Sept. 29, 2008

     Today we will begin with introducing ourselves to our book buddies and ask them to share their I AM poems with us. Then we will assess the student’s prior knowledge of World War II, the holocaust and concentration camps. Once we have an understanding of their background knowledge we will have the students use their lap tops to do research and share their findings.

Reflection:

     Our first meeting went well. We decided to read two chapters during the week and come back to discuss the book next week. The students found a lot of interesting facts about the war and were happy to share their findings. Their I AM poems were amazing! I was very impressed with their talents.

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October 6, 2008

     Today we are meeting with the students to discuss the first two chapters of our book. We have asked the students to find one interesting point of discussion to share with the group. We have a good sized group, and the students seem to be uneasy about opening up to us, so we will be breaking into smaller groups to build a relationship with our students.

Reflection:

     Our meeting went very well. We had our group leave the restrictions of the classroom and headed outdoors. Each one of us had a group of three students to work with and it seemed to really pay off. My group really opened up and shared their thoughts, feelings and expectations about the book we are sharing with pure honesty. They performed a small impromptu skit of a scene from the book. We laughed and had a very good time. When I spoke to Rebekah and Tammie, they told me their groups were very receptive as well. After we had our small group time we all came together to get some other ideas and discussion flowing. At this point everyone seemed to clam up. We will need to find a way to get the whole group comfortable together. As for now though, I am very pleased with our progress. I am very excited to meet again and continue to grow this beautiful literary relationship.

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October 13, 2008

     Today we are all supposed to be on page 70. Our group is diverse in interest of the book, so I am anticipating the students will be more involved now after reading more. I would like to have the students name their groups this week to give them a sense of ownership, now that they are more comfortable with their UNM reading buddy. Next week, I would like to mix things up a little by drawing slips of paper with the names of the three groups to give us a chance to get to know all the students.

     Roles have also been chosen by the students and I am excited to hear and see the interpretations the students have. I would like to read further as a group after we discuss our thoughts.

Reflection:

     Today was great! We met with our circles and brought them down to the library where we could all sit comfortably and discuss the book. My group had all read up to the point they were asked to and came up with some wonderful insights and questions. They were relating to the characters in the book and their own experiences and life. One student related to the little Jewish girl being popped in the face with the barb wire to how she would have felt if it were her little niece. When we gathered as a whole group I was impressed with the whole groups input and thoughts. It was obvious that each student had come to personalize the book for themselves and was internalizing the story.

     My group had asked me to lead the discussion as they felt I had a "plan" to go from and I tried for the most part to have each student (Tibbetts and UNM) contribute to the discussion for an equal experience. I am hoping that next time the students will show their natural leading abilities and I won’t have to steer the circle. Each time we meet I feel more and more confident in my plan of action, what to ask and how to help the student’s progress and take ownership of the circles. This time I asked my group t give us a name and they came up with the “EL PACO’S”. I could tell instantly they felt that they had their own imprint and tool ownership in their experience of the literature circles. Allowing them to have this freedom and responsibility also helped our relationship grow. I am hoping that Rebekah and Tammie will ask their groups to name themselves as well.

     The other tool that I implemented today was journals. I gave each one of my group members a small blue journal and asked them to write down any words they might not be familiar with, questions about the book, or questions they wanted to ask the rest of the group, and their thoughts of how the book was unfolding. I explained that the journal was now their private possession as i would not be reading their entries, as their thoughts were their own. I did ask them to share with me what they would like to and to plan on coming in with ideas to talk about. They all were excited to write in their journal and before we left, we all had written a few questions to ask the big group when we all came together. I can see how this will help those leading abilities shine through, as my most shy student stepped forward and led some of the discussion. I am very excited to see what unfolds during our next literature circle.

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October 20, 2008

     Today I am hoping to see that the students have used their journals to reflect on the book in the forms of questions, vocabulary, and writing. I believe that each one will be wiling to share their writings as they are an open group of kids. I will start with reading to them my own writings, questions and words to show them that I feel it is important and not just something else to do. I hope by showing them this, they will be more comfortable and will further our relationship. I also would like to give the students more responsibility in the circles and will allow them to dominate the discussion part of our circles. I will be looking to see how the students are relating to the book in the terms of the text, the world and their own lives. I was able to see that beginning to happen at the last meeting, and I hope this time it grows deeper for them.

Reflection:

     Today was wonderful for my literature circle. The students that I am working with are working hard and thinking deep. Two of the three students brought their journals with entries and lots of questions. They all had something to say about how the book made them wonder how they would handle the situation in that time period compared to today and how it would be different. I am always amazed with their questions and how they are predicting and asking each other for input. Unfortunately we did not join together as a large group, but we did join Tammie’s group for discussion.

     As we started today, I modeled what I had asked them to do in their journals. I had decorated mine with my name, a few illustrations and the title of the book we are reading. On the inside cover I boldly put the name of our group and started my journal with reflections and questions. I pulled it out and set it on the table in full view as we caught up on how their weekend was and then openly flipped through the pages and asked my questions. I found that they were much more open with sharing their ideas after this. I think this is due to me putting my trust in their hands and showing them that I thought it was important.

      I noticed they had not decorated their journals to make it their own, and I am hoping that next week I will see that. Frances was kind to give us candy to share with the students which we did and regret. We did not think about us being in the library and not following those rules. This is not the only reason I regret doing this. The students were very active; however, I could tell they were also focused on the candy as well. So, to avoid any issues in the future, candy will be handed out at the end of our meeting instead of during the ice breaker period.

     After our circles, we met and discussed our experiences. As it turns out, Tammie and Rebekah are experiencing a little bit of difficulty with their groups sharing and reading. I offered the idea that we switch things up. I believe it may help to move each coach to another group. I think it will be wonderful to get to know more of the students and hear their ideas, as well as give them the opportunity to receive the talents and skills we each possess. I am looking forward to next week!

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October 27, 2008

      Today I am excited at the opportunity to meet and get to know more of the students. I will propose we met with our groups to get the circles going and then move to the next group and see where they are and expand on that groups work. From my group, I would like to see that each student has brought their journal, written a reflection and/ or questions and did something to personalize it. We gave the students free choice last week for going to page 100 or finishing the book as most wanted to do. I will be looking for their ideas, reactions, and reflections. My group is almost to the point of taking over the discussion and I would like to see that happen today.

Reflection:

      Today was successful! We met the students at 1:55 in the classroom and decided to work outside today as it was a beautiful autumn day. We met with our small groups to finish the book, as we felt it would be best to wrap up this book and try a change afterwards. I had one student absent, which left our group at three. I had asked them last week to use post-its in their book, draw a picture, find words they didn't know, and work in their journal. I am pleased to say that they did everything I asked of them! I had one student draw and color her picture, both found words they did not know and I saw post-its sticking out of their books which they used to refer to certain pages.

      The moment that I am most pleased with is when one student read a passage that she really connected with. She had it marked and ready to go. The students were making many connections to their lives and the world we live in. We discussed the war in Iraq and the presidential election. They both expressed that they did not understand the war as they were very small when the terrorists attacked on 9-11-01. I explained what happened on that fateful day and the culture in Iraq that is being questioned. I told them how females were forbidden education, sports, and were required to dress a certain way. I also told them some of those things are slowly changing. They were very interested to know more and I asked them to compile questions as three of my closest friends fought in Iraq and I would ask them their thoughts.

     We then got to the election and they had some very insightful things to say. They also stated that they were never asked their opinion on these things and nobody would talk about it with them. I gave them the opportunity to open up and have their say. They were very passionate and excited during the discussion. Suddenly, one student said" Whoa! How did we get so far from talking about the book?" I explained that literature circles did not have to always be focused on the book and that reading books allows us to connect the events to today’s and think more deeply about what is happening. I asked them if they thought they would have had this conversation if it wasn't for the book and they flat out said they would not have and had never thought about these issues before.

     After our enlightening discussion of war and politics, we returned to the book and found key parts they really liked or disliked and why they felt that way. After a while, they decided to act out a few scenes from the book and slowly Tammie’s group joined us in the acting, and then Rebeckah's group joined in. After they had their fun being theatrical and entertaining the shyer crowd of our literature circle we discussed reading another book. The students seemed very interested in the idea. I also gave them other ideas of book to read on their own. I pulled out my library receipt from Thursday and told them about the books I read over the weekend. I read Hitler's Daughter by Jackie French and The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli. I hope I sparked their interest! All the students were interested in Hitler's Daughter, and I believe a few might look for it in their school library.

      After the students returned to Ms. Finch's class, we discussed a game plan for the next book, now that we have a better understanding of how to make it work. We want to mix things up a bit to keep it fresh and ideas flowing. We decided to put our names in a hat and have the students draw a coach’s name to be in a group with. We have found working in smaller groups very beneficial and then gathering as a whole. I am looking forward to getting my hands on the new book and meeting my new group. I will have them name us first off and bring new journals for the students who may not have one. I believe working into a second book will give the students a better and more rounded experience as they will not feel as though reading is only an occasional activity. I want the students to realize that books offer adventure and they can connect with others through books. We have not made it this far yet, but I am confidant that by reading another book together we can accomplish this.

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November 3, 2008

      Today is the day we completely wrap up Stones in Water with our literature circles. I will be looking for reactions to the ending and their reflections of the book in its entirity. Once we are done with the discussion we will hopefully be able to move on to the next book in the series today.

Reflection:

     Today's literature circle was very interesting. I took note of Frances's suggestion for role playing from the book. Before today, I had allowed the students to pick any part they thought was of importance and act it out. Today we decided to mix things up and we told them the part we wanted them to play, counted them off into the parts and then into partners. This was a very valuable lesson. ha ha! I watched as each group got up and told us about the book, without acting! It was lame! I prodded them to do better, but since we did it with out any plan, they delivered without a plan. So...the next time, we will have a script printed of each role, or ideas for each character as we were given in class. Even though the acting today was a bust, I learned the great value of being completely prepared to ask them to do that again.

      After we watched the skits we broke into our smaller groups and discussed the ending of the book. My circle came with illustrations and opinions about the ending. When I showed them the new book and read the back to them, they were very interested. I told them we would begin it next week, to which they were very disappointed we were not going to get started this week. One student told me that they would simply go to the library to check it out, in turn I told her what a wonderful idea that was! I am glad that they are engaged with the book so much that they want to contuinue.

     When I started the literature circle, I was afraid that they would dread being a part of it, yet I have been pleasently surprised as they are eager to participate. After hearing everyone else's struggles I feel blessed to have the experience I am having. I then informed my group that they would be drawing names and the groups would be mixed up. They did not seem to like that idea, however when all was said and done, I think the majority welcomed having the change of pace. I would like to see them create and build new and stronger literacy relationships with their new groups. I am excited to get started with my new group. I have one remaining "El Paco" in my group and three new members. First order of business on next Monday will be naming our new formed group.

     I gave each of my members a journal and asked my "EL Paco" to explain what is to be completed each week. I also had each of the other "el Paco's" whom were all in a different group to explain to their groups what is to be done with the journal. I know that my group for Stones in Water were the only group to maintail a journal. I hope this tool will now be implemented into all groups and be as successful as mine for that book. The students expect to keep it up and have ideas for each meeting which help keep the discussion flowing freely and raises questions to ask one another. I think this tool has benefited my group the best.

     I believe that working into the second book of the sequel; Fire in the Hills, is amazing. The students are excited to continue as well as myself. I see alot of fun to come with the new groups! Now when we gather as a whole, I know at least one student in each group that I can call on and ask questions I know they can relate to. This is going to make our circle much more of a commuity then what we have experienced at this point so far.

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November 10, 2008

     The first order of business is to name our group and ask each member of our group if they understand what they are expected to do with the jounal. I asked them to personalize their books, and write vocabulary, questions, points of interest and anything that was confusing. I will ask them to show me their books and I will show them mine, how I used it for the last book and read from it. I will also give them post- its and ask them to use them liberally through out their reading. I will show them an example from a book I am reading. I will also explain that each person has their own way of doing this, I simply put the sticky on the parts I would like to refer to, other people put a smiley or frowny face or a question mark, while others take notes. I want them to fully understand what I want to see by our next meeting, as we will be beginning Fire in the Hills. I will help the two student who haven't finished Stones in Water   wrap it up and experience the closure before we move on.

Reflection:

     I am utterly bummed about todays circle! I walked in with high energy and a positive attitude and left feeling defeated! I suppose it is only fair that I have this experience as I have not yet had one quite like it, but what a bummer! My group was distant, uninterested, disrespectful and plain mean to one another. I had one student grabbing my materials, openly mocking me, disrepecting me in general and not listening to anything I said. The rest of the group was unresponsive and called each others ideas stupid! Stupid! I believe it was the free use of this term that got to me the worst- I really really really do not like that word! It didn't seem to matter what strategoes I used to get us on track as they were simply not interested! To adress this matter, I spoke with Rebekah and we decided if my unruly student continued this behavior we would move that person to her group and have one of her members join me. I think this will work as they are not taking me seriously, and I warned them today if they continued with the disrespectful behavior he would switch groups. I hope it does not come to this, but at least we have a plan of action for damage control if it should occur again.

     Our groups were supposed to come up with their own names, however with the lack of unity within the group, we unfortunately never made it to this point. I was initially dissapointed in this, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like that might it have been for the best. I don't think they would have agreed on much of anything today. I did provide them with my website address, and asked them to leave a comment on my Fire...   page to let me know they were able to view the resources I posted for their use. I am looking foward to hearing from the students.  I also distributed the books today and all three groups are on the same plan. We are all to read to chapter 13, which is 80 pages by next Monday. I know many of the students can reach that goal and for those who do not, I will ask the other students to summerize the book to that point.

     I have plenty of activities already lined up for the book that include their journals, and I look foward to hearing their thoughts and helping them make connections to the book, the real world and their own immediate lives. I know this can be a positive experience for all of us. I am hoping that the behavior today is directly linked to the weather, the alignment of the stars, a bad Monday or anything other than this being an omen to the next three weeks. I know I will continue to reflect on this experience as it is a wonderful learning opportunity for me, to learn classroom management and create strategies to keep the students from draining my energy and basically eating me alive! Stay tuned to see how it goes! God Bless!

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November 17, 2008

     Today's game plan is to start over. Last week was not exactly all we had hoped for, or had experienced thus far, so we will be making a fresh start. The students have read 1/3 of the book, have their journals and know what is expected of them. I have decided to let them know exactly why stupid is not allowed in our group and if we should continue being disrespectful, other arrangements have been made as to not steal this experience for the rest of the group. I have their favorite candy bars and am ready to give them lots of positive reinforcement for participating and contributions to our circle.  I would like for the group to name themselves, and get into some deep disscussion. I think my best approach with this group is to go for connections they are making to their lifes and the books. I hope this goes as well as I think it will!

Reflection:

      I couldn't be happier about how today went for our circle! Well, not completely true, the only thing that would have made today's circle better would be to have the two missing students with us! As our circle sat down today, I told them how I felt after last week and explained to them what I am hoping we can do. I also told them about their vocabulary and attitudes towards one another was not appropriate, and furthermore would not be tolerated. After they heard why I took such offense, they told me of similair circumstances in their lives and related to my strong feelings.

      I then told them that I had indeed come prepared with teir favorite snacks and asked how they did with the reading and their thoughts. Although one student did not have his journal with him, he did bring a drawing and had plenty to say. We discussed the parts of the book they really liked, disliked and made them think. I asked them several times what they would do in Roberto's place, have you ever had an experience that you could relate this to, how did this make you feel and why? They were very open about sharing their experiences that they  could relate to the book. I was very happy with how the day progressed. We did not come up with a name, but the two that were present are thinking about it. We decided not to choose while only half the group was there. I am so glad to walk away today feeling like we have made a pivitol point in our circle and now we will be working hard and enjoying ourselves.

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November 24, 2008

      Today I think we will come up with a name for ourselves and continue our fantastic disscussion. I hope the students who were absent last week are present and we can hear their views, experiences and opinions. I know having the whole circle will create a great discussion. Last week we made some super connections from our lives to the book, and I am hoping we can encourage more of this kind of relationship. I have plenty of questions to ask and ideas to throw around if they won't open up, so I feel confident walking into our circle tommorrow.

Reflection: 

     Unfortunately many of today's students were M.I.A. so we were not able to hear many of the students views. We decided that sice most of our groups were so very small we would try a whole group approach. This has been previosly unsuccessful as the students clam up. Well, we decided the best way to work on this was to try it again.

      Rebeckah, Tammie and I were unaware we would do this, so we had not come up with a plan for a whole group. We usually debreif after the circle and give ideas to one another for the next meeting, kepping each other abreast of what we were working on and how we will keep all the groups on the same page. When we decided to work as a whole group we decided to throw ideas and questions out to get the students thinking and talking. At first the students were too busy harrasiing each other to pay attention. I understand it is the week of a holiday and their minds are already on vacation so I decided to play a game.

     In the book Roberto and Vulpe Rosa carry messages secretly within the resistance. One thing that I know is important is to keep the action and feeling real, so I asked the students to write a message with their partner. We had three groups of two and two gaurds. We then told the gaurds to keep their eye on the resistance groups as they had to discretly deliver their messages to the coaches without being caught. With this strategy we held our whole group discussion with much more participation as the resistance groups were trying to deliver their messages as they spoke about the book. The gaurds were on duty and caught on group. It was very reassuring to know that I could think of something spontaneously and make it work. Today was our most successful whole group experience.

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December 1, 2008

     Today is the big wrap-up. In the last few weeks we have read through the book and today is our big finale. I am excited to hear the students thoughts about the book as a whole, what they thought of the ending and any questions they bring. I have asked one student to map Roberto's travels and he is to bring that today and explain what he found. I plan on asking the students how they would change the ending if they would. Would there be another book? This is the last book for this story, but it could move into another. What would the next book be about if they were the author. I am excited to see how the students will respond and I am also sad knowing this is our last meeting. I have asked both groups I have had what their favorite drink and snack is and I will be bringing enough for the whole group to share.

Reflection:

     Today was alot of fun. The students were full of energy and very happy that I remembered everybodys favorites. Every group was provided with the snacks and drinks and we worked in our small groups with some overlapping of students. At the end, my students from the first book gave me a big hug. I asked the students first if they finished the book and I was impressed they had. My student mapping the journey brought his map and was enthusiastic to share it with us. We also had illustrations the students made to share and we worked on vocabulary they were unfamiliar with. The students were also eager to tell me the ending was "bogus" and there should be another book. This was a great lead in to my question about what the next book should be about and the students had wonderful ideas. They told me that Roberto should have finally been home instead of just seeing it at a distance. They also elaborated the next book should be about his homecoming and how he deals with adjusting back into his old life after being away and in the war for so long. I feel as though i had underestimated my students because i was not expecting such an amazing connection on their parts. I am very pleased with our final meeting,

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Final Reflection of the Whole Experience:

     What an amazing and enlightening experience for me! I have learned so much about literature circles and being a teacher. I think it is funny how scared I was of these students the first day compared to now. I have built a relationship with these amazing young minds and I feel like they have enriched my life. I know that if i should see them in the future, we will remember this journey together and there will be no hesitation to talk. I am so impressed with the conncetions these students have made. They really are deep thinkers and are so willing to share their thoughts and opinions when someone is there to validate them. I know this is one aspect I will forever carry with me. I have found that when children of any age, work harder and become more confident when they are treated as people and not childrem. Keeping their develomental abilities in mind, magic is created through discussions.

      I have learned many strategies and skills through this experience. I have also grown tremendously in my confidence and independence through this journey. I have found just how capable I am to work with a group of student's and be successful. I am blessed to have had one of the more successful groups out of the class. I know that each of us learned through this experience, but I was blessed with having a successful experience.  Overall, my students were highly cooperative, open and enthusiatic. This was just what I need to inspire me during my first semester in the program as to my passion is where I need to be. I helped students make connections they would have not made without this circle. We had discussions, although off topic at times that helped them to look at the big picture and realize they have power in their voice as much as any other person. I believe these students needed that experience as much as I needed my own. I know in my heart that every single person in these circles benefitted in one way or another. 

     Thank you Frances for throwing us in regardless of our fears. It was just what the doctor ordered! I am truley grateful for this experience.