Training Matters

Deb Renner Smith and Pat Cunningham presented Thinking Theme at IRA 2007 in Toronto. We hope to see you in Phoenix in February, 2009!

Training Matters

A literacy coach wrote, "The cohesion that occurs after spending several trainings together over a length of time is the best! A group forms that draws on and from each other. This happened with our literacy practicum group this year. We are all in different situations: classroom teachers, literacy coaches, and reading teachers. However, we have many ways that we can and do support each other. This group was a phenonminal resource for me to draw on. The teaching ideas and suggestions helped a lot too. Deb's video clips were particularly effective. Seeing is very powerful."

Modeling Matters

Deb is modeling a shared reading lesson to teach character traits with the students on day 1. On day 2 the students completed the lesson with partners. On day 3, the students worked independently. All three days the students worked on character traits. Deb modeled all three days to introduce the lesson.

Deb is modeling how to read a reader's theatre. Don't read the little words. Read the words after the colon. The teacher (Deb) is read the words fluently. The children are echo reading after Deb. Modeling lessons for teachers is part of Deb's job. When combined with training, coaching, and collaborative conversations, it works!

• One reading teacher writes, "I Love Watching Modeling of Lessons for New Ideas! It's always helpful to see lessons in action. Deb brings lessons to life. The students are actively engaged. There is a clear teaching point. I especially like seeing a lesson in action after reading about it in one of the books we reading in the Literacy Practicum."

• "Turn and Talk" Works!

One coach writes: "I watched Deb model a lesson. I took careful notes so I could model the lessons in my teachers' classrooms. "Turn and Talk" is a component in all of Deb's lessons that I now incorporate into all of my lessons when I model. When I coach and discuss lessons with my teachers, I encourage my teachers to also incorporate "turn and talk" during their lessons too. This turn and talk encourages better thinking, creates dialogue, and engages all students. The students are becoming better thinkers and writers as turn and talk spreads throughout the school. Modeling works when combined with collaborative discussion and analysis of the lesson."

• Lesson List

One coach made the suggestion of making a list of all the lessons that Deb and the other volunteer teachers have modeled at the literacy practicum as a future reference. The lessons are readily and easily imitated by the coaches and teachers in their classrooms and other teachers' classrooms. It is an immense resource.

Coaching Matters

The "Coaching Corner" is a special place in a school. This is a place where adults discuss lessons and reflect on their instructional practice. The conversation is between the people who participate in the conversation and not evaluative. Megan Jones, an incredible teacher at Godwin Heights Public Schools of Wyoming, Michigan, has decorated this coaching corner.
I have conversations with reflective teachers at this school system.
Megan Jones (on right) discusses a lesson with a teacher, who has dropped in for a quick conversation and a cup of coffee, during his recess break. A welcoming environment, salty food (chips), chocolate, and caffeine (coffee or soda pop) will attract our teachers to our classrooms and rich literacy conversations.

• One coach reflects on learning about coaching from Deb: "It's not so much that I learned about coaching from one single lesson. No, it's really the cumulative effect of watching, dissecting, than planning and modeling a coaching conversation. It is the effectiveness of verbal positioning. It is building relationships and coaching situations. We focused our work during the literacy practicum on trying to help teachers to be reflective about their practice and hopefully to effect their what their own practice in their situations are. When we are self-reflective, we become better at what we do: better coaches, better teachers, better people. When we pay attention to the how and why, we reflect on our teaching practice or our decisions."

• Self reflection was the purpose of the coaching part of the practicum. Helping others to reflect is the wonderful goal we all have.

Collaborative Discussion Matters

The teachers are collaborating while involved with a book discussion about Deb Renner Smith and Pat Cunningham's book, Beyond Retelling. This group met for one year. They read ten books this year and discussed all ten books.

• Jane Harriger writes, "The format in the book fosters active engagement and focused discussions with students. Kids can't help but be focused on the text and the question at hand - the greatest interactions have happened. Also, the kids internalize the theme and bring me books that echo the theme. They have a greater depth of theme understanding through experiencing Thinking Theme instruction."

Favorite Quotes:

• "A steady does of recall questions and retelling can dampen your students' enthusiasm for books and reading higher-level purposes, by contrast, increase motivation for reading because students are reading for the real reasons people read and don't dread the inevitability of the after-reading check (Beyond Retelling Toward Higher Level Thinking and Big Ideas, page 3)."

• "At the Middle School where the students have done recall forever, they need to develop more higher-level skills." Rosemary Datema, Middle School Teacher.

• Megan Jones said this quote struck me: "Tradition is the most powerful force in everyone's teaching (Beyond Retelling Toward Higher Level Thinking and Big Ideas, page 5)" because we only teach how we have learned in the past. We can't teach what we don't know."

• Jody Seabert from the Middle School chose the quote, "Your students will soon learn that their opinions are valued, but must be backed up with evidence from the text (Beyond Retelling Toward Higher Level Thinking and Big Ideas, page 10). This quote is my favorite because Middle School students love to give their opinions, and now I always have them back up their opinions with their evidence.

• "If the theme is the big idea that a story is about, then the characters are what give life to that theme (Beyond Retelling Toward Higher Level Thinking Big Ideas, page 36)." Michelle Krynicki writes that she chose this quote as a favorite because getting to know the characters, really understanding them, helps to understand the theme."

• Mary Kay Murphy chose the quote on page 37, "We teach students to link characters to theme by leading them to think about what the character does, why the character acts that way, what the character might get out of doing this, and whether this action is an example or nonexample of the theme." She compared interacting with text to an interactive sport. If we are not interacting with the text, then we are not solidifying our thinking. When the students are interacting through the thinking theme chart, I know what they are thinking. She also added that she explained this quote so many times, she feels it is a core understanding to the book! She connected this quote to the quote from Mosaic of Thought, "Reading is an interactive activity."

• Janna Schneider picked the quote, "Deep thinking is seldom neat and tidy (page 93)." She writes, "Whew! It was a relief to realize that sometimes no one is sure what information goes into a thinking theme column. It is okay to put question marks in that box and move on so the deep thinking can continue."

Collaborative Discussions: Studying Student Work

The members of the literacy practicum collected writing samples from the peers and the teachers they worked with. They read hundreds of writing samples and scored them using the state released rubrics.

• One coach wrote, "This may be the number one most beneficial thing we did. I now am FULLY confident in my ability to score and support my score of any MEAP (Michigan high stakes test) papers or grades K-1-2 papers using the MDE (Michigan Department of Education) rubrics. We collaborated over the course of several meetings."
• Another coach wrote, "I finally understand the rubric language by having anchor papers from my own district's students. Deb has a way of explaining the rubric in kid friendly and teacher friendly language that makes sense to my teachers and to me. If I understand, so do my teachers."
• A reading teacher wrote, "I have found myself asking my teachers what I hear Deb asking me and the other coaches: "What do you notice? What do you think you will write next? OR What do you think that you will teach in writing next based on the writing samples you are reading?"
  

Professional Development Matters because Teachers Matter!

Professional Development Matters because Teachers Matter!


Teachers are the lifeblood of the school. A teacher is often the one to listen to the story of why today was a great day or a sad day. Sometimes she is the only one hearing the tale of how little Billy pulled a ponytail on the bus or how older brother stuck out a tongue and said something mean in the hallway. A teacher is the one to give a child bandage even though no 'adult' can find the teeny tiny paper cut on the pinky finger. If these little problems were the only ones teachers worried about our teaching lives would be a cake walk!


Teachers matter to students to fill their emotional cup, then their physical cup, then their educational cup.


Teachers have told me that I matter to them. I hope someday that I can matter to you!

Training Matters
On-going, job-embedded training matters. Teachers should be allowed to have training to improve their skills and build deep understanding of literacy on the job. Teachers with strong training in literacy, achieve readers who are active, strong and independent. Deb provides training in comprehension, writing, phonics, self selected reading, and much more. Deb's trainings are multi-media including: powerpoint, photographs from classrooms, movie clips, extensive handouts, collaborative discussions, and bookclub groups. Deb designs staff development training specifically for your school and your workshop situation.



Modeling Matters
Often at a training teachers ask Deb or themselves, "What does that lesson look like exactly? How would that lesson look in my classroom? Does that work with my students?" Modeling answers these questions. Teachers should be allowed to see lessons modeled with their own students in their own surroundings. Deb provides modeling in classrooms with your students. Deb writes lessons with your materials or provides her own depending on the needs of your staff and situation. After modeling a lesson, collaborative discussion takes place.



Coaching Matters
Deb coaches teachers by watching lessons and following up with a one-on-one conversation about the lesson. Deb also coaches the literacy coaches or the reading coaches. She has run several University level coaching practicum classes.



Collaborative Teaming Matters
Deb knows reading and writing. She is a valuable knowledge base to bring in as an outside resource. At Collaboration Teaming, everyone discusses 'something.' Sometimes the topic is the lesson that Deb just modeled. Sometimes the Collaboration Teaming meeting is about student work or an article. Everyone involved knows ahead of time for a successful meeting.

Frequently, food is included in the meeting, because everyone knows that well fed teachers are happy teachers. Salt + Chocolate = Smiles!