented a house and I'm finding that I love to decorate. We have a 5 year old Chocolate Lab that we spoil way too much, but enjoy it all the same.
Katie,
We also have Houghton Mifflin - this will be our third year. We also are required to teach 90 minutes of literacy instruction. We actually began Walk to Read this past year and love it! Sounds like our schools are similar in their approaches to reading. We also have a full time reading coach/TOSA who is phenomenal with teachers and her literacy assistants. We've made huge gains in literacy since putting all these things into place. And...the kids like it too! I wasn't so sure about a basal model, but it has worked out well.
Welcome Katie...and yes that you're here is what counts :) It sounds like you have an exciting year of changes ahead of you - great opportunities to grow. Best of luck!!!
Hi my name is Marlene Hope i am from Trinidad West Indies.It is what is called a Third world nation in the Caribbean.I have been working with struggling readers for over ten years. It has been a hard long road but i get my enjoyment from seeing the children light up when they understand something or remember a word.I now teach Remedial Reading at what we would call a low income area,and i have at least 54 children from different levels throughout the week.I am still looking for a reading programme that would be able to encompass each child,I am presently looking at the daily five programme by the sisters.
I have two children 23 & 19 years.I am a single mom and my hobbies are reading ,gardening,dancing and meeting new people.
My name is Ryan King. I teach high school math in Lebanon, OR. I have been teaching and coaching for five years, all of which have been at Lebanon High. I teach seven periods during the day, including a before school math lab and a freshman study hall. My content ranges from Pre-Algebra through Algebre 2 and I have students in all four grade levels. I have roughly 150 students assigned to me throughout the day. My school offers an academic resource center (ARC) during each classroom, but I don't have any instructional assistants in my classroom. We hired a new superintendent this year, and one of his focuses is literacy. We recieved literacy training during our welcome back week this summer. During our training we discussed ways to engage students in active reading in all content areas. We also discussed methods for helping students dissect meaning from textbooks.
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