[MOSAIC] End of Year Reflection

[ginger/rob]

As many of us are winding down to the finish line, I think it is important 
to reflect on how our comprehension teaching went this year.  Perhaps there 
is something you feel you tackled this year that you would like to share 
with us.  What was challenging?  What was affirming?  How did your kids 
grow?  Consider a look back over the year and just write in with whatever 
comes to your mind.  I find I do my best reflecting when I just start typing 
as I am thinking back.

I'll go first.
This year I taught second grade.  A first for me. What I learned most is 
that I sure had a lot to learn!! It has been a very humbling experience. 
But one that I know has helped to make me more "well rounded" as far as my 
understanding of younger children and literacy instruction.

For me it was hard to find that balance of word work, decoding, and 
comprehension instruction.  Yet I found that my students were so eager to 
learn about the metacognitive process that readers use to make meaning.  We 
did a lot of role playing of what a reader does. So they could "see/hear" 
it.  I believe they know how to self monitor their inner thinking voice 
better now than when the year started.  Now do they all do it?? Ha!  That is 
the hard part for me.  I wish so much for them to be ACTIVE in their reading 
yet so many of them slip back to the passive word caller role.  Even when 
their ability to work out the words has so improved.  I know it will come in 
time.

I did an interactive think aloud with the book, Be Good To Eddie Lee, this 
past week.  I had them write their thinking during the key stopping points. 
Then those who wanted to share their written work, shared back whole group. 
It was so interesting to see/hear the different levels of depth in their 
responses.  It was almost like taking a snapshot of each child for me.  I 
could see the children writing.  They all wrote furiously at each stopping 
point. Yet when they read their "thinking", I was surprised at how many are 
still thinking at the surface level.  But it matches my experience of them 
this whole year.  (I know I am used to fourth graders and the depth they 
take the talk so I believe the promise in them all.)  I do have a large 
group of kids who do go deep and hearing their "thinking" and the touching 
emotional tones was very refreshing and encouraging.

I guess for me teaching in a primary grade (not my strength by the way!) the 
challenge was finding that balance.  The teaching all so relates and builds. 
We did finish the research strand on Physical Science with flying colors. 
Their "All About" books (from Calkins Units of Study) turned out very well- 
impressive actually for 2nd graders.  We shared with two upper grade classes 
and just watching my kids do that was confirming.  We studied biographies in 
a very open way.  Simply reading biographies, noticing our new learnings and 
completing various reporting sheets.  I guess this has been a year of 
building schema if nothing else.  Exposing them to different kinds of 
reading to learn about what is to come in their own learning years.  I guess 
I did a good job of that.

I am going to teach third grade next year.  I won't have my whole class 
again.  (Ever had a group that needs to be moved around?  They need it and 
so do I!)  I am looking forward to continuing my comprehension work with 
those I'll have again and bringing on board the kids new to me.

I am committing to read a lot this summer.  I'll be announcing the Mosaic of 
Thought 2 online book chat soon.  So get your books ordered so you can 
participate!!  I want to read Strategies That Work 2 and also it's been 
recommended I read Teaching for Deep Comprehension by Dorn and Soffos.  I'd 
love to hear what you will be reading this summer.

Please write in.  Reflecting is good for our souls.
Ginger
moderator
grade 2