Jump Start! What Teachers Need Now

Unpack a sentence to teach grammar and writing lessons! Hey everyone, welcome back. I am Kim Venegas, and I’m here to help you become a better teacher, faster!  Finding a mentor is like a needle in a haystack. Finding the time to read a book on teaching? You don’t have the time. I’ll share tips each time you listen in.   One idea you can use today. Pull a sentence from a story the students are reading.  Post it on the board.  Ask them: What do you notice?  Some answers might be--I see a period. I see someone’s name.  I see a comma in the middle of the sentence.  This is interactive, a dialogue. “ Why is there a period? How do we know it’s a name? Why is that comma in the middle? What does it do?   This works because the sentence is familiar. This works because it is multilevel and everyone can notice something.  It works because the students are engaged, as if solving a puzzle.  Hands waved all over the room wanting to notice something no one else did. My students became successful. Successful writers.  Not necessarily proficient in state testing.  No guarantees there! But they could write and they enjoyed it.  Try it today!  Download the free resource on TPT at whamphonics.  Download and print. Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics]

My Easy and Effective Writing Rubric is now listed as a FREE resource in my TPT store at WhamPhonics.  I’ll talk through the details quickly.  I used one-half sheet for the year.  The type of writing didn’t matter-biography, creative writing, informational, or a science report. It can be used at any level.   While we’re talking about journals, I prefer composition-style books-even if I had to buy them.  The pages don’t tear out easily.  They can use the left for following a mentor text lesson or sentence structure and use the right side for their own writing.  Spirals just make too much of a mess for me! Are you a first-year teacher? I hear you!  Use Donors Choose! Ask for what you need.  MANY people want to support education.   The rubric is not so cumbersome (of your time) and of parents’ understanding.   Easy to snap a pic and share with families when students are showing great gains! Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics]

You are halfway through the school year.  Students seem taller and perhaps a bit more mature than when they left only two short weeks ago. Upper grades are likely to focus on testing strategies.  in my state, and maybe everywhere,  that often includes the RACE strategy for writing.  If you aren’t familiar, Restate the question Answer the question, Cite evidence from the text, and Explain how the evidence from the text answers the question.  It isn’t the writing you always dreamed of teaching, but students must learn how to construct text-dependent answers. For the test. . Good writing instruction becomes good student writing in any form.  Are certain formulas important? I believe so, especially in a testing grade.  Teaching students how to answer those text-dependent questions using a strategy your team and your principal encourage.  Students will feel more capable when faced with tough questions about their reading.  But outside of the framework of answering questions, all kinds of possibilities await!  You can teach students to use precise language as Cynthia Rylant did in Missing May.  You can teach students different ways to begin a sentence as Codell did.  You can teach students to use strong verbs rather than ‘got’ and 'did’ ,  you can teach students to begin each sentence differently.  (Because OFTEN I’ve seen sentences begin with then…then… or so… so…You can teach students to use specific nouns-I always tell students I can’t imagine stuff or things in a closet or backpack -describe and let me see what’s in there!  Teach them to write compound and complex sentences.  Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics]

In today's news-60 percent of Colorado's teachers are considering leaving the profession. Teachers are being hired during their practicum and student teaching.  If teachers or principals have noticed you are knowledgeable and up to the challenge, they may offer you this opportunity. Be ready! From day one, be a professional. Be on time.  Dress neatly.  Attend all meetings.  Keep your language civilized.  Jump into teaching as soon as you can.  Learn how to read the data.  How to plan for lessons.   Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics]

When teachers are trying to problem-solve a situation, we often find a tip or strategy and apply it to all students. I want to encourage you to think it through, think about YOUR class of kiddos.  Will it work with every student? Here’s my example: Cold calling.  According to Doug Lemov of Teach Like a Champion and Paul Bambrick Santoyo of Get Better Faster-Cold calling is an action step designed to engage all students and to discourage students from  tuning out   Things to consider: Your relationship with each student.  Students are easily embarrassed among peers when they can’t answer a question.  I’ve seen students as young as five, shrink down in their seats when they can’t answer a question.  Children read the room from a young age.  They know where they fall in the range of high and low students.  Those frantically waving their hand, and those sitting quietly trying to understand what was asked.   A few too many questions given to re-engage a student who isn’t able to answer can slow down relationship building.   Online phonics diagnostic @whamphonics.com Additional elementary resources @ https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics [https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Whamphonics]