Rethinking Time in the Middle School Classroom

Rethinking Time in the Middle School Classroom

Presented by

Mindi Rench, Literacy CoachNorthbrook Jr. High, Northbrook, IL

mrench@northbrook28.net Follow me on Twitter: @mindi_rhttp://slideshare.net/mindi_r

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Think about your typical class

period:How much time is spent in:• teacher talk;• teacher directed Q & A;• students talking to each other;• students working independently?

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Why do we need to make time for students to talk?

Giving students time to talk collaboratively provides important opportunity for rehearsal before writing or large-group discussions.

Human beings are social creatures who learn best through conversation. Teens, especially, are social, and leveraging that need increases engagement.

“Oral language is a cornerstone on which we build our literacy and learning throughout life.” (Zwiers & Crawford, 2011)

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Turn & Talk

What are you thinking about in terms of your instruction and how you might incorporate more time for students to talk?

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So how do teachers create space and time for thinking and talking?

Consider the workshop/gradual release of responsibility model:

The workshop embodies the philosophy of

I do...

We do....

You do....

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See the model in action

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/improving-teacher-practice

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Components of a Workshop

Choice

Instruction

Time

Talk

Periods of focused study

High expectations and Safety

Structured management

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Large group meeting area

Well-organized classroom library

Taking ownership of learning.

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Structure of a Workshop

Minilesson (Whole class instruction, guided practice)

Independent work time (shoot for 70% of a week’s worth of class time for independent work)

Reflection/Sharing

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Planning

What do students need to know and be able to do in order to be better adults? How can I help students come to know what they know and are able to do? What will I do if they don't get it?

That Workshop Book by Samantha Bennett, p. 7

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But.....What about the curriculum we

have to cover?More and more brain research tells us that students are not retaining most of what teachers cover over the course of the school year.

Interval research shows that when students are learning a new concept, they will retain and reapply newly learned information for about 6 days.  When you go back at look at 6 week mark, they are still retaining concept, can describe it, but cannot apply it.  At six month mark, both are gone with there is lack of depth.

Teach FEWER concepts of GREAT IMPORT to GREAT DEPTH over A LONGER period of time.

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Instruction

What daily systems, structures, routines, and rituals will help me uncover what my students know and are able to do so I can teach them more today and teach them better tomorrow? What will help students know so they can become intrinsically motivated agents of their own learning?

That Workshop Book by Samantha Bennett, p. 7

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A Closer Look at Small Groups

Invitational Groups

Teacher chooses a group of students and invites those and/or others who are interested in the instruction to a small group session. Instruction is targeted and specific. Groups are flexible.

Literature Discussion Groups

Small groups of students (3-5) read and discuss a common text. The teacher serves as an observer/facilitator of the groups. Choice and flexibility are key.

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Assessment

How will I know what students have learned? How will I use the data I collect to make decisions on what will happen next for both whole class instruction and individual students. Are my assessments truly assessing the learning targets I have set for my students? Do I provide useful feedback to students following both formative and summative assessments?

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Conferring

Conferring, both individually and with groups of students, provides immediate formative assessment.

Conferring also provides a platform for differentiation, as instruction can be tailored to each individual student’s needs.

Consider using reflection and short writing prompts as exit tickets for another formative assessment.

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Stop-Think-Jot

Take a minute to think. What is going on in your brain right now? What sounds doable? What questions are at the forefront? Now take a few minutes to explore one of these ideas or questions in writing. Write for three minutes. Don’t stop to think, just write. See where your writing takes you.

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Things to Consider Before You Start

Rituals and Routines

Physical Space

Management

Time (both yours and the students’)

Curricular considerations

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One LA Teacher’s Typical Schedule

10-15 minutes: Opening Activity (vocabulary, article of the week, poem, read aloud)

10-20 minutes: Whole Class Instruction(minilesson, discussion, shared reading)

30-40 minutes: Independent Work (writing, independent reading, conferring)

5 minutes: Closing Remarks & Wrap-up

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A Science Teacher’s Workshop Schedule (40 minutes)

15 minutes: Whole class instruction

20 minutes: Group activity or independent work

5 minutes: Wrap-up/Sharing

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Setting Yourself and Your Students Up For Success

Think about the rituals and routines you’ll need to teach the students in order to create a classroom environment that encourages and celebrates student voices and choices.

Develop structures for pairs, small groups, and individuals to work within the classroom.

Teach students how to work together in groups. Build on the adolescents’ natural need to be social.

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Final thoughts.....Making time for students to talk to each other results in deeper learning and greater retention.

Two of my favorite quotes:

“School should not be a place where young people go to watch old people work.” - Harry Wong

“The person who is doing the thinking is the person who is doing the learning.” - Ellin Keene

Using the workshop/gradual release of responsibility model gives students choices and a sense of agency which in turn results in increased motivation.

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