So it's Thursday again, time to start looking at next week. I was lucky to get the end of the day to myself to day (a very rare thing), so I was actually able to finish my plans AND get everything copied. With testing 8 weeks away, we are in that vital part of the year when the focus seems to be cramming as much teaching in as we can. I fully understand the push, although I don't necessarily agree. However, this is the time when I really focus on small group work so that I can hit those skills each individual needs to work on. Unfortunately with the focus turned to small groups, there are times when kids are in my room but not working with me, so I've devised the work menu to keep them focused and on track while they are working independently.
Each week I personalize the work menu for each student. I try to include material from previous lessons for a review, as well as work related to the information to be covered that week. My students have gotten quite proficient at working through their menu with little direction from me.
What's even better is that they are aware that because everyone is working on different things, no one has the same work. True, this took a bit of time at first, but now I have quite the collection of worksheets, centers, and activities that I simply pull and copy for each student. I am able to give them work on their level and tailored to their needs. It never fails that two of my boys are always comparing work, seeing "whose is harder." By doing it this way, they have no way of knowing if their work is on grade level or not.
So we have been working on Non-Fiction Text Features for a while now. It seems like I've covered "headings" and "captions" as many times as I can possibly stand before throwing up. As a final assessment, I didn't just want to give my kiddos some type of test-looking paper. Between PSSA prep and the Field Tests we've been doing, they are already getting tested out! So I came up with this little idea, and figured others may be able to use it as well. It works with any non-fiction passage, and can be easily adapted if needed. We used it with an article I had already printed for another activity but I've used articles from the free Scholastic magazines that I've gotten (you know the sample ones your "supposed to give to a friend"). They loved being able to draw on the article, plus I found they actually comprehended the story better after mapping out the passage first.
Non-Fiction Text Mapping
A huge part of what I do relates to coordinating services for my 18 kiddos. Regardless of whether I'm with them or not, they are still entitled to the accommodations that are listed in their IEP. I have found that coordinating with six different teachers in three grades (for a total of 26 different classes) can be quite difficult. For that reason, I started handing out Scheduling sheets on a weekly basis. These sheet have made it incredibly easy to have at least a little idea of what is going on.
Get the form here!
The sheets are two sided, with one side having space for schedule changes, tests and projects. I also included a disclaimer that I cannot guarentee accommodation for changes or tests I do not know about. On the back is a section for teachers to list the chapters or pages they will be working on. This way, I know where to direct parents if they ask (I also know if they are close to finishing the chapter or not).
Normally I give the teachers their sheet on Thursdays, and I ask for them back by Monday. I made sure to copy the sheets on bright paper, so they could not miss them. Some teacher just give me their lesson plans instead of filling it out. Regardless, they have made a huge difference in my stress level when it comes to scheduling!
I have a lot to say. Anyone who deals with me on a regular basis would agree. Especially when it comes to my job and special education, I can get pretty opinionated. Sometimes, I just keep my mouth shut. Sometimes, Tim gets an earfull when he gets home (he loves that). Other times, I open my mouth but need to censor myself. Needless to say, I have a lot to say that goes to waste. I figured, what better way to get my thoughts out there but a blog.
I will say, I'm not by any means a professional blogger. My writing ability is sub-par, and I tend to ramble. As for knowledge, I like to think I have a pretty solid knowledge base when it comes to special education and topics related. However, I am not an expert. My vision is not to "tell it like it is" but to start a conversation.
