Toolkit Training

I was asked by my reading coach and principal to provide a training to our staff on The Primary Comprehension Toolkit after break. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity - thrilled that we were going to beginning the implementation of these amazing resources which I have been raving about since my interview. So over break I've been rereading the teacher's guides, going through my supplemental resources, and even picked up a copy of Staff Development with Comprehension Toolkits: Implementing and Sustaining Comprehension Instruction Across the Curriculum. So needless to say - by desk has been covered with these bounteous texts.

After many hours of reading, highlighting tabbing, digesting, quoting, typing, revising, and editing I've ended up with a pretty good presentation. Because I used some of the slides from the Staff Development book I can't publish it here.

But to sum it up my presentation included:
- An Introduction to Comprehension Strategy Instruction
- An overview of each strategy, with a activity to launch it that teachers could take back to their classrooms (most came from Comprehension Connections), and an opportunity to look at and discuss student work with the strategy
- A walk through of the Toolkit components
- A modeled lesson
- and  time for PLCs to dive into the materials

This will be my first formal training at my new school and I am so excited to be sharing a resource that I love! Here it goes .  . .

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UPDATE:

So . . . the training went great even though I was dragging from being up all night with the flu. But I feel like the teachers walked away with some ideas to use when students get back next week as well a better idea of why and how we can teach comprehension strategies.

Thank you to my literacy coach, Christy Patriarca, staff developer Angela Butler, and authors Stephanie Harvey and Tanny McGregor for your help in putting this together! 

Reflection and Resolutions

"Reflection allows us to improve, revamp, and revise. Reflection is essential."  

- Harvey, Goudvis, Schroden

As the year comes to a close and we embark on 2015 - I find myself reflecting on all the successes and setbacks of 2014 as I begin writing my resolutions for the new year. So lets start with some reflection.

2014 was a whirlwind, both professionally and personally for me. It was my first full year back in Ohio and I feel like I really began settling in to both my home and my position at Perry Schools. Along with the "settling" came some amazing opportunities as well as some painstaking hurdles. So here are my Cheers and Jeers of 2014. Professional to Personal.

Cheers

Jeers

Traveling to NYC for Teachers College Participating in the Planning and Training of PES Staff in Reading and Writing  Hosting Mentor Schools for Staff Development in Writers Workshop Participating in Instructional Rounds Introducing Primary Comprehension Toolkit to my school Reforming ELA curriculum for 1st Grade Having a best friend, +Alexa Farmerie  join my team Buying a home in Ohio Making it "my own" Being a Playhouse Ticket Holder The "Cleveland Independents Deck"  Electric Run Road Trip with my sister +Kristina Ambrosia-Conn and good friend Holly Visiting a childhood favorite vacation spot - Ocean City, NJ The marriage of one of my besties, Jenna

Having to drive home from NYC on the 4th of July because flights were cancelled Extensive, tiring, sometimes under appreciated hours of work of new math and reading curriculum Renovating my new home and finding that their is still a ton to do Replacing the furnace that blew Time Warner - enough said Family Illness  The lost of my beautifully inspiring Aunt Margie

The table is a nice graphic, forcing me to remember that they year had more highs than lows and to be grateful for all the amazing opportunities and people in my life. 

So moving into the new year. I have decided to follow my sister's lead and do 15 for '15. 

1. Complete the 2015 Reading Challenge

2. Run in the Color Run - which means I better start conditioning now! 

3. Complain less, encourage more - which also might mean biting my tongue 

4. Begin Weight Watchers, hit my goal weight, and love my body - LESS McDonalds!

5. Start pursuing my Masters - so I better decide if I want to go into Ed leadership or Curriculum . . . can't I do both?!?

6. Rally my favorite couples ( +Linda Teese, +Alexa Farmerie +Ashley Mingoy +Derrick Braden +Michael Licata , +Sarah Rhoades) together and go on our own version of a "Couples Retreat".

7, Blog More - I promise to try! Starting small with once a month, but hope to up that especially come summer time

8. Less Social Media - More Developed Personal Relationships. This means I'm vowing to put down my phone when in the presence of others

9. Be a more gracious daughter - calling regularly, showing my appreciation, returning the favors

10. Be a more attentive wife

11. Be a more playful pet owner

12. Work towards achieving/doing something from my vision board

13. Do something entirely for myself, by myself

14. Be a better listener - putting the phone down should help

15. Avoid a midlife crisis in Feb - when I turn the big 3 - 0

So there it is. Hoping that at the year of this year I can also have a longer list of Cheers than of Jeers. Happy 2015 and good luck on your resolutions! See you next month - or sooner! ;-) 

November and December Currently . . .

October Currently . . .

September Currently . . .

Just a bit late . . .  I've been super busy with all the amazing curriculum work going on at school - but it is also something that I am loving! So better late than never. At least I'm getting something up here.

My currently pages come from Oh' Boy 4th Grade's TPT store. ,

Reading Mats

So I finally finished my reading mats - an idea that I received while at the Reading Institute at TCRWP. I added in the cute graphic ideas from Liz Dunford, as well as some of my own ideas.  So here they are and how they work.

Each student has their own reading mat that they keep in their book baskets.

On the front - the student's goal and tracking of their reading level

Inside is the mat - students make a plan of what they want to read and stack the books on top of the green circle. As they read the books they move them over to the read side where Piggie and Elephant wait with a "thank you".  Once students have read all their books they will see Piggie and Elephant again - this time encouraging them to reread.

Also on the "red/read" side is a Ready Set Read sheet where students move the paper clip to track their rereads.

Finally on the back is the metacognition  and decoding strategies.

I am so happy with how these turned out! My students are loving them as well. If you have any other ideas of how to make them better - or what the front might be missing - please comment below.

Currently . . .

My goodness.....has it been a busy start to the school year! Between trying to implement so many of the ideas I learned in NY and adapting to the changes in my school - I feel like its been a whirlwind. But a good whirlwind! Some of my current projects include:

- Hosting an intern - whose eagerness and passion is contagious
- Developing a new reading program with my amazing 1st grade team
- Assisting my literacy specialist with the training of DRA 2, Comprehension Toolkit, and Writers Workshop
- Diving into Word Study
- Researching Masters' Programs - torn on what I want to pursue - Administration or Curriculum?!?
- Learning how to use my new Promethean board
- Going DOJO for behavior management - thank you to my teammates Alexa and Doug for pushing me into it!
- Trying to tackle my ever growing professional to-read list - thank you to my literacy specialist Christy for continuously bringing new texts to my attention. I think we need to get our next book study up and running!

Phew! This is definitely the most rewarding kind of exhaustion. I am absolutely loving my job right now but it is keeping me from blogging as much as I'd like to. So in attempts to keep my readers updated on what I'm doing and get me to blog at least once a month, I thought I'd share my "currently's". "Currently" list what you are into a the current moment. My mentor found some adorable templates on Oh'Boy 4th Grade's Blog and I had to snatch them up. So here are mine for August.

Please join the conversation by sharing your "currently"s each month in the comment section. If you want to get your students in on it you can download the adorable templates I use at Oh' Boy 4th Grade's TPT store. ,