One of the big adjustments in leaving a prep position with periods for a self-contained class is the change in the time I have to work with kids. I had gotten used to discrete 45-minute segments, but now have the whole day with the same class teaching multiple subjects, etc.

I still don’t feel like I have a good rhythm for the week, and I’m writing this on Monday of week 10, a day that has been my particular bête noire. I’m starting the week with WAY too much ambition, and it’s getting in the way of something really critical which is kids finishing the work, and getting feedback in some way–either through whole class correction, my looking at it, or something. Something more than just closing the book, and moving on to the next assignment the next day after doing a damn grammar worksheet.

I tell myself this on Monday, but the problem is that I’m doing my lesson plans on Wednesday when things even out, or even on Thursday, when the work to time ratio is sometimes in the opposite direction. I’ve been getting feedback on this for about 2-3 weeks, and it’s still not being reflected in my planning, so I’m hoping this whine session will do the trick, since I would not want the embarrassment of coming back next week (or sometime after that), still whinging about the same problem. Thank you for letting me get that off my chest, and hopefully, this week, like the picture above, will point the way forward.

Okay, enough with what needs to change, what is on the right track? Writing is going pretty good. I am having the kids do at least one piece (sometimes two) q week that they have to correct from a draft form, or if they do a sub-par job on the writing portion of the selection assessments for our Language Arts text, they have to revise that.

Our RSP teacher handed out an article on writing for dysgraphic students (those who either physically, or from a grammar/mechanics POV have difficulty writing). Apparently this opportunity and ability to edit and revise is really key. This is the important thing, that kids not be graded on first drafts, but final product. I generally do participation marks for the first draft (did they do it Yes/No). Even though I will give them lots of editing marks, and tons of feedback, this doesn’t “hurt” their final grade (although it might hurt their head a bit). I also tell them what is working and what will make it a passing or outstanding grade piece of writing. I have some students with significant spelling challenges. I correct their spelling, but I’ve told them to concentrate on writing complete sentences (something that gets lost when they concentrate on spelling words), and I’ll figure out what they are spelling, or ask them. This makes them more fluent writers, rather than fearful.

How to revise writing is also the part of the state test that our school (and we’re not the only one) do worst on. Testing kids on revising using multiple choice in elementary is pretty stupid, but if they are not being taught to revise, or actually doing it, there is no way they can do well on this. Frankly, being fluent writers who are comfortable editing and improving their work is the most important thing to me.

Image Credit: number 9 by the|G|™, on Flickr