D5: Chapter 2

Just got done putting together a presentation for a workshop I am leading at my school this afternoon. The workshop is supposed to focus on ways to integrate technology into ELA. My main site that I enjoy using is Edmodo. Here are the sites I am sharing with them... http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/Sc4i5E

My dad came up to watch my kiddos today so I had time to prepare and present. And since I had a little extra time I squeezed in reading Chapter 2 of the Daily 5. Right now I am still feeling like this book is about some magical land, but am hoping I can soon start invisioning it for real in my own classroom.

1 .What goals do you have for your classroom as you work to implement the principles and foundations of the Daily 5 discussed in chapter 2? What support do you need to do this?

Creating independence will be my main focus... as a previous 4th grade teacher I could totally to relate to that last section. By 4th grade some students have still not become comfortable with independence. They are constantly raising their hand or bringing their work to us asking, "Is this okay? Am I doing this right? Do you like this?" With that constant worry on their mind there is no way they can focus! So my number 1 goal will be to NOT hover as my students build stamina.
My goal for building the foundation is really taking the time to explicitly teach the kiddos the expectations. I sometimes get lazy or bored with reviewing procedures and convince myself they have it. Or I may settle for "that's pretty good." So my goal is to stick with it, make sure we are really there! Support: I may need other teachers to come and observe during my daily 5 time and tell me from their perspective whether they thought the children were on task. Get some outside opinions. I could ask my old team members from 4th grade or even have my principal come in for awhile.

2. What stands out as the most significant aspects of this chapter? 

Trust is one that stands out to me. Not only do I have to trust my students that they are capable of this independence, but they have to trust me. I need to be able to build that confidence in them that they can do this, and part of that is providing the whys and practice. The comments shared about students during the Daily 5 blow my mind. I cannot imagine a student being so focused that they are willing to stand up for what they believe in. Tugging on a large man's jacket and telling him that his voice is distracting while she reads seems unimaginable. And while it seems unimaginable, I hope that someday my classroom is like this!

3. How do the foundational principles of the Daily 5 structure (trust, choice, community, sense of urgency, and stamina), align with your beliefs that support your teaching strategies and the decisions that you make about student learning?

The most obvious alignment between these core values and my beliefs is the sense of community. Making every student feel comfortable with one another. This past year I felt like I really nailed the sense of community. The first few weeks were rocky, in fact some days were downright awful, but through practice and discussion we made it a great year. Building community will be the easiest for me, I think ;) Building stamina I think will come natural after awhile. Allowing choice is something I know is fabulous for kiddos, but I always struggle with. I tend to have this sense that I know what is best for them, so I will have to learn to let this go. And while I say let this go I know that teaching each individual how to discover what is best for them is what I truly will be doing.