Chapter 5 is about responsibility.
Now, my students do have responsibility-through weekly jobs (I only have 5, and we rotate through), and class-wide expectations, but after reading this chapter I realized that they could have so much more.
They THRIVED! I had students running my calendar (which is not easy to run!), reteaching friends some topics, as well as taking some little jobs off my shoulders-like putting out pick-up notes.
I am so totally giving them more responsibility starting at the very beginning!
I'll definitely be emphasizing that we are a class family, and that everyone is responsible for making sure things get done. After all,
I'd love to do something somewhat similar this year, but we do guided reading, and my teammates (so far), like to meet with every group every day (that they can-our G&T kids only meet a once or twice due to timing). Which I so totally do not agree with (alas, I'm the lone ranger on this one, and have been outvoted in previous years).
However, we're getting a new principal (our old one was very insistent on meeting everyday), so that may change. PLUS, we have a ton more kids than we normally have (it's a bubble year!), 21-23 each (we usually have 15-17-and it totally makes a difference).
In my class alone, I have reading levels ranging from M to V! Although I think all kids could benefit from literature circles, I'd like to try it with my higher level kids first, and keep them with me, so we can meet as needed. It would also free up some time for double-dosing some of my lower students. We'll see!
If I can do some convincing (and depending on support personnel-they help determine the number of GR groups!), I'll definitely be doing Literature Circles!
I'm looking forward to giving my kids more responsibility and seeing what happens!
Smiles and Sunshine,
Kaitlyn
I had a class one year that I handed over several parts of the day to, like calendar, because of different reasons. They did an amazing job with it and it was good to know that they were developing those leadership skills. It stinks being the lone ranger on issues. I was not always the lone ranger, but the one that would speak up and that stuck, too. I hope the changes at your school this year are good ones. :)
ReplyDeleteRachael
I am intrigued about the lit circles. I teach three sections of 4th grade social studies / science. I would love to do lit circles with social studies historical fiction. I just don't know where to start and I am afraid I would abandon it quickly.
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