December 10, 2018

KARCHER STAFF BLOG

2018-2019 Karcher Calendar

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/KarcherMiddleSchool/

BASD Staff Blog:  https://basdstaffnews.blogspot.com/

______________________________________________________________________________

Kudos

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Kudos to Dustan Eckmann on a great Orchestra and Band Performance this past week.  It is great to see the students truly enjoying themselves and improving on their skills!  
• Karen Gerold just wrapped up our first ALL book club this past week!  Thank you Karen for working to provide another opportunity for students at Karcher!  Karen will most likely offer something like this again after break!  
• Kudos to Jane Peterson and Kim Moss for decorating the main office!  And to Molly Ebbers for the donation of the large christmas tree (that Jane pulled out of the trash :)))  
• Thank you to Grace Jorgenson for your courage and willingness to share how you use a metacognitive think-aloud during the "I do it" portion of the GRR model!  Responses from staff have been great as the ability to see it is much different than just hearing about it!  Thank you!  
• Kudos to Pam Bauer as she performed a very difficult procedure on a student last week!  The procedure is something done at the RN level and Pam did it beautifully!  Congrats!!!

Article:  All about think-alouds

Road Tested / 3 Steps for Think Alouds

Molly Ness

"The author doesn't come right out and say it, but I can infer that the narrator is a girl."

"I believe the most important idea here is that Yoon is homesick."

"I don't understand what just happened. Maybe if I keep reading I can clear up this confusion."

In John Logan's 2nd grade classroom, daily read alouds provide the opportunity for students to internalize the metacognitive moves that a proficient reader employs. As he reads aloud to the class, Mr. Logan provides multiple think alouds: he uses "I" language to model the thinking that builds his comprehension and provides quick explanations of what is going through his mind at periodic stopping points. With this transparent effort, his students are more likely to internalize these strategies and apply them to their independent reading.

When teachers think aloud, students benefit. Research suggests that students who are exposed to think alouds outperform their peers on measures of reading comprehension. Think alouds are beneficial for a variety of readers across a variety of texts; these benefits have been documented for struggling readers, for English language learners, for different text genres and content areas, and for students encountering online text. The think aloud serves as a brief, energizing instructional burst that helps young readers take on the strategies the teacher is modeling.

Despite their benefits, however, think alouds are not commonplace in classrooms. In my work as a teacher educator, I have found that the explicit modeling component of think alouds requires deliberate planning—we cannot assume that effective think alouds will come to us naturally. In a year-long research project with a teacher study group, I created a three-step process to help teachers think big with think alouds. I then refined and tweaked this process in my work with K–5 classrooms. As I plan my think alouds, I skim through the selected text three times—each rereading is described in the steps that follow. Just as training wheels provide stability and confidence when learning to ride a bike, so does the script of a think aloud. The end goal is to be able to think aloud independently with comfort, ease, and skill.

1. Identify Juicy Stopping Points

The first step in planning a think aloud is a close examination of the text. With a stack of sticky notes in hand, I peruse the text, searching for places to make inferences, synthesize information, monitor and clarify my confusion, ask a question, or think through the author's purpose. I see these spots as "juicy stopping points" that can either lead to comprehension opportunities or stumbling blocks. In my first reading, I may identify more than 15 juicy stopping points in a standard children's picture book.

2. Determine Where and When to Think Aloud

In my second reading, I examine each stopping point and critically reflect on the need for that point. The goal here is to narrow down the stopping points to a more manageable number so I do not overwhelm students and detract from the comprehension process. I keep several factors in mind, including my purpose for selecting the text, my learning objectives for the lesson, and which comprehension strategies are familiar or unfamiliar to my students prior to reading the text. I might eliminate stopping points that focus on minor details or occur after very short portions of text. After my second reading, I typically end up with about five to seven stopping points. These are the bare bones of the think aloud I will model in front of my students.

3. Write Scripts on Sticky Notes

The goal of my third reading is to identify exactly what I will say in front of students. I literally write out, in first-person narrative, what I will say in response to a text to give students the chance to eavesdrop on the reading process. The use of "I" statements—as shown by Mr. Logan in the opening vignette—encourages students to emulate purposeful reading.

Go Below the Surface

Each read aloud—whether of a storybook or of a few paragraphs in a science textbook—provides the opportunity to model our metacognitive processes. Typically, we ask surface-level questions like "Where does the story take place?" and "Why do you think he left the town?" These questions serve merely to assess students' understanding of the text. As we think aloud, however, we can mentor students in building the comprehension skills they need to become successful independent readers. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Information/Reminders

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

General Information: 

• With winter upon us some adjustments have been made to our snow removal times throughout the school district.  Karcher snow removal will start around 6:00am so please note that on snowy days coming closer to the start time (6:45-7:00) is ideal so that the parking lots are clear for snow removal.  If you do come in earlier on snowy days please note that parking lots and sidewalks may not be cleared off yet for you and snow may end up pushed next to your vehicle in order to plow the parking areas.  
• Eric Burling, Connie Zinnen, and I interviewed for an ESL aide position to support students at Karcher and the High School.  We liked the candidate, Millie Ahler, and she will be starting on December 17.  The position is a 4 hour position with her time at Karcher being from 10:20 - 12:00.  We will communicate with teachers as to where she will be during that time frame, most likely with the students of highest need.  

This week:

• Monday, December 10 - 8th grade Careers during ALL
• Steve started Careers last week with our 8th grade students during ALL and will continue working with our students most likely until Christmas break.  Students have Careers with Steve up in the Reading Lounge (room across from the auditorium on the 3rd floor)
• Any questions... ask Steve Berezowitz!
• Monday, December 10 - Parent/Guardian/Teacher Conferences from 4:00 - 6:00pm.  
• Click HERE to access the Google Slides we will use to keep organized for the night.  
• Applied Academic teachers make sure you are joining teams for conferences of students you have interest in talking with as well.  Or please add the names of students/parents you have contacted as well so that we can assist families with where to go when they arrive.  
• If you do not have a conference during a scheduled time please use this time to call families that you would like to talk with... this is a great time to also make some positive phone calls home for your students.  This time is for communicating with families so please use all of this time to do so through face to face conferences or phone calls.  
• Tuesday & Wednesday, December 11 & 12 
• PRA will be here to talk with our User Groups about the construction of the new 6-8 middle school.  Please be on time for your set meeting so that your team has the ability to use all of the slotted time given to talk with the architects.  
• Click HERE for the time schedule.  
• We do have two subs coming in for the bolded staff members, please make sure you create your lesson plans needed for those specific hours.  
• Tuesday, December 11 - Mix it up lunch for our students!
• Tuesday, December 11 - Special Education Department Meeting 2:40-3:15 
• Small Conference Room
• Wednesday, December 12 - PLC in the library. 
• Please remember to bring an idea with you as you will have time to plan and collaborate with each other about when you are going to try an "I do it" within your classroom between Wednesday and the following Wednesday.  
• Thursday, December 13 - Winter Choir Concert @ 7:00 in our Karcher gym!

Looking ahead: 

• Monday, December 17 - BLT meeting 
• Please have read chapters 2 and 3 from Better Learning through Structured Teaching.  
• We will also discuss our Behavior Rubric and the alignment to the comment codes in Skyward.  
• Friday, December 21 - Afternoon Assembly Schedule 
• Monday, December 24 - START OF HOLIDAY BREAK!

Pictures from this past week! 

Our KMS dance team coached by Ms. Varnes in the Burlington Christmas parade!



Mrs. Stoughton's 8th grade math students collaborating in stations to work on scientific and standard notation!





Students in Mrs. Rummler’s class researching key figures to compare and contrast different approaches to reform!



Students in Mr. Schmidt’s class analyzing primary and secondary sources to identify evidence that supports the perspectives of abolitionists.




Students in Jenny Geyso's class dressing up as Marley's ghost, from a Christmas Carol, while discussing the symbolism of his attire

Orchestra concert! 

Band Concert!

Small group instruction during iTime!

Jenny Geyso conferring with a student.

Small group instruction during iTime!

Students during ALL wrapping up their book club with Karen Gerold!  

Wrestling!!!