I got to thinking today about how proud I am of my class and how they've grown. Then I got to thinking about how teaching reading has changed this year. I'm doing things much differently:
1. I'm fully implementing the Daily 5 and staying true to it.
2. I'm working with small groups in Reading more than I ever have.
3. I'm working with more students. In the past I'd really only have time to squeeze in my lowest students and occasionally my highest students. This year I'm making it a point to have time for all students.
4. I'm teaching mini-lessons that are based on the reading strategies-making connections, questioning and now inferring.
5. I'm reading a lot more nonfiction text in my mini-lessons. In fact, all my mini-lessons since November have included a nonfiction text. Having Scholastic news has helped a lot.
6. I'm sticking to a schedule of interventions and groups that I pull. I tend to teach on a whim a lot but I'm not allowing this to be a whimsy thing.
7. I've been using questioning/QAR tons in my guided reading groups. In fact that's the only strategy I've focused my entire year on. Of course I touch on other things but my only lessons that I've planned have to do with QAR. I know it's sort of test preppy but I am trying to teach it in a fun and understandable way.
8. I'm enjoying what I'm doing and I have faith in it. Aside from my short lapse in November, I have a little more pep in my step. I no longer dred teaching reading or am searching for more minutes in the day to work with the lowest kids. I'm enjoying the art of teaching more.
Ok I didn't think this list was going to be that long. But now that I think about it, I've totally changed and so has my teaching.
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