Welcome to Writing Essentials! We look forward to working and learning with you. In order for everyone to get the most out of the course, please be sure to read and respond to each others comments. Please try to keep your responses within one allotted "comment" space to ensure that the blog remains manageable for all participants.
Also, you may want to type your comments in a Word Document and either copy from Word and paste onto the blog or save it in a folder on your computer and then post it to the blog. I have written a couple of lengthy comments that I lost before I was able to post it to the blog. This extra step may save you some frustration later on this term.
ASSIGNMENT ONE: Post your Introduction to the course Blog.
Introduction Post- Tell us about yourself. Where do you teach? What grade do you teach? How long have you been teaching? How many students are there in your class? Do you have instructional support? What does your current literacy program look like? (If you aren’t currently teaching let us know.) What is your knowledge/training in the area of literacy (be specific about your experiences teaching writing?) Does your district provide training in literacy –especially writing? If so, what exactly have they offered? Has your district been bogged down with getting students to perform well on state writing assessments – prompts? How do you feel about teaching? Are you happy at work? Also, let us know a little about you outside of the classroom: Interests/ Hobbies/Family Life? What do you hope to get out of this course? Post your reflection to the blog.
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Hi, my name is Andrea Kari. I am Resource Specialist (Special Education) for 4th and 5th graders in West Linn, Oregon. I am just beginning my fifth year teaching and my caseload consists of about 30 kids. My team includes a K-3 Resource Specialist, Speech Pathologist, School Psychologist, Counselor, and two paraprofessionals. Our literacy program is comprised of a variety of curriculum that are individualized to support students’ unique needs. Some of this curriculum includes Lucy Calkins: Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Step Up To Writing, Phonics for Reading, Read Naturally, and comprehension strategies from To Understand by Ellin Keene to name a few. I have received two full-day trainings, funded by my district, for Step Up To Writing. Step Up To Writing is the Special Education writing curriculum used by my school district. However, the general education classrooms use Lucy Calkins. My first year as a teacher my school staff discussed Writing Essentials during teacher meetings. I felt that it would be very beneficial for me to revisit this text in depth because I am not a good writer naturally. Therefore, teaching writing is not my strength and I would love to feel more confident teaching writing to my struggling students. I do love my job and my students, but the financial crisis (i.e. furlough days, rising insurance premiums, lay-offs, larger class sizes, etc.) can make my moral plummet. On a happier note, I keep my weekends busy with season football tickets to my Alumni. Go Ducks! I am also getting married in July 2011!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea and welcome to our course. It sounds as though you’ve had some great PD opportunities within your district. I believe that having the chance to revisit Regie’s text for this class will be a great compliment to the work you’ve done, especially Lucy Calkin’s work. Congrats on the upcoming wedding…is it this year? We look forward to working and learning with you throughout the semester!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Sharon Nobel and I teach a 4th and 5th grade blended classroom in Welches, Oregon. This is my 13th year of teaching, and my 11th at the 4th/5th grade level. This year I have 24 students in my classroom with no aide support. I have three students who are on IEP’s, one of who functions at about a 1st grade level academically.
ReplyDeleteThere are several literacy programs being used in my district. Teaching the Qualities of Writing is the one that I use most often, but the “Daily Five” program, and the 6 + 1 traits of writing are also used. This year my district began a residency with Regie Routman at one of the elementary schools in the district utilizing her Essentials of Reading and Writing “kits”. I have not used her material very much so I thought that becoming more familiar with her other work would be very beneficial to me. I don’t consider myself a natural writer. I can do it of course, but I think I tend to put too much pressure on myself when I sit down to write and focus too much on the mechanics of writing, rather than just simply writing for the sake of writing.
I have received various writing in-services over the years all of which try to present the same material (getting kids to become better writers to meet the state writing test) in a different package. I think I feel somewhat “jaded” by all of the training….and feel like I am searching for a breath of fresh air so to speak. I keep seeing students each year struggle more and more with writing and am constantly looking for new ways to inspire them.
I do feel as if my district has become incredibly bogged down by all of the testing that is required and that passing the test and making AYP has become the focus of instruction; not the kids.
I love teaching and am the happiest when I am in the classroom with my students…teaching! It’s the data collection, meetings, workshops, etc. that drag me down…and get me stressed out. My school has also had an incredibly high turn-over rate for administrators (I’m on principal #5 in 11 years.) and that also adds to the stress level as you have to constantly get used to different administrative styles.
Away from work….I am married (8 years) and have two sweet girls (one is 5 ½ and in kindergarten, the other is 6 months old). I have lived in Oregon my whole life and love it here!
I hope this course provides me with that “breath of fresh air” that I feel like I need.
Hello! My name is Mardy Aune and I am a 5th grade teacher in the David Douglas School District in Portland, OR. This is my 8th year of teaching 5th grade, but 9th year of teaching overall. Currently, my class consists of 25 students with a wide mix of cultures, languages, and literacy levels. The instructional support that is offered to my students consists of 30 minutes of Title 1 reading support (pull-out model for 30 mins./day, 5 days/wk); ESL/ELL support (also a pull-out model of 30 mins/day, 5 days/wk), and Educational Resource support for students on IEP’s. who are all in the pull-out model as well.
ReplyDeleteCurrently, my literacy program involves whole group read aloud (except for students who get pulled out for ELL services), independent reading time, small group lessons, one-on-one reading conferences, “quick writes” activities, writing journal time, and whole group writing instruction lessons when I have the time. My schedule is truly the ultimate challenge and drives me crazy, but I cannot change it, so I do what I can, when I can.
My knowledge and training in the area of literacy has leaned quite heavily on reading instruction, which is exactly why I am taking this course. I need more help in the area of writing instruction!! I have taken 3 different reading instruction courses, including ¬¬Reading Essentials coursework through T.I.N.T. (early 2010). I did an in-building book study of The Daily 5 and implemented some lessons from that model. I have also read and utilized the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing book for designing and delivering writing instruction.
Currently, my district is VERY driven by improving state writing scores and we HAVE to administer a “state model” writing assessment 3 times a year, grades
K-5. The prompts are absolutely horrendous and NO support or help can be provided. ARGGGHHHH!! They say it provides each teacher with a baseline score of where our writers (students) are currently at, and then (hopefully) show growth and improvement by the end-of-year assessment.
I absolutely love teaching and am humbled by it’s power and influence. I feel very privileged to be in a classroom of my own. But with that privilege comes a tremendous amount of work and responsibility and I have yet to “master” a balance of personal time with work time. If I am not working (which is most of the time!), work is on my mind.
When I am not working, I love to read, go to the movies, walk, hike, bike, camp, garden, socialize with friends, eat out, and travel. I have a partner of 19 years and 3 kitties who demand a great deal of love & attention. There is no need for an alarm clock with these 3 early risers! ☺
What I hope to get out of this blog? A solid understanding of AUTHENTIC writing instruction so that my students LOVE to write, can BELIEVE in their writing abilities, and actually GROW in their writing skills. I want/need to become a better writing teacher!!
Welcome to both Sharon and Mardy! It’s nice that you guys are starting the course at the same time…and teach at the same grade level! It’s sort of crazy (and sad) how the education system across our entire country appears to be in a downward spiral of impossibilities. The demands on classroom teachers have become impossible and I think unacceptable. I was just in a meeting this afternoon and basically stated what each of you said very clearly, we are getting bogged down by the ridiculous (testing, over-scheduling, data & other paperwork), rather than being able to focus on the kids, REALLY have the time to look at them and determine needs that will focus our instruction. It is all VERY frustrating!!! I hope that Regie’s book will be that “breathe of fresh” air that will invigorate you both and remind you of what’s most important – teaching our students… (not that you are the ones needing the reminding!!!) :)
ReplyDeleteMy name is Amy Embler, and I am in the midst of my 4th year as a teacher. I am licensed in both Special Education and General Education. I started my career as a teacher in a self contained school teaching children with extreme emotional and behavioral issues. I am currently a part time learning center teacher with a caseload of 22 with Portland Public schools at the elementary level. I follow a push-in and pull-out model depending on what the individual child’s needs are.
ReplyDeleteOur literacy program is the district-adopted curriculum, Scott Foresman, Reading Street. The curriculum is good, however, there are so many pieces to the program teachers often have to pick and choose what they can use. In my classroom, the curriculum took up about 90% of all my cupboard/counter space.
I feel very well supported by my colleagues and administrators in the building. Also, the district provides a wealth of support for getting materials and trainings.
Teaching writing is what I struggle with most as an educator, and I know my colleagues feel the same way. The best training I attended was district sponsored, and it was a variety of teachers from different levels getting together and really looking at how we, as people, approach writing. We examined our own fears and struggles with writing. It was very valuable, and I went away feeling like I could approach writing with kids in a far more positive way.
I find the level of pressure for state testing performance is very much a building by building issue. I have taught in schools where the focus is purely on academics, but I am currently teaching in a school where state testing performance is emphasized on almost a daily basis. The school I am at is in the top 3 in the district, and they take that very seriously.
I am currently very happy with my position in the sense that I feel very well supported. As far as workload is concerned, I have far too much to do for a part time employee. I am unable to meet the needs of my students under my current art time status. As a professional, that is very frustrating and exhausting.
In addition to being a teacher, I am a small business owner as well as a doula. I am a very busy woman! I hope to gain some confidence for teaching writing for kids in special education.
Hi Amy and welcome to our course! It’s great that you feel so supported by both colleagues and administration…what a great learning opportunity your districted provided for you… a time to reflect on cross-grade level writing belief in the district! We are all constantly struggling with finding that balance between what we know is good teaching and drilling kids with what we think are going to produce better test scores….and WOW, you sure are busy – business woman AND doula!!! That’s great, but I’m sure exhausting. I think this course will provide you with some of the confidence you are looking for in regards to your writing instruction!
ReplyDelete