This week I traveled east on TX Highway 150 to the small town of Coldspring, Texas. Although the downtown shops and restaurants looked quaint and inviting, I drove straight past them to one of the best parts of Coldspring–its students. I had the honor of working with a fifth grade class from Coldspring Intermediate.…
I’ve been”madly” writing for the last few months trying to complete a goal I set for myself on January 1, 2010. On that day I determined to write at least 100 blog posts. My family thinks I’m crazy. My friends think I’m crazy. Even the dog has wondered through my home office carrying his bone and trying to convince me to stop and play.…
âHow many students should be in a group?â
The PGCPS website [http://www.pgcps.org/~elc/learning1.html] gives this simple and easy to understand description for small groups:
Size
The smallest group is two. The largest recommended is six. Generally, in smaller groups each member participates more, fewer social skills are required, and groups can work more quickly.…
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank
“How can I use the Tabor Rotation Framework if I’m a resource teacher and we only have pull out for 30 minutes per group of students?”
Many schools choose to “push in” rather than “pull out” when they provide resource services to their students.…
“The key is in not spending time, but in investing it.” -Stephen R. Covey
“Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely.” -Rodin
“I get that the Whole-Group Mini-Lessons shouldn’t be 45 minutes long since the students aren’t listening after 10 or 15 minutes anyway.…
âEducation is knowing where to go to find out what you need to know; and itâs knowing how to use the information you get.â -William Feather
âYou can always find a capable helping hand at the end of your own sleeve.â -Zig Ziglar
It’s just a few hours away from winter break for schools, but dedicated educators are still asking for more to prepare for the coming semester.…
Fred Haise: I know why my numbers were wrong. I only figured it for two people.
Jack Swigert: Maybe I should just hold my breath.
-from the movie, âApollo 13â
âWeâve made our Whole-Group Mini-Lesson on Fridays about problem solving. Word problems, especially multi-step ones, are really challenging for our students.…
âWhat is the most useful game youâve ever played with your students?â
If I had $20 to spend on games, the commercial game I would select is the card game called the 24 Game. [www.24game.com]
Created in 1988 by Robert Sun, it has engaged and fascinated every student Iâve ever had.…
âThe conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work.â -Agha Hasan Abedi
âEffective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.â -Peter F. Drucker
âAs we get ready to implement these groups do you think it’s necessary to take a few days and talk about the norms or rules of behavior that are expected?â…
Over the last month I have had the privilege of working with teachers from many different schools. Yes, just a few short weeks before the winter break, schools are wanting more professional development. This occurred because they want to learn and improveâno matter when the opportunity arises during the school year.…
